Down the Rabbit Hole
by Aglaranna
Summary: Girls have been appearing in the Supernaturalverse, usually they just go home, either by sleeping with one of the Winchester brothers or the other. That's how it worked, until Kelly Jones fell. And then there was a problem, she wouldn't sleep with Dean.
1. Chapter 1: The Day Alice Fell

Title: Down the Rabbit Hole, Book 1: Grim Falling

Show: Supernatural

Status: Ongoing

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Girls have been appearing in the Supernaturalverse, usually they just go home, either by sleeping with one of the Winchester brothers or the other. That's how it worked, until Kelly Jones fell into the world. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, there was just one problem. She wouldn't sleep with Dean.

Chapter One: The Day Alice Fell

She fell.

She fell a long way.

Down, down, down through the darkness. Twisting, turning as she fell, the darkness swept around her, the stars whizzing past, their light bending around her like a whirligig. And she fell. She fell until she hit something hard, rock hard, and in the dark there was a sharp. "OW!" Followed by. "What the hell?" Then she realized it, she was sitting on a human body. There was a click. In the blackness a bulb blazed, artificial light filled the room, and just like that the darkness was lifted off her. She found herself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes. Angry eyes. From the left there was a voice, gentler than the one that belonged to the blue eyes.

"What? Another one?" It was a sleepy voice. "Dude that makes three this week."

The blue eyed voice responded rather harshly. "I know Sam, but it's not my fault they keep coming."

"No." Sam, whoever that was, said. "But it's not like you don't enjoy it." The girl paused, the voice sounded very familiar. Like she'd heard it before, maybe through the grainy receptors of a TV. It sounded different in real life.

"I'm only human, Sammy." There was a cough, and her head swung back to him, in his left hand there was a pistol. It's silvery head gleaming in the flickering light. Blonde head, blue eyes, military jaw. _It's all becoming clear_. She thought, looking down, she was straddling him. She yelped, and fell backwards off the bed to slam into the hardwood.

"Jesus!"

"They're not always this loud, Dean." Came the groan from the other bed.

"They're not always this annoying either." Was the sharp retort.

"Ouch." She mumbled, looking back up. He'd moved to the end of the bed, his feet swinging off the edge, as he stared down at her. "You're Jensen Ackles!" She exclaimed, trying to stand back up, looking around hurriedly for any cameras.

"No." He said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "I'm Dean Winchester, common miss apprehension for all intents and purposes." She blinked at him in confusion; it was not clicking properly in her brain.

"Is this a dream?" She asked, looking down at herself. She was still wearing her pajamas. So not how she imagined herself meeting Dean Winchester.

"It is." Sam said, kindly from the other bed, as he fixed her with a pair of soulful brown eyes. "If that's what helps you get through this."

"Oh." She said, not sure what he meant by that. After all, Supernatural wasn't real, it was just a television show, with actors and stuff. Special effects. Ghosts, demons, monsters, and things that go bump in the night, they weren't real. None of it was _real_.

"What's your name?" Sam asked, leaning forward, he seemed to sense her distress.

"Kelly." She whispered. "Kelly Jones."

Sam seemed surprised by that. "Not Alice?" He questioned.

"All the girls that have fallen here so far have been named Alice." Dean said, he was still staring at her like she was a moron. "Why are you still sitting on the floor, come up here, it's warmer on the bed."

"I'm fine where I am thanks." Kelly said, pinching the soft skin on her under arm. Willing herself to wake up.

"Dean'll take care of you." Sam urged. "He'll get you home."

"Yeah." Dean smiled, opening his arms wide. "Come up here."

"Why?"

"You want to get home don't you?" He snapped.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then come up here."

Kelly shook her head, matted mouse brown bangs fell across her forehead, and she hurriedly brushed them back behind her ear. Stubbornly, they slipped out again. "What are you going to do to me?" She asked, looking around for any sharp implements that he might use to stab her. _Is sharp pain going to wake me up?_ Or had she been captured by a D'Jinn? Was this all just… a dream? She pinched herself again, it hurt, so why she wasn't waking up?

"Come on." He said, waving his hand impatiently. "I don't have all day."

"Be nicer to her." Sam said, sliding to the edge of his own bed and glaring at his brother. "Can't you tell she's confused?"

"Well, usually they just accept it's a dream and leap into my arms going DEAN!"

"So you'll just have to work a little harder."

"Man, I suck at the whole seduction thing." Dean sighed. "Why don't you do it? You're more the comforting type." He glanced at her sidelong, and Kelly glared at him, irritated. Why was he being such a jerk? It wasn't her fault she was stuck here. _Stuck here?_ She thought. _This is just a dream_. But, if it was just a dream, why was it starting to feel so real.

"Because I'm not the one she landed on." Sam said. "You remember the last time we traded off, you still had to sleep with her before she went home."

"Best night of her life." Dean smiled, and Kelly swore that his eyes were getting a little misty with the memory. "In the arms of both Winchester brothers."

"Wait." Kelly said, backing up further. Her floral patterned pajama pants rippling against the floor. "Wait." She slid further in a half crab walk, until her back was pressing against the opposite wall of the motel room. "You mean I have to…" She paused. "_Sleep with you_." The last, to her profound embarrassment, came out in a squeak.

"Yes, Alice." Dean said, a leer in his eye as he looked her over. "You do."

"You say that like it's an honor." She snapped. "And my name is Kelly."

"Well…" He said.

"I mean, I know you're hot and everything…"

"I told you it's just a dream." Sam said from the other side.

"It doesn't feel like a dream to me!" She half shouted, panicked. Fear was rising in her stomach, and she rolled onto her feet. Crouching like a cat as her brown eyes flicking from Dean to Sam.

"Okay." Sam said, trying to calm her. "Okay."

"Don't baby her Sam." Dean said.

"She's scared Dean!" Sam snapped.

"Well, she shouldn't be!" Dean snarled. "She should know what's going on?"

"Obviously she doesn't" Sam yelled.

"Are you sure I can't sleep with him?" Kelly asked, looking at Sam. He was the only one, who seemed to be trying to make it easier. Right now, sleeping with Sam didn't seem like a bad idea if it would get her home. _But then, being comforting isn't Dean's specialty._ The last thing she wanted to do was sleep with that dick.

"No!" They both shouted.

"You know, I'm a huge fan of your show." She said, trying to be patient. "But I think I'll tune out from now on." She stood, brushing her palms across the flimsy cloth. A dark smear from the dirt and dust on the floor stood out clearly against the white.

"That's fine." Dean said, scratching his head, and as he looked out the window. "You do that once you _get home_."

"I'm not letting you." She swallowed, she was twenty years old for christ's sake! She wasn't a virgin, but somehow, sleeping with someone who was being a dick (as attracted to him as she was at the moment, in his pajama pants and tight gray shirt) seemed icky. "Inside me."

He sighed loudly, running his fingers through his buzz cut. "Virgins."

"I'm not a virgin!" She snapped.

"I don't think you should judge her just yet, Dean." Sam said.

"She's not sticking around long enough for me to judge her, Sam."

"That's it!" She yelled, stalking towards the door. "You two have been wonderful." Sarcasm making her voice venomous. "But I think I'll find my own way out of here." She stood, walked to the door, hurled it open, and headed out.

"NO!" Came the scream behind her.


	2. Chapter 2: Following the White Rabbit

Chapter Two: Following the White Rabbit

Outside the wind howled. Kelly Jones stopped, as her hair whipped her matted hair, her small heart shaped face containing wide eyes and pouty lips, froze in expression at the loud exclamation behind her. But honestly, she couldn't figure out what they were so upset about. Everything looked fine, she frowned, her black eyebrows knitting together as she considered. Would it be so bad really? _Sleeping with Dean?_ She thought, considering the option. He was very handsome, and the likelihood was that she _would_ get home. _I mean, how many girls can claim the same thing._ That stopped her. _Eeeeeeeew…_ Just thinking about how many girls that he had probably slept with turned her off. No, she was on her own. _If this is a dream then I can get out of it_. It wouldn't be a problem. Her head fell, and without glancing back at Room 112 she walked out onto the rickety motel walkway. High in the sky she could see the full moon, yellow and hanging low in the sky. It was a harvest moon. _October._ But that couldn't be right. It couldn't be fall already, when she'd gone to bed summer was just ending. She'd been two weeks off the beginning of her Junior year. "I'm really not in Kansas anymore." She muttered. There was a scream, Kelly's eyes shot up into the sky as a dark black cloud hurtled down towards her, he brown eyes widened as she took a step back. _This is a nightmare!_ She thought. _This is a nightmare! So, I'm going to wake up! I'm going to wake up!_ But the black cloud was getting closer, and she wasn't waking!

A hand snapped out and caught her arm, hauling her back inside. The door slammed shut, as Sam Winchester pinned her to the wall, covering her with his body. She inhaled the pine scent of his body, and she shivered. He really was handsome. "Umm…" She began.

"Are you insane?" Dean asked, his famed 1911 Colt pointed at the door as he leaned against the wall, looking at her. Kelly glared at him.

"You told me it was a dream!" She said as whatever was outside slammed against the door.

"Actually." Sam said. "I told you it was okay to believe that…"

"If it got me through it." Kelly said, as the thing outside banged against the door again. "Well, I have news for you Sam." She stiffened against the wall, finally noticing the gun in his hand. "It's not getting me through it!"

"Deep breaths." Sam said.

"Stop coddling Sam." Dean said. "It's not going to help us exorcise this bitch!"

"If she's terrified then the demon will possess her."

"That's if it breaks in!"

"Well, we have to leave eventually!" Sam snapped, as the demon slammed against the door again. Kelly sucked in deep breaths like he told her too, why was the thing being so persistent?

"Not until she leaves."

"I'm not sleeping with you." Kelly said, determined, her voice froze in her throat as the demon slammed into the walls again. Outside there was a shriek.

"You're being an ass, Dean." Sam said, becoming a protective shield over Kelly.

"I'm just being my normal charming self."

"Which is apparently a dick." Kelly said, as Sam laughed. She shivered as the thing hit the door again, there was a sickening crunch as it cracked the doorframe. She whimpered.

"It's okay." Sam said. Was he awkwardly patting her head? She hiccupped, her heart racing in her chest. These were the Winchesters! She was supposed to feel completely safe. At least, that's how she always imagined she would feel.

"It's not getting past the salt." Dean said, why did he sound so patient? "So relax."

"I'm sorry if this is my first experience with things that go bump in the night." Kelly snapped, terror was circulating through her veins. Her breathing had quickened, and her heart was thudding in her chest. She pushed against Sam. "Go 'way." She said, the words freezing in her throat as the thing slammed into the door again. There was another sickening crunch, the wood of the door creaked, giving way against the frame. The hinges squealed as they bent backwards, and she could see the head of the black cloud shrieking above the opening. She screamed. Dean Winchester opened fire, leaping in front of the door, and shooting. The air hummed with the blast as the gun emptied its clip. Sam pulled her against him, burying her head in his shoulder as he walked backwards.

"This isn't good Dean!" He shouted, letting go of her, pushing her back behind him.

"You think I don't know that?" Dean yelled back over the sound of gunfire. The demon cloud hissed.

"Why is it being so persistent?" Sam asked, as he too opened fire.

"I don't know!" Dean yelled. "But it's pissing me off."

"Me too." Kelly muttered looking around. Terrified as she was, she was feeling incredibly useless at the moment. "What does it want?" They didn't seem to hear her.

"Why couldn't it find a normal body to hop into?" Dean growled as the demon cloud slammed into the invisible barrier keeping it from getting past the door. "What is it with them?" He made a vague motion in her direction. "They're like demon magnets." As he said that, another thing slammed into the other wall, nearest to Kelly. She shrieked.

"Shit!" Sam pulled her around back behind him, as he turned towards the other wall. "We have to get out of here Dean!"

"And go where?" Dean shouted.

"You've got pendants in the Chevy!" Sam said, as the entire room began to creak. "Anti-possession, we need to get one of those around her neck." The wind howled outside.

"How's that going to help?" Dean asked, he was backing up, and Kelly felt squeezed between the two of them, but surprisingly, she felt safer. She reached out, her hand almost touching his back, but then she flinched away. There was a crash as the ceiling shuddered inward.

"Well, if they can't possess her, they should back off." Sam said. He was closer to her now, and she felt trapped in a Winchester sandwich.

"For how long?"

"Long enough to get a decent night's sleep!"

Kelly sighed, the two of them were getting annoying, but they were apparently trying to save her ass. And that was… _Sexy._ "Why does it want me anyway?"

"They." Sam corrected. "They want you."

"So why don't you just let them possess me?" She screamed, nerves raw. "Trap _them_ in a Devils thingy, and exorcise!"

"That's actually a good idea." Dean whistled, looking back at her, newfound respect reflected in his eyes.

"No!" Sam snapped, shaking his head, he looked at Dean. "No, we're not using her as bait."

"I don't see many other options Sam." Dean said. "I doubt we could get to the car without them swarming us, and they'd get her anyway."

"But letting her get possessed?" Sam asked, turning around, hand on her shoulder. Protective. _He's feeling guilty about something_. She realized. Maybe this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Maybe she wasn't the first one to make this suggestion. "We don't even know what kinds of demons those are! She could just vanish before she gets into the Trap, then we'll lose her!"

"You're right." Dean sighed, and Kelly looked at him, shocked. She'd expected him to side with her. "It's too risky."

"So we run for the car?" Sam asked. He looked at Kelly. "We're going to run for the car. We'll be safe inside it, Dean keeps the pendants in the glove box." She nodded and swallowed her irritation. She'd heard him the first time, he didn't need to repeat it. "You'll be safe in the car." His brown eyes were serious, and she could feel the pressure of his hand on her arm. He wasn't going to let anything happen too her, she could tell. He'd go down fighting to protect her. That was… comforting.

She glanced at Dean. "Okay." She nodded. "I'm ready." Her legs felt like jelly, and the horrible screaming was pounding in her skull as the wood groaned and cracked above her head. _Damned if I do, damned if I don't._ She thought taking a deep breath, and swallowing. Sam squeezed her shoulder, and Dean nodded. She really hated that. The "nod", the one that said "Yeah" or "I understand", it was so cheesy.

"Then let's go." Dean said, taking off, throwing himself towards the door and flinging it open, he stood on the porch opening fire on the demon clouds as Kelly raced out past him, heading for the 1967 Chevy Impala. She could barely make out it's black shape in the dark, terror clutched her as she listened to the rounds going off behind her. She skidded on the dirt, slamming into the side of the car, and slid the ground looking up, terrified, at the swirling black cloud circling above her head. "Catch!" He shouted, throwing his keys to Sam, as he began running towards the car. The keys sailed through the air, to land in Sam's hand, the taller man stopped above her. He jammed the long silver one into the lock, picked her up by the back of her collar, and practically hurled her into the back seat. His strength was in human, then he shut the door as the demons fell screaming on the car. Sam slid across the hood of the car, and opened the drivers door, he hurtled inside, slamming it shut, and he began rummaging through the glove compartment. Finding what he was looking for, he tossed the necklace into the back seat, to Kelly.

"Put that on!" He shouted, and she did what he commanded. Pulling the rough string weaving around her neck, she pulled her seat belt on as Sam revved the engine, then he pulled the car out and swung it around to where Dean was still shooting. The other hunter, climbed into the car, and they took off into the darkness.

Several hours later, with whatever town they'd been in far behind them, Kelly found herself leaning sleepily against window of the Impala. In the night sky, the full moon burned brightly between the clouds above them, and she could pick out the constellations as they whizzed down the deserted highway. The glass was cool against her cheek, and that kept her awake as they moved deeper into the night. She kept on the lookout for some kind of sign that could tell her where they were. All she knew was that they were heading west. _Heading west, with nothing chasing us. _ She fingered the necklace beneath her pink t-shirt, its lacy edges dipped just below her collarbone, and she was glad she'd decided to wear some of her more conservative sleepwear. _If I hadn't Dean might've been happier about sleeping with me_. She couldn't forget the disappointment in his eyes when she'd literally dropped onto his lap. Looking down at her body, she couldn't blame him. She was a size b cup, weighing a hundred and twenty pounds, plus she only stood five foot four in height. Her mousy brown hair had been matted from sleep, and only fell to her shoulders. She was pale, not tan, brunette, not black haired or blonde. She was average in everything relating to looks except her huge doe eyes, which overpowered her face. She stared at her reflection as it flickered in the road lights. Heavy bags hung beneath her eyes, and her throat contorted. She was lonely, very lonely, and homesick. Sitting in a strange car, with men she knew only from religiously watching them every Thursday night. She knew a lot about them, but they knew nothing about her. And though Sam had been very kind, and the Winchester brothers had protected and defended her from whatever monsters were trying to get her… They had no ties to her. There was nothing to stop them from just abandoning her at the first nice stop they found. She sighed, fingering the necklace. The weaving of the pendant Sam had given her was rough and itchy against her throat. But it was the only thing standing between her and demonic possession. She looked down at herself, she wished she had some more clothes. Real clothes, not just pajamas. "Where are we going?" She asked, listening as Fade to Black ripped out of the speakers in the front of the car.

"You're still awake?" She leaned forward, that was Dean. He'd ignored her for the first hour they'd been driving, after Sam had gotten tired the two had switched at a gas station two hours behind them, and now the surprise was in his voice was palpable.

"Yeah." She said, putting an arm against the back of the passenger seat. She could hear Sam lightly snoring in front of her. She sighed, she was tired, but at the same time she was too terrified to sleep. "You surprised?"

"I figured you'd've been wiped out by tonight's excitement." He said. "So yeah, I guess I am."

"I'm too terrified to sleep." She informed him.

"In your position I'd be the same." He admitted, turning the volume on the stereo down slightly. "Still, you should try to catch some. We'll get to where we're going and you'll do better having gotten rest."

"I think I'll be up for a while." She said, remembering the screeching of the demons, and the black cloud that had come hurtling down towards her mouth, ready to swallow her whole.

"Yeah, it's not an easy thing to shake off is it?"

"What is?" She asked, falling back against the leather seat.

"Seeing something like that." He said. "Something that shouldn't exist."

"I guess." She cocked her head, with a shaky laugh and asked. "What is this? My induction into the freak society speech?"

Even in the gloom she could feel his surprise. It was like an electric tingle against her skin. "Yeah, I guess it is." He laughed. "I really don't like you." He added after a moment.

"It's okay." She said, confidingly. "I don't like you either."

It was quiet for a few moments, and they both sat in the dark. Kelly's head tipped to the side and she began to start dozing off, knowing that only nightmares awaited her in the depths of sleep. She was almost gone, when Dean finally said. "Sam's right, you know."

She struggled back into waking. "What about?"

"We're stuck with each other." He said, then he looked back at her over his shoulder. "I won't ditch you, even if you are a pain in my ass."

"Thanks." She yawned. "That's comforting."

"Yeah." She could feel his eyes running over her. Evaluating. And for a moment, she wondered if her first assessment had been wrong. Maybe he wasn't such a dick after all. Then she felt the pause of vision over her chest, and the irrepressible rise of blood to her cheeks. _Nope, still a dick._ She thought, but a nice dick. "Sleep." He said. "We'll be at the Roadhouse by midmorning tomorrow."

She nodded, she knew what the Roadhouse was, even if she couldn't remember exactly where. _Wyoming? Colorado?_ That's where Ellen and Jo were. Maybe they could get her some new clothes. Her head slid sideways to rest on the window, and darkness crept into her line of vision as her eyelids fluttered. "Don't be so nice." She said, a few moments before she passed out. "It's not like you." She thought she heard a snort as the darkness swept her away, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she was falling again, falling and being chased by a swarming black and purple cloud. A horrific laugh shivered to her system, and she knew she was done for, because this time, this time she was too tired to scream.


	3. Chapter 3: When the Catipillar Said

((Thanks go to Sassy for helping me out with all the Jo Harvelle stuffs!))

Chapter Three: When the Caterpillar Said "Boo-hoo"

It was mid morning when Kelly woke from a fitful sleep. The entire night she had been dreaming of yellow eyes, and dark dogs that moved restlessly between the trees. But it was the laughter that had nearly woken her; it was the laughter that had nearly caused her to fill the car with terrified screaming. Sunlight burst through her tired eyes as she looked around, the Impala was only just pulling to a stop in front of a rickety looking old bar. Dust blew and tumbleweeds rolled past outside, Kelly looked down at her grimy feet, unshorn and tender from last night's wild race for safety. Her gaze moved up to the hem of her pajama pants, dirt and muck stained the bottoms, and there were greasy smears left from her tumble on the ground. She was hardly socially acceptable. "So, we're here?" She asked, leaning forward. Sam and Dean were both awake.

"Yeah." Dean said. "We're stopping here for a beer." He paused as the car halted. "And hopefully some new clothes."

"If Ellen or Jo is in a hospitable mood." Sam said, he sounded careful.

"Yeah." She mumbled. "Well, maybe some shoes would be good too?"

"We'll pick you up some, don't worry about it." Dean said, opening his door and stepping out into the harsh sunlight. It burned harshly overhead in the clear sky, and Kelly looked around nervously, knowing that nothing had followed them from…where ever it was they'd come from. Kelly jumped as a loud crash sounded from inside.

"You sure it's safe?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. It was a talent she'd carefully trained herself for in her third grade year, and now allowed her to express varying degrees of sarcasm.

"Don't worry." Sam said, patting her shoulder. "We'll protect you."

"Speak for yourself." Dean said. "If Ellen comes after us, I'm going to do one thing." He glanced at Kelly with a smirk that belied the seriousness of his tone. "Duck."

"You do that." Kelly said, her feet smarting with every step. _I don't care about clothes I just want shoes._ But those were far more temperamental, and expensive. "I always knew Sam was the brave one."

"Yeah." Dean coughed. "Brave and stupid."

"Oh like you're doing so much better." Sam snapped, as he headed towards the door. There was another loud crash inside the Roadhouse, which made the entire party pause for a minute.

"Well." Dean said, smirk still on his lips. "Go ahead brave one." Sam glared at him and stepped up onto the deck and strolled across it to open the door. Dean followed him, pulling Kelly along behind them. Shouting was issuing forth from the inside and that caused them all to pause and reflect again before entering. Finally Sam opened the door and walked inside. Kelly slid in behind Sam, keeping close to him. The old hardwood was murder on her bare feet and she just knew she'd be picking up a few splinters before their visit here was done. She peeked past him, to look at the two Hunters that she knew from watching the show, Ellen Harvelle and her daughter Jo. Sam looked back at her and smiled.

"Don't worry." He said in a soft voice. "They're bark is much worse than they're bite." Kelly glanced up at him, frowning, somehow she doubted that. From the look of things the two were in the middle of a heated argument.

"I am your mother I don't have to be reasonable!" Ellen shouted, and Kelly tried to tune out the rest as she huddled in her corner. She didn't want to get caught up in the middle of this. Most of the women on the show had crushes on one of the two boys and Kelly was pretty sure that Jo liked Dean. She sighed, this was turning into a rough gig. Maybe she should have slept with him after all.

"I… Wait, I want to know what they think about this?" Jo snapped, stalking over to where Sam and Dean were standing, then she looked past them to glare at Kelly. "Who the hell is that?" Her eyes sharpened and Kelly shrank back. She didn't want to get into a cat fight when she was dressed on the losing end.

"Who is she?" Jo asked, pointing to the slim brunette hanging in the shadows. She then looked at Dean. "A friend of yours?" Jo bit her lip hoping that the answer was no. But she also knew the man outside of her fantasies and that made it a big possibility.

"Something like that." Dean said, with an embarrassed laugh.

Kelly glanced at Dean, and then back at Jo. _Now would probably not be the best time to mention the whole sleeping with him thing_. She thought nervously as Sam stepped up. "Actually, she sort of... fell into our laps." He said, making an attempt at being diplomatic. "But she doesn't have anything to wear." He stepped sideways, and Kelly glared at him. Linking her fingers behind her back, and trying to fight the flush rising to her cheeks. Being caught in the Winchesters in a lacy pink top and flowery pajama pants was bad enough, but being shown out in front of a romantic rival? When did I start thinking like that?

"You're in a bad state." Ellen said, looking her up and down. "Where'd you boys say you picked her up?" Jo eyed the girl from top to bottom, was she more competition, or was she another stray they picked up? She waited to see if there was any vibes coming from Dean and the mystery girl. Silently, Jo glared at the girl with open hostility. But when she moved behind Sam, it sufficed enough making her irritation lighten. She almost managed a smile.

"Ah, we didn't." Sam said.

"We were working a job in Omaha when we found her." Dean said, looking back at Kelly with a smile. "You could kinda say she's a bit of an unsolved mystery." Kelly straightened up just a bit behind Sam.

"Care to enlighten?" Ellen said, still eyeing the girl. "She looks like she's been put through hell."

"Yeah." Sam said, rubbing the back of his head. "All we really know is that she's some kind of demon magnet."

"Clothes?" Kelly whispered from behind him, and Dean shot her a look. It said, "you need to be more confident." "Umm, if it's no trouble." She began slipping out further from behind Sam. "Do you think I could borrow some…" She trailed off.

"What she means is that, she was so rushed in getting out when we found her that she didn't have any time to…" Kelly was thankful that Sam had jumped in.

"Say no more." Ellen said, looking at Kelly with something akin to pity. "Jo do you think you could rassle up some clothes for our guest? She looks about your size."

"But momma, they said she's a demon magnet! Do you really think we outta be helping her. She could've lead some of those things here?" She huffed, with her arms still crossed.

"No, there's nothing on the road behind us." Dean said. "It's been smooth sailing ever since we got her to wear that charm thingy around her neck."

"Joanna Harvelle!" Ellen exclaimed. "Never in all my life… I thought I raised you better than that." She glanced back at Kelly, the sympathy still there in her eyes. "Her bein' a demon magnet, that ain't her fault. Girl's probably been through enough trouble already without us making things more difficult."

"Plus." Sam said. "We vouch for her."

"Yeah." Dean said, picking up with his brother. He'd grown to be a little more appreciative of the girl after she'd offered to be bait. She was a rank amateur, probably even more than Jo, but still. He felt bad for the kid. It was a rough gig, and while it would make things easier if she would just sleep with him. But he had to respect her for sticking to her guns on the whole thing. "Besides, she's not all that bad."

Behind him, Kelly smiled. She wasn't sure why he'd suddenly decided to be nice, but it was comforting to know that Dean Winchester had come down landing on her side.

Jo was still reeling from everything that was happening. She felt some what uncomfortable standing there in front of the brothers. When Dean said 'Besides. she's not all that bad.' Her lips pursed and she grimaced, "Fine, come upstairs and we'll see if we can find you something to wear. She turned giving her mom a sour look. She knew her momma would be furious for denying the girl basic comforts but the nobody was going to be treading on her fantasy of having one Dean Winchester all to herself. She trudged up the stairs, begrudgingly, and waited for the girl to follow.

Kelly winced, when Jo said she'd take her upstairs. But she followed, anything to get her out of these stupid clothes. They stopped on the dusty stair as the smaller blonde kicked open the door. Kelly could practically feel the other girl's jealousy; it hit her like a heat wave rolling through the room. Jo had a small twin bed in the corner and tall chest of drawers on the left. Kelly examined it, but only with her eyes.

"Why are you standing there like a lump?" Jo asked, disgruntled. "Come over here and put these on." She had pulled two sets of older (and rattier) jeans out of the lowest drawer. She tossed them to Kelly, then she grabbed four tees and three spaghetti strap tops out of the second drawer. All would go terribly with Kelly's skin tone. The other girl sighed, and collected the generously given items.

"Thanks." She said.

"I have an old brush in the drawer." Jo answered. "Cause you definitely need it." She paused, watching as Kelly began to strip off her clothes. She choked back a laugh seeing the black pushup bra and teddy bear panties. She wasn't Winchester material. Even after everything Dean had said, maybe she didn't have anything to worry about after all. "I'll be downstairs." Then she turned and hurriedly stalked out of the room.

Jo practically stomped down the stairs. Not only did she have to pal around with the competition. She had to dress her too. Spotting Sam sitting by himself in the corner, Jo approached unsure. "Sam could I talk to you a minute?"

"Sure, Jo. What's up?" Sam said, standing. Dean was over at the bar grabbing a beer. Sam wasn't sure what he was doing hitting the Alcohol so early in the morning, but Dean was, as usual, being Dean.

Jo slid in the seat across from Sam glancing up at Dean for a minute, " I wanted to ask you about those murders? But first…" She twisted her mouth wryly, "This girl… are her and Dean well… you know?"

"What?" Sam asked, sliding back slightly. "No. No, they're not like that." He said. _Not yet anyway_. And it wasn't all that likely they were going to be, if his instincts were correct. Up 'till this moment it had either been overt hostility or deep dislike, and was now had become toned down to mildly respectful. _Though Dean did say that she wasn't all that bad._ Which was, for Dean, close to saying he liked her. _What did they talk about after I went to sleep?_ He wondered. "What about the murders? The ones we were investigating?" That had been their gig in Omaha a rash of missing persons relating to a vengeful spirit. Sam had been a little depressed that it had just been a woman in white, and not something else.

"Oh," Jo said somewhat pacified. At least there was that to be thankful for. "Yeah the murders. People disappearing without explanation. Maybe she ought to stay here while you guys go investigate." She glanced significantly up at the stairs.

"Yeah, maybe." Sam said, with a sigh. "It'll be pretty dangerous, she'd probably be safer here. But we don't want to leave you and your mom in trouble." And he didn't know what Dean had promised her, his brother kept eyeballing the staircase, waiting for Kelly to come down. He was probably just curios about what she looked like in normal clothes. _Still, it's making Jo ancy._

Jo kept watching the way Dean was eyeing the staircase, well she gave the girl the most unflattering clothes she could find, so there. "I wanna help Sam, at least if she's here you guys wont have to keep an eye on her- I'm sure it wouldn't be any trouble- I'll just ask Momma."

"And you think you're mother will just let you go?" Sam asked, glancing at Ellen. The tough woman was leaning against the bar in deep conversation with Dean. They were probably talking about how Dean had managed to pick up the girl. The usual questions, Sam just hoped that Dean wasn't supplying her with the answers.

"I wanna help, you cant just keep me out of it, I can hunt just like you and Dean. Are you saying a woman cant do the job?" She expected more of the macho crap from dean than sam, why was he so dead set against her helping? "Besides, if you don't let me go I'll just go by myself."

"I really think you should be taking this up with your mother." Sam said, standing quickly to walk over to his brother.

"I'm not done yet!" Jo yelled coming after him. "I want to know what you guys think!" She waved her file in front of them as she handed it to Dean. "What do you think? Good right?"

Kelly sighed, she'd heard the snort. _Great, just what I need_. And reached for the jeans. She eyed them, and pulled them on. They were a little tight around the thighs, she noticed, but not embarrassingly so. She looked at herself in the mirror, her stomach was flat with hunger, and she traced a line down her midsection. Her tired eyes stood out against the backdrop of her pale flesh, and her brunette hair hung moodily around her face. Limply too. _Who am I kidding?_ She thought, without make up, she wasn't really the type to be paling around with the Winchesters. _But, now isn't really the time for self pity_. She yanked the spaghetti strap over her head. It was navy blue, and was bound to wash her out even more. Silently, she collected the other pieces of clothing, and chose one of the button downs Jo had given her. _Girl has even more clothes than I do._ Well, did. She sighed, and began walking downstairs. Maybe Ellen could lend her a duffle or something. Considering that she hadn't even come into this world with a wallet. _Which is sad, because I could use my credit cards_. Especially since they had no one to charge them too. She stepped onto the Roadhouse's hard floor, her bare feet wincing again. Jo was huddled up with the Winchester boys, and Ellen was on the phone. Kelly sighed again, and made her way towards them, flinching as she went.

"…Over the past eighty years, only happens a decade or two." Jo said, proudly as Kelly walked up to them. "All missing girls, all young blondes."

"This is a good file." Dean said. She saw him look up at Jo with the same respect he'd given her when she'd offered to be bait. She sighed. _Dean is a player_. Maybe he was just like that with all the girls. "Ash help you?"

"No I did it myself."

Kelly listened to Dean's surprised whistle as she moved in between them. "What are you guys looking at?" She asked. Squeezing up next to Sam to get a look at the file. "Murder case?"

"Jo's case." Sam said as Kelly peered past him. "You have to admit it." He added, looking over at Dean. "We've hit the road for a lot less."

"Good. You like the case so much you take it." Ellen Harvelle said, hurrying over to them. She paused for a moment to look over Jo's job at outfitting their guest. "Joanna Beth Harvelle!" She exclaimed. "Didn't you get the girl any shoes?"

"Momma!" Jo snapped, for completely different reasons. "You can't keep me here you know!" Her clear blue eyes snapped back to where Kelly was standing with Dean and Sam. "Besides, she's already going with them!"

"You're planning on taking her with you?" Ellen asked, glaring back at the two Winchesters. "On a hunt? A girl who probably doesn't know a butt from a barrel?"

"You don't need to treat us like we're insane." Dean said. "We know what we're doing." He glanced guiltily at Kelly, as Ellen fetched an old pair of boots out from behind the bar. "Besides, there's more to her than you think."

"Other than prime bait?" Ellen asked. "Here, take these." She handed the boots to Kelly and brushed her hands on her jeans. "They're probably the wrong size but they'll keep you in good until those two can get you new ones." She glared at them. "You are taking charge of her? You'll feed her, clothe her, train her?"

"Yes." Sam said, pushing Kelly back behind him again. "Yes. All that."

"Then that's settled." Ellen said.

"Momma!"

"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough." She said, looking from Dean to Sam. "More than enough." Then she glanced back at Jo with hurt eyes. Somehow knowing that her hurt would not move the stubbornness of her only daughter.

Kelly tapped Dean on the shoulder. "If you guys are taking this case." She said, glancing from one Harvelle to the other. "I think we should get going."

"You're probably right." Sam said, taking the file from Dean's hands. "We'll just get out of your hair." He said, and the three of them sidled towards the door and out of it. On the trail of missing blonde girls in Philadelphia.


	4. Chapter 4: The Mad Hatter

Chapter Four: The Mad Hatter and a Cup of Tea

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"This one's pretty." Kelly said, holding up a soft red tank top and looking at herself in the mirror. Behind her, leaning casually against a wall, away from a rack of clothes, Dean snorted. It was their first day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Kelly knew they were currently not far from where the apartment building where female disappearances were happening. The very thought sent shivers up her spine. While she knew she wasn't the ghost's type, being small and brunette, a pit in her stomach still remained. Like she knew something ominous was about to happen. After all, she was a demon magnet, wasn't she? Kelly was unsure about the whole thing, and wondered why she hadn't put up a protest and asked the Winchesters to let her stay with Ellen. The older Harvelle seemed nice, but… The memory of Jo's coldness and jealousy made her shiver, and she knew why she'd decided to come with the boys. _Even if it means that I'll be in mortal danger._ Danger she could handle, ghosts, though they gave her the willies, she could deal with, but jealous twenty something's competing for male attention? Not a chance in hell. "What do you think?"

"I think it's the same as the last five things you tried on." Dean said, fiddling with his wallet, and wondering why he'd agreed to come on this little outing in the first place. Why hadn't he just given her his credit card and let her go on her own shopping spree. He glanced around. A bunch of old ladies were giving him the eye. He shifted uncomfortably in his biker boots and jeans, resisting the urge to start twiddling the knife he always kept tucked against his right ankle.

"It's fine." Kelly finished the sentence for him with a sigh, and looking down at her cart. She knew that Dean probably would rather be caught dead in Goodwill than seen living in one, and she felt bad about Sam's volunteering him for chaperone duty. The other Winchester was currently scouting out the apartment building and the rooms where the girls got snagged. Kelly knew that Dean would much rather be out hunting ghosts than telling her what she looked like as she glanced down at the cart. She'd managed to find a long leather jacket, three tops better suited for her skin tone, two pairs of jeans, and a set of shoes. All told it wouldn't be more than thirty dollars and would keep her in good for at least a week or two. "Is that the only word you know?" She asked.

"No!" Dean snapped, taking a step up to her. "But since you're being a pain in my ass, I don't feel the need to boost your ego." Then he leaned in really close and said in a low voice. "And if you'd just agreed to sleep with me in the first place…"

"None of this would be happening." She said, tossing the tank top into the cart. "Well for now you'll just have to keep your pecker in your pouch, because with this ass?" She tapped her small bum, and Dean snorted. He and she both knew her body was a straight up and down with little to no curve along her backside, and though she did have a nice well-shaped tight ass… it hardly helped her figure. "The milk don't come free."

"I hate girls like you." Dean said, as Kelly took control of the shopping cart.

"Live with it." Kelly said. "Let's get going." She headed for the check out with an all too eager Dean following behind her. Ten minutes later, Dean was in the drivers seat pulling out, and Kelly had elected to sit in the back with her bags. Silently she hunkered down in the back seat and began stripping.

"Hey! Hey!" Dean yelled, turning around in his seat. "What do you think your doing?"

"What does it look like?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow as she searched her Goodwill bag for the red tank top. "I'm changing."

"Right." Dean said. "Never mind." He minutely adjusted his rearview mirror to angle downwards into the backseat. "Do what you gotta to do."

Kelly quirked an eyebrow as she pulled her blue spaghetti strap and floral over shirt off, quickly shedding the poorly fitting clothes that Jo had given her, and started pulling on her new tank top. "I'm going to tell Sam that you're a peeping tom." She informed him, brushing back her short hair, and reaching into the bag to pull out the brown and cracked leather jacket. She ripped off the tag, and pulled it over her shoulders. Settling back against the seats, she smiled prettily at Dean.

"You go right ahead." Dean said, imagining the flack he'd catch from his overly chivalrous brother later. "He'll tell you that it was a foregone conclusion." He still found that he had to admire the red on her more than the blue, it accentuated the pale tan instead of washing her out. She was almost. _Pretty._

"True." Kelly yawned, it had been a long drive to Philadelphia, and they hadn't stopped for anything except gas. "So you going to show me how to shoot a gun or not?"

"Not." He said. "You aren't ready for that."

"Sure I'm not." She said with a smirk.

A few hours later,

"No." She said, stamping her foot against the cloth rug. It was cheap, like most of the stuff in the apartment. It was sparsely decorated with tables, chairs and a few pieces of furniture. _The landlord did say it came fully furnished._ She thought, that was unusual for a rental. "I won't." She felt like a child, and from the way Dean was glaring at her, he did too. A mixture of disgust and dismay flicked through his eyes, even as his face remained stoic, and it only made her angrier. _I'm not a child. _ He didn't need to treat her like she was breakable.

"You're staying here." Dean repeated, and Kelly suddenly knew what it was like to be Jo. _He doesn't trust me_. "We've put salt on the windowsills and in front of the door, nothing's getting in. You'll be perfectly safe."

_That's not what I'm worried about._ "As houses." She muttered, brushing strands of brown hair back behind her ear. She felt foolish, even in her new clothes. Jo's jeans fit awkwardly, and showed off all the wrong areas of her body. It was difficult to feel confident when your jeans made your ass look like Alaska.

"You're a civilian kid." Dean repeated for the third time. _I know, I know_. How many times did he have to tell her? She suppressed a sigh. _Boys are so stubborn._

"You'd only be in the way." Jo added, from the table. She was twiddling her hunting knife, and Kelly resisted the urge to slap her. A growl rose in her throat, and she swallowed it. Somehow, she felt that ever since she'd come to this world, she'd started to grow more doglike. _Does she have to be smug about this?_ She wondered. _She's in the exact same boat._ Dean didn't want her anywhere near the ghost either. I_And she crashed this job_. Well, it had been her job in the first place. _But she didn't have to show up and immediately latch onto his arm_. It wasn't like they were engaged. But she had paid the landlord and gotten the boys and Kelly out of a tight situation. And she'd done it with money she'd swindled from Hunters by playing poker. Which, Kelly had to admit, was kind of cool. Now, though, Jo was determined to exclude Kelly from any participation in their hunt. Not that Dean Winchester needed any help in that department. The only one who had spoken up for her was Sam. _And he only did it because Jo was ragging on me_. Sam had a noble nature, and that was a part of him that Kelly appreciated.

"You're one to talk Jo." Sam said.

"She's even greener than me." Jo snapped, flicking her knife shut. "Sam, she can't fight, can't hardly shoot, doesn't even know how to cock a pistol. If she comes she's going to get us all killed."

Kelly couldn't fault that logic. "I can take care of myself." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. The memory of her demonic encounter was still fresh in her mind, and she knew that this mission probably couldn't afford a repeat performance. _But they've stopped coming after me._ Ever since she started wearing the pendant Sam had given her. She fingered the leather strap that hanging over her the pink flesh of her chest, the tank top hid most of her bosom but everything else was exposed. Some nights it rubbed the skin of her neck raw, and like today, left a long red line around her throat. _Like a collar_. In the week they'd been together, Dean had never missed a chance to make fun of it. Daily. Sam called it bonding. Kelly called it abuse. The man seemed to take every opportunity imaginable to torture her. Well, tease her.

"Not against ghosts." Jo responded. "Whatever kind of spirit this is it'll chew you up and spit you back out."

"A pretty thing like you." Sam added with a grin, he glanced at his brother. Dean didn't look amused.

"Marginally." Jo said, flicking her knife back out. "But that's the gist."

_Maybe I'll eat it instead of it eating me. _ She thought, looking at Dean. "It won't come after me." She said, he raised an eyebrow at her as if to say 'I'm not willing to take that chance' as Jo stood.

"What makes you so sure about that?" She asked, flicking the knife again, this time with more intent. She always got jealous whenever Kelly and Dean shared long looks, not like those looks meant anything. _They usually consist of me telling him that I don't want him following me into the bathroom._ There were times when Kelly preferred her privacy. But ever since they'd entered the building, Dean had refused to let her out of his sight.

"Pretty, petite, blonde." She ticked off the list. "That is this spirit's flavor of victim. I am small, gawky, and brunette. Do you see where this conflicts with it coming after me." _And Dean's laid down salt on every entry way imaginable…_ The likelihood was that it wouldn't get her anyway. _Since he's never going to let me out of this room…_ Hell, he was planning on making her sleep on the opposing couch and Sam on the floor. _Because the bedroom just isn't safe enough._ Well, it wasn't like she wanted to share a bed with Jo anyway. _When did he turn into a mother hen?_ "You are petite, pretty and blonde Jo, so how about you stay here, safe as houses, while I go hunt."

She could take rejection on the grounds of incompetence and inexperience from Sam or Dean, they were professional monster killers, but Jo was an amateur just like her. _An amateur with a knife collection_. One that was stupid or foolish enough to hunt for a spirit that kidnapped and killed girls like her. _I'm not the only outsider here, and I won't let her shove me out because she's jealous_. She knew why Dean was letting her stay. _Me he'd send off if he thought anywhere else was safe_. At least he'd stopped bringing up the prospect of sleeping with him, she found him attractive, true, but not enough to well… _Give it up._ Not even to get home. _It wouldn't be so bad if it were Sam_. She thought, he wasn't pressuring her. He did occasionally give her curious glances when she'd hit Dean over the head, but they could debate philosophy and talk about college experiences. _And what it's like to suddenly be forced to drop out_. They had things in _common_. _So why is Dean the overprotective one?_ And he was the only one who could get her home. _I could fall for Sam._ Then she glanced at Dean, he was still watching her. _Probably remembering me change in his car_.

"You're both staying here." Dean snapped, glaring at Jo. He was standing over her, but she, being the spitfire that she was, glared right back.

"No." Jo said. "This is my case."

"I'm not staying here with her." Kelly said, and they glanced at one another.

"I was thinking the same thing." Jo smirked.

"That I would rather be run over by a tractor than stay here with you? Because that one's pretty on the nose." Kelly said. "In fact I would rather be captured by this ghost than stay here with you. I would rather have my inside eaten by a Wendigo than stay here." She added, as Dean's frown grew deeper. "With. You."

"That can be arranged." Dean muttered, but Kelly ignored him.

"Well that settles it." Jo said. "Dean, Sam, and I will go look for the ghost, and you can stay here and guard the house."

"Like hell I will."

"I should be kicking your butt onto a plane and sending you back to your mother." Dean said, but Kelly knew that Dean admired the other girl's drive. He was going to give her the opportunity to prove she had the guts to be a hunter. _But I have nowhere else to go._ This was her only option. _No history, no credit card, no phone_. She had nothing, nothing but the Winchesters. _Oh, and a bunch of demons might want me_. For no reason she could possibly fathom. She sighed. That just about summed up how pathetic her life was becoming.

"If you were going to send me home, you'd have told my mother where I was." Ellen Harvelle was a formidable woman, and Kelly didn't like keeping secrets from her. She had after all, given her the one and only boots she owned.

"Fine." Dean growled.

"Fine." Jo snapped.

_So who won this round?_ Kelly wondered, knowing that either way she was on the losing end. _Jo_. "Fine." Kelly echoed, more out of her own facetiousness than anything else.

Jo looked at her triumphantly. "So are we going to sit here all day or are we going to kill this thing?"

"I suggest finding it first." Kelly said, from her perch on the counter. "But that's just me." Sam covered his mouth with his hand, but Dean still didn't look amused.

"The day isn't getting any younger Dean." Sam said, looking from one girl to the other.

"You happen to have fourth EMF detector." Kelly said; she'd stolen it from Dean's pack earlier when he'd been arguing with Jo. "I suggest putting it to use."

"Where did you get that?" Dean asked.

"I made it." She said.

"You stole it." He answered.

"Sam was showing me how to use it." She smiled innocently. Dean glared at Sam, and Kelly was glad that Dean wasn't capable of fratricide.

"I didn't show her anything." Sam exclaimed, looking from her to Dean. "Honestly, Dean."

"You're such a pain in my ass." He said, looking at her. Kelly could see him thinking 'I don't know why I get stuck babysitting you'. "Hand it over."

"No."

"Fine, but you're staying here." He said, tossing one of the remaining EMF detectors to Sam, Jo took the other one.

"Oh goodie." Kelly sighed. "Maybe the ghost will come find me."

"You're not its type." Jo reminded her, and Kelly smiled sweetly.

"Don't you know there are always exceptions." She said, brushing her hair back out of her eyes and straightening her shirt. The boots Ellen had given her clicked together. And she enjoyed looking at the finely finished, though worn, leather.

"Don't expect me to come looking for you." Dean said.

"I won't." She said, putting up a hand. "I solemnly swear that I will take responsibility for my own end." That got a chuckle out of Sam, and she thought she saw Dean's lips twitch. Which she found funny, because Sam was supposed to be the straight man. "So don't feel guilty if I die."

He glanced at her again a real smile gracing his features, and she grinned. Their eyes met for a moment, brown to blue. He shook his head, and sighed. "Jo you're with me, Sam you take the first two levels. Jo and I will search the third and fourth."

"I look forward to a horribly gruesome end." She called after him as he disappeared down the taupe hallway. Dean waved back to her over his shoulder, and Jo smirked at Kelly as she sauntered off after him. She sighed loudly and looked over at Sam, he was looking at her and smiling. Sam had an addictive smile, and she couldn't help but grin back at him. Her lips moved on their own.

"Take care of yourself." She was about to smirk at him, but realized that he was being serious.

"Sure." She said, a bit confused by his sudden change in attitude. "I'll be careful."

"I'm serious Kel."

"I'm not a third grader Sam." Kelly said. "I may be new to your world but I got along just fine in my own. You don't have to worry, Dean coated this place with salt, nothing's getting in." He paused, and seemed to accept her explanation and turned to go. _He feels guilty. _ She realized. "Do you want me to come with you?" She asked.

"No." Sam shook his shaggy brown head. "It's just…"

"I'll be fine by myself Sam." She repeated. "I've got the rest of the arsenal, and salt up the wazoo."

"Guns you can't fire."

"If push comes to shove I'll make a circle of salt and sit in it." She said, and Sam smiled. "Honestly, I'm going to be fine. Go." _Do I have to push him out the door_? She wondered, but Sam turned and left. He kept looking back over his shoulder at her as he did so, until she shut the door and cut off his line of vision. _Now I have to stay here_. She thought with a groan, grabbing the case file and flopping down onto the couch. _ I don't think I could face Sam's puppy dog eyes if I left to search on my own_. Silently, she began to read. The couch was incredibly uncomfortable, and the fuzzy material dug into her spine and put a crink in her neck. "Still better than one of those chairs though." She muttered, as she flipped through the case file. It was incredibly detailed with newspaper clippings that went back to the fifties. "Interesting." She mumbled. "Is that a prison?" She wondered aloud, circling the building to the left of the one she was currently in. "Huh." That would certainly be useful down the line. _If I don't get bored out of my skull with all this waiting._ It was too bad Sam's computer was password protected, and he hadn't seen the need to give it to her. _He sure as hell better if he's gonna make me sit around all the time while they're on a job._ If the brothers thought she'd be safer in the car, that was probably where she'd end up. But it was terribly uncomfortable to sleep in. She wasn't sure how Dean managed.

"Ugh!" She leaned back a few minutes later, completely and utterly bored. "Bored, bored, bored." And she pushed the file to the side. Lying down on the couch, she wondered if it would be possible to sleep the day away. _Then I'll perch on the edge of Dean's couch and keep him up all night._ That was an enjoyable thought, she liked making his life miserable. _In fact one of these days I might just flash him for the hell of it._ Just so he'd get his cute confused look. Dean's face was incredibly funny when he was dumbfounded. _He looks like he's been hit with a hammer_.

"You're a civilian." She muttered, as she curled up against the arm of the couch like a cat. "You're too green to be hunting ghosts, this is no life for you, you're not its type, the spirit won't want _you_." She sighed, rolling onto her back. "Well, Jo's welcome to it." She stared at the ceiling. "Do they honestly expect me to just sit here?" She asked it, that was certainly what Dean expected and what Sam wanted. "Dean's a pompous ass, and he can piss off." She groaned. "Who needs him and his approval?" Well, Jo certainly did, but she was number one in the Dean Winchester fan club. _More like Want to Get Into Dean's Pants club_. She had a feeling that it was a very large club. _No, considering all the women he's slept with…_ Maybe it was a small club. _Jo and I are the only members_. That made her snicker. _He'll eventually teach me to shoot, he'll have to if I'm going to continue this life_. She thought. _And_ _he did promise._ Dean Winchester wasn't the kind of man who would leave her defenseless. _But… _Her training would be at some point in time in the undesignated future. _Which basically means never_. Kelly was fairly certain that he would always find reasons to put it off. She sighed, inhaling a deep breath. She stopped, there was a strange smell permeating the room. It was strangely… _Clinical. Sterile. Odd_. She slid into a sitting position and listened, her ears twitched slightly. There was a strange scratching sound inside the walls. She stood. _Maybe the boys should have taken me with them after all._ Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

"Trick. Trick. Trick." She whispered, walking to the table and picking up one of Dean's salt loaded handguns. She was certain that it was loaded with salt bullets. Fairly. It was a little boring to watch him clean the things. _But he looks so manly doing it. _ She giggled, but only a little. The scratching continued like nails up and down the walls. It was like a jackhammer. She fiddled with what she thought was the safety. _Sam couldn't even show me where the safety was?_ Was he off this floor now? If she screamed would he hear her? _Is it above or below?_ She asked silently. _Where are you?_ The walls groaned, and something screamed. Her heart thudded in her chest. "Who's there?" She felt silly saying that, because she knew who was there, she knew exactly who it was. _He's not supposed to come after brunette's though._ Her brain stuttered, reflecting on her own stupidity. _He's not supposed to come out during the day either_. So that was another misconception. _How do I know it's a he?_ She shifted in the center of the room, cracks were appearing along the ceiling. "Sam!" She yelled, like they were being beaten in by a jackhammer. She knew exactly where the thing was, above her head. "Sam!" She shut her eyes, he was breaking in. She lifted the gun, her frightened mind was still somehow pinpointing the ghost's position in the ceiling. She wasn't sure how that was possible. She grabbed one of the salt canisters off of the table and created a circle around herself. II only said I'd do that as a joke. It's not going to do me any good if he comes down on top of me./I "Bloody hell." The roar assaulted her ears. It was coming, she could feel it. She lifted the salt loaded pistol she couldn't fire, and got ready to pull the trigger. She screamed. "DEAN!"

"Well, if you're going to ride me this hard, you should at least buy me dinner." Jo said as they walked down the hall. She lifted her EMF meter to scan the walls, watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye. "It's only fair." He was ahead of her, his mind on the job, but occasionally she noticed he would drop back and look in whatever direction the apartment was. _If he was going to be this worried about leaving her behind, he should have brought her along._/I She thought, irritably. She was finally getting some alone time with Dean Winchester, and he didn't even bother to flirt. _He's too worried about his precious civilian._

"Yeah?" He asked, as he scanned the wall.

"Yeah." She said nonchalantly, looking him over. His front was beautiful, but his back… She withheld a girly sigh. She was not going to get all girly and emotional in front of Dean Winchester. She was going to prove to him that she could do the job and do it well. _And that I'm better looking than any girl in hand me down pants._ She thought grimly, as she scanned the wall. "I'm sick of your misogynistic crap."

"What was that?" He asked, turning back to look at her. Really looking at her, like the first time they'd met, and she'd punched him in the nose for taking her rifle. _This is the first time he's really looked at me since I've been here_. She thought, pleased. Even if he was angry, it was progress.

"You don't think women can do the job." She said, strutting past him to get a read on one of the doors. _That's why your babysitting me, and why you left Kelly in the apartment._ Though she did agree with him on the Kelly subject. The girl already looked hopeless, and putting a gun in her hand made her even more comical. _She's not cut out to be a hunter._ Which meant she wasn't meant to be with Dean. _He'll get that eventually_. "We'd make better time if we split up."

"Oh, women can do the job sweetheart." Dean said, turning on her. "Amateurs can't." When he said the word amateurs, his gaze immediately flicked back down the hall, and she could tell he was thinking of one thing.

_If you're that worried just go to her_. She thought numbly. _Don't be here babysitting me._ She couldn't say that, because she was afraid that Dean would do just that. "You that scared of my mom?" She asked, curious.

"Yeah." He said. "She's a scary lady."

"Really?"

"And Kelly had a point, you fit the ghost's profile." Jo frowned when he said that, she didn't like him bringing up Kelly.

"Exactly." She said walking ahead of him. A smug smile on her lips.

"You want to be bait?" He asked, disbelief colored his voice, and Jo's smile grew wider. She loved throwing him off balance. But did her daring impress him?

"Fastest way to draw it out and you know it." She said, as she continued walking forward. She wanted to draw this out as long as possible. She noticed that he looked back over his shoulder again, for the hundredth time. "What is it?" She asked, cursing herself as she did so.

"I don't." He shook his head. "I thought I heard something."

"Something?" She pressed. _Don't say you were worrying about Kelly_. Her mind begged.

"It's nothing, my imagination, we should keep looking."

_It's her_. His little civilian. His loyalties were divided. "You're worried about her." She said, it was a statement, not a question. Dean gazed at her for a long moment, and Jo wondered if they were doing the telepathy thing he seemed to like doing with Kelly. _I wish he wouldn't let me out of his sight._ She thought.

"Do you smell that?" He asked. Looking around, he seemed to be searching for the source of the smell.

"Yeah." She said, finally catching a whiff. "What is that?"

"Not sure. It smells familiar." He said. Jo waved her EMF meter around the area, it started giving off static, and the lower she got the stronger the signal became. Dean was kneeling next to her. "Son of a bitch." He muttered. "Clever bastard's been using the ventilation system to get around." He said, waving his meter in front of the grate. "Congratulations." He added, clapping Jo on the shoulder. "You found your first ghost." Jo's heart soared. "We better get back and check in with Sam." He said.

_And Kelly._ Her practical mind accused, and she hated him for ruining her high. _We'll get back and he won't look at me at all_. They walked away, and behind them, two grimy fingers slid out from between the grate, it's eyes following the young blonde as she walked away and down the hall. Then like mist and smoke, he too, vanished.


	5. Chapter 5: Alice Slips a Little Further

Chapter Five: Alice Slips a Little Further

"What happened?" Dean demanded, walking into the room. The table was overturned; papers were blown this way and that. There was a long jagged crack running down the center of the ceiling, and large pussy pods of ectoplasm on the floor. Three bullet holes were clustered around the middle of the ceiling, and there were two on either corner. He stepped over the blobs of black goop, as Jo stepped in behind him. But Jo's eyes were examining the room; Dean's eyes were fixated on the center and his brother. Sam was kneeling and holding the small sobbing Kelly. She was clutching his chest, her head buried into Sam's shoulder. The ring of salt she had created around herself was messed up now, at the sound of his voice she looked up and wiped her tear stained cheeks.

"I don't know." Sam admitted. "When I came back I found her like this."

"What do you mean you found her like this?" Dean demanded, as Kelly rose on shaky legs. Then to his surprise, she ran across the room, and directly into him. Jo gasped, as Kelly's arms encircled Dean's chest and she buried her head in his shoulder. "Hey," He muttered. "What the hell is up with you?" But he put his hand on her head, and patted her awkwardly.

"She's scared Dean." Sam said, coolly, and he stood too, Dean didn't like the way Sam was looking at him. His eyes were judgmental. _He blames me for this._ He realized, as Kelly's arms tightened around him, and but her sobs were quieting. He was glad for that, because he couldn't take it when women cried. Kelly was a very small woman, even younger than his brother, but she was still a woman. "Something obviously came after her."

"Hey, it's okay." Dean soothed, that normally wasn't his forte, but it seemed to be working. "I know that Sam." He snapped. "What do you want me to do?"

"She was supposed to be safe!"

"Well, I thought she was, okay!" He yelled, but his lower arm moved around Kelly's shoulders as she clung to him. He held her against him. _She…_ Who had she screamed for? He wondered. _When the spirit came down on her, who did she want to save her? Me? Or Sam?_ He looked over at his brother.

"No one could have prepped the room any better for a spirit attack, Sam." Jo said, she had crossed the room, and was trying to look nonchalant and uncaring while she examined the cracks in the walls. She was not handling Dean's holding Kelly well. _What she got a little ghost attack and she clings to Dean like…_ Jo didn't know what. _She wanted to be a hunter. _ Hopefully this would prove to both boys that Kelly didn't have the stuff. "Why did the ghost even come after her?"

"Hey." Kelly said, lifting her tear stained face off of Dean's chest to look at Jo. "She's standing right here."

"What happened Kelly?" Sam asked.

"Wait, you didn't see what happened?" Dean asked, rounding on Sam again. "Then who saved her?"

Kelly glared up at Dean, and pushed herself off his chest. "Like I need one of you to save me." She snapped, wiping her cheeks. Her brown eyes were bleary and tired, her hair hung limply around her cheeks, and her face was covered in red splotches. There was a long deep cut along the top of her left cheekbone, and several smaller jagged slashes across her forehead and temples. Blood oozed from the cut, trickling down her cheek, and Dean lifted his finger to wipe the blood. She looked terrible. She pulled back from him, and stalked across the room, back towards Sam.

"You did?" Jo exclaimed. "You stopped the ghost? How?"

"I…" Kelly shook her head. "Don't know." She settled on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chin, and wrapping her arms around her legs. "I don't know why it came after me, and I don't know…" She said. "I don't know anything."

Sam glared at Jo and Dean, and sat next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Hey, it's going to be okay. We'll figure it out."

"You made a circle of salt around yourself?" Dean asked, looking down at the wreckage of the room, and finally back up at her. "That was…"

"Brilliant?" Sam asked, glaring at his brother.

"Clever." Dean frowned, righting the table and setting down his EMF meter and his flashlight. "So what do we know?" He asked. "This ghost, whatever it was, came after her. Even though she's not its type. She… scared it off? It gave up?"

"I bit it." Kelly said in a small voice.

"Come again?" Dean asked, as Jo stepped off the wall, to stare at Kelly in complete disbelief.

"I Bit It." She said, pronouncing the syllables clearly. "It came down on top of me out of the ceiling." She held up the gun she had been clutching. "I couldn't get the safety off." She said in a small voice. "I screamed but no one came." Sam frowned at that, and Dean wondered why he kept giving _him_ pointed glances.

_I was supposed to have heard her on the fourth floor?_ He had actually heard something. _Girl has a set of pipes._ That would come in handy in the future. _Easy way to pinpoint her location._ "What Sam?" He asked, but his brother just shook his head and looked back at Kelly.

"So it came down out of the ceiling?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"How did it get past the salt ring?" Dean demanded, looking her over. She blinked.

"It came down on top of me." She said. "Directly on top of me, Dean."

"And you bit it?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, very deeply and loudly.

"Yes!" She snapped. "I bit the damn ghost. Are you happy now? I couldn't fire the gun. I couldn't fight. All I had were my teeth. When he came down, I snapped him in my jaws and flung him." She blinked again, disbelief on her own features. "I have to get out of here." She struggled, out of Sam's arms and ran towards the door. Dean caught her. "I'm not a DOG!" She screamed, trying to pull out of his hold.

"What happened Kelly?" He asked, holding her tight as she struggled in his arms.

"No." She said. "No." Her breath was coming fast now, and Dean knew she was panicking. "No, no, no, no, NO!" She looked up at him with frightened eyes. "Let go of me." She whispered. "Please."

"I'm not letting you go, Kelly." Dean said. "There's no way you're wandering anywhere by yourself."

"Dean." Sam said.

"I have to get out." She said, and with strength Dean didn't know she had, wrenched herself out of his grip. She brushed past him, sprinting down the hall.

Dean yelled. "Shit!" And took off after her, Sam looked at Jo and Jo gazed back.

"You want to follow?" Jo asked, looking at him. Her voice trembled a little bit, and Sam couldn't blame her. He knew she had a huge crush on his brother, and seeing him acting so concerned about another girl was probably hurting her. He knew that he'd been a little jealous when Kelly had burst out of his arms to run straight to Dean. That hurt.

"She bit him." Was all Sam could say. "I'll be damned."

"Come back here Kelly!" Dean snarled, as he chased her up the stairs. "That's not the exit!"

She spun on the top of the stairs. Tears were no longer streaming down her cheeks. She wiped her face. "What Dean?"

"I promised I'd take care of you." He panted, as he climbed up towards her. "I promised Ellen. I don't go back on my promises."

"Right." She hiccupped. "It's just for some dumb promise. I'm prime bait, you said so yourself. Perfect for luring any monster out of the shadows." He stared at her and shook his head. Kelly barely noticed as she sank down onto the step at the top of the stairwell.

"I told you myself." Dean said, standing two steps below her. "We're stuck with each other." He gazed up at her, his eyes full of sincerity. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"Sometimes there are things you can't stop." She looked down at her hands. "You don't know anything about me. You don't know who I am… what I am."

"If there's something I should, now would be the perfect time to tell me." Dean said, leaning against the railing. He watched her carefully, he wasn't completely confident that he knew what was going on either, but there was one thing he did know, she was absolutely terrified. He could see it etched into each and every line of her face. She looked down at herself with such disgust, that it was almost unbearable for him to watch. She was starting to remind him of himself. _I don't want her to hate who she is_.

"Something's happening to me Dean." She said. "Something… I don't know."

"You bit a ghost." Dean said. "That's a pretty mean feat." She smiled up at him, and he swallowed. "I mean they're usually incorporeal. That was a clever thing you did with the salt."

"The ghost is using the walls to get around." She said, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Her head propped up by her arm, and she stared at him.

"Jo and I… we figured that out." He said. "The vents."

"How it got past the salt." She mumbled.

"You threw it?" Dean asked. "With your jaw?" He shook his head. "That's pretty damn scary." _I don't want her to run. I'm not sure that I trust her. But I don't want her to run_. He had to think like Sam for this one. Normally, he'd be up demanding every answer under the sun. But Kelly, she was special. _Besides we did the silver and holy water tests_. She came out clean. _She's as human as they come_. Wasn't she?

"You're one to talk." She muttered. "You're all suspicious and damaged."

"Right." He said, and they sat in silence for a while.

"What else is there for me to do Dean?" She asked, standing. "What else could I possibly have?" She shook her head. "I have no where to go, no one to turn to. There's nothing for me but this." She looked down at him, sadness in her dark brown eyes. "Just hunting with you and Sam."

"Sleep with me."

"Don't start on that again." She turned, and started to walk up the stairs.

"The apartment's back this way." He snapped.

"Hey Dean." She said, pausing at the top of the steps and looking down at him again. There was a sad smile on her face. And Dean felt a lump growing in his throat, even though it made no sense for it to be there. "Can I be a Winchester too?"

"Don't be stupid." He said, turning around. "We're going back." _Sam's probably worried._ He thought, walking down the stairs, hands in his pockets. _Dad would have adopted her. I think he and Mom would have liked to have a little girl_. He sighed. How could he think like that about a girl he was supposed to sleep with? _That's my problem, I don't see her as a Winchester_. How could he get her home if he thought like that? "Hey." He said, looking back. "Coming or not?" But Kelly was gone. "Shit." He muttered under his breath, running up the stairs, and dashing down the third floor hallway.

"Sorry Dean." She whispered, watching him go, and looking down at the inside of her hand. There was a burn mark there from where the ghost had touched her. It had created a small black pentagram in the middle of her palm, like a tattoo. It was surrounded by a black circle, and inside the middle of the pentagram was a tiny malevolent looking rams head. She continued climbing, taking a deep breath. _When the spirit attacked me, there was a definite smell._ She thought, chewing on her lip. _And I could hear him_. But it wasn't just that, she'd found him, she knew it was a him. "I'll go back when I'm ready." She muttered. _I just need to think without someone hovering over me._ The ghost had already come for her once, and he probably would again, but… _I need to think_. Her ears twitched. _Listen._ She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Letting all the sounds echoing through the building flow through her. _Okay this feels weird_. There were two people making love on the fourth floor. _And she moans really loudly_. Kelly smirked. _Old man cheering for a hockey game._ She could hear the announcer. The San Jose Sharks were playing the Ducks. _Dean's got loud footsteps when he's angry_. She listened to him finishing up on the third floor. He'd be coming her way soon. She took another deep breath. _Now, where are you?_ She focused on the sounds she remembered earlier. _Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch_.

"Find anything?" Jo asked Sam, as they looked through his computer. Outside her sharp ears detected the click of a lock. Her eyes followed Sam's, as they lifted to the door. Hope flickered in those dark honey brown eyes. But it disappeared as quickly as it had come when the door refused to open.

"Not yet." He said.

_You want to be out there chasing her down too_. She thought, mutinous jealousy rising in her stomach. _You guys don't really care about me._ Dean hadn't listened to a single thing she'd said. _And now he's off hunting a girl, who by the very act of running away has put herself in mortal danger_. And Dean too, if he found her. Jo couldn't forgive that. Not at all. She planned on letting Kelly have it. _If she has the courage to even show her face here again._

"Okay." He snarled as he strode down the hallway. "Now she's starting to really piss me off." This whole thing was new to Dean Winchester. _And the protector/caretaker role is Sammy's style._ It wasn't his. His black leather biker boots ground into the hard green carpet, leaving long treads behind him as he searched. _She can't have gone far_. He thought. The truth was that he hadn't had much time to think since the brat had been ceremoniously dumped into his lap. Whether it was by the hand of God, invisible as he was, or fate, Dean didn't care. He was growing sick of the little annoyance. _She who fell from the sky and overran my life._ How he hated her for it. Worry chased fury through his belly as he walked, looking around every corner, and checking every ventilation grate. It irked him that she'd decided to disappear again, just after they'd had a heart to heart, and Dean didn't open up often. To anyone. Kelly though, she seemed to drag it out of him, kicking and screaming. Then she decided that his promises weren't good enough for her. That made sense. Dean had never been good about keeping those. Most days, it felt like he wasn't even a person, he was an attack dog trained to snarl and snap wherever his master pointed. _Except that the Master is dead now_. He thought. His father had died three months ago, making a deal to save Dean's life at the expense of his own. _I'm wallowing_. And Kelly arrived. She wasn't his hope, or his love, she was just this innocent creature that the universe had entrusted to him. Handed by fate and in need of his protection. _And I'll just screw it up_. Like he had every single time before. _In fact, she finds me so repulsive that she won't even sleep with me_. He found that ironic, and he was bothered every time she turned those huge doe-eyes on Sam. Every time she smiled at Sam, which was far more often than she did at Dean. _And it's always a cheeky smile too._

"I haven't even worked out what that little bitch means to me." He said, letting his thoughts echo aloud through the corridor. "God I hate her." She didn't mean anything to him, except that he had a responsibility to take care of her. And it was _killing_ him. _I could have left her on the roadside. Let the demons have her and be done with it_. He'd considered it at the time and he knew he should have. _Sam wouldn't have let me_. Which was a shame. _And now she's my problem_. Not Ellen's, not Jo's, well, admittedly, she was a little of Sam's. _But she didn't drop onto his lap_. Dean wished that she had fallen onto Sam. His brother had a natural gentleness that easily calmed the girl's fears. He had a habit of making her even more frightened. _And I agreed to bring her on this hunt in the first place._ When he could have just left her with Ellen. He reflected, as he turned the corner, examining the numbers. But he didn't see any sign of her passing through. Though there were chip bags in the corners, and other kinds of trash. _It's not like she's been gone for more than five minutes_. So why did it feel like it had been days since he'd seen her? _That's something I'll never admit to Sam_. Or anyone really. _I agreed to bring her._ Now he'd be the one in trouble if anything happened. _And I really don't want to face Ellen_. He was trying hard to make sure that nothing happened to either of the girls, and Kelly was only making his job harder. Damn her. "What am I doing?" He asked himself.

He wasn't even sure if the girl was even human. According to her, she'd taken the ghost in her teeth and flung him. Flung him! Not only were ghosts incorporeal and only able to be stopped by salt and fire, but humans also used their hands. He actually found the idea of that little jaw around the throat of a ghost comical. _I'm laughing on the inside_. He thought with a smirk. _She couldn't use her hands like a normal person_. And there was the rub, as Sam would say. Dean, himself, preferred a more straightforward and crude response. _She's not even the damn thing's type_. Yet it had come after her in broad daylight. "Monster wants her something fierce." And Dean didn't intend to let it have her. _Now if she would only cooperate with that goal_. He thought, shaking his head. That bitch of a spirit had nearly dragged her off to god knows where and he was to blame. _Because I didn't keep her with me_. He knew he'd make that mistake again. He could feel it in his bones. _Because I'm a screw up_. He'd failed to protect his mom, and his dad, he was terrible at looking after Sammy, and now? He had another person to fail. _Kelly Jones_. Who was she? What did he know about her? The resounding answer in his soul was loud and clear. He knew absolutely nothing about her. _She could be anything_. Anything at all. He knew that she liked Billy Joel and never complained about Foreigner. She had a problem with ACDC though, and Dean had held that against her since their third day together. _She loves red meat, and she's not afraid of changing in my back seat_. She didn't like Jo. And she was absolutely freaked. He'd seen it in her eyes, that naked empty terror, suffusing every strand and fiber of her being. She'd run to him, and then run from him. An act that both lifted his spirits, because she'd chosen him over Sammy, and crushed him when she'd ran from him again. _She would never have run from Sammy._ He could practically hear his father's voice echoing through his brain. Accusing. _Sam would have told her that she was just like a sister_. He stared at the empty corridor. _Sammy would have told her she was a Winchester_. Dean's lips contorted angrily. _Damn it_. Sammy wouldn't have lied to her. She was Sam's friend. And she was a pain in Dean's ass. _A pain who knows nothing about cars and everything about Descartes._ Oh, she and Sammy had a good chuckle over that. _Then they moved on to existentialism_. Something about Sartre and Niche. Dean couldn't be bothered to remember. _Either way, I can't escape from her_. She was in his thoughts, agonizing his decisions, factoring into his choices, he'd even started to think about her _feelings_. It was wrong. But it was his reality.

_I have to like her or I'll kill her_. It was his only way out and it wasn't easy. She wheezed when she slept, and yelled crazy things in the middle of the night. She didn't wake up for those, but there were definitely conversations, even if it was one sided. Sam was the heavy sleeper, Dean either had the luxury of driving during those, or he was woken up by them. _She calmed down in the past weeks_. He'd give her that, but it still left him bone tired in the morning. _While she's got a chipper attitude_. And they butted heads. _Because she can't follow orders…_ It drove him crazy. _We're not close_. Not like she was with Sam, but he worried about her. Not the same way he worried about Sammy, and his little brother, though Dean hated to admit it, could take care of himself. Kelly needed him, even if she never admitted it. He knew that too. _I thought I could leave her behind_. But that had been a stupid mistake, one he was still paying for. _Wasting time with fruitless searches._ He thought, heading back towards the stairwell. _I should just go back to the apartment, she can find her own way back_.

Except that Sam wouldn't forgive him if he did that. _And I'll sit there biting my nails until she did_. If she didn't he would torture himself. By now he'd finished the fourth floor, and it was time to start on the fourth. He banged open the door to the stairs, and stomped through. He climbed a flight, turned a corner, and found her sitting in front of him, quiet as a mouse. _The little bitch. _ He'd wasted so much time, and here she was. Frozen, still, her breathing regulated to a steady in and out, her chest pulsating up and down in time with the rhythmic pounding of her throat. Her nostrils flared as blood trickled down from the deep cut sliced into her left cheek. One they hadn't had time to treat. The crimson droplets spilled onto her borrowed dusty jeans, staining them a darker blue.

He frowned deeply. His temper uncoiling in his stomach, to rise up like steam exploding from an engine, anger barreled down his throat like a freight train, and he barely contained the urge to bash in her skull with the butt of his famed 1911 Cold pistol. That or leave her here in deep meditation and let the ghost finish what it'd started. _If I did my life would be easier._ Right now that was a fierce temptation, he let his eyes run over her again. She hadn't noticed him yet, or at least she hadn't given any sign. He opened his mouth to let her have a piece of all the mad anxieties rushing around in his skull, only to have her lift a finger before his first syllable was out.

"Shhh." She whispered. "We are hunting wabbits." While Dean appreciated the reference to Elmer Fudd, and was pleased to find her a fan of the Looney Tunes, _Because Sammy doesn't care a whit. _ He couldn't help but find it annoying. He'd spent the past twenty minutes scouring the halls for her, and she'd been sitting here all this time. Meditating, or whatever the hell she was doing.

_Hunting? The kid gets stranger and stranger all the time_. He was forced to remember, again, that she was nine years his junior. But that wasn't an incredible gap for their age. His jaw clenched, the muscle spasming in his cheek, as he fought the urge to hit her over the head with the barrel of his colt and drag her back to the apartment in a burlap sack. Or he'd toss her over his shoulder and be done with it. _Take her back where she's safe._ Relatively, anyway. Between two hunters instead of alone in an empty hallway. _Have I mentioned how much I hate you_? He asked her silently, opening his mouth to say it aloud. _How you've made my life a living misery?_

He found himself deprived, as she stood, more quickly than he'd given he credit for being, as her hand closed over his mouth. The bristle of his cheeks and his chapped lips scratching at the soft skin of her palm as she did so. _She smells like lavender and soap_. He thought, as his nostrils had no choice but to inhale her scent. Her flesh was cold against his heated breath.

"Shut up." She said, voice terse and tight.

He blinked and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand off of his mouth. "I feel like we're in for a repeat performance from earlier." He said, his voice cool. He'd tried being warm before, it hadn't worked out in his favor. "And I just want to say—"

"Quiet!" She snapped, her head turning oddly, as if she was following something. But not with her eyes, he had to guess she was using her ears.

_I'm this close to tossing her over my shoulder and being done with it_. He thought, his fingers still tight around her wrist. Perhaps too tight, but she hadn't made any gestures to suggest otherwise. _I've tried the nice act_. And working between lying and being honest hadn't helped him. _Oh she deserves a good spanking_. It was kinky, but maybe it would embarrass her enough to do the trick. Not that he wanted to spank her. In fact he didn't even want to be touching her. _But I need physical contact to make sure she doesn't slip away from me again_. She barely even had the body of a girl, and wasn't close to being a woman. While he had to admit she had a nice ass, she barely had enough of a chest to fill out the front of her shirts, she was so skinny that she was almost scrawny, and her hair framed her face in a very unattractive manner. _She's like a boy_. He decided, looking her over again. _A boy who smells like lavender and soap, and who's real smile…_ He didn't want to think about those. He wasn't attracted to this thing. _Even if Sammy swears I'll bang anything that breathes_. He had his standards. He liked _women_. And Kelly wasn't a woman. Somewhere along the way, while he was trapped in his own thoughts, her wide brown doe-eyes snapped open. _I never realized how large they are._ He thought staring into them. They overpowered her small nose and soft lips. They were owl-like, but full of simplistic innocence, lacking worldly experience. _She doesn't even look twenty._ He doubted she'd lied about her age, but then again… Dean Winchester was a suspicious creature by nature.

"Damn it." She muttered.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, as she leaned towards him. Even in the shadows, he could make out the heavy bags hanging beneath her eyes. _She's exhausted_. He realized. _But she's had a full day, running away from ghosts, then me, then me again._ He wondered if he'd ever really catch her.

"I lost him." Kelly sighed, tugging at her wrist, captured in his hand. With her free hand, she tucked a rebellious strand of glossy brown hair back behind her ear. "He was somewhere… far down… with water? I heard dripping…"

"Wait." Dean started, pulling her towards him, and tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him. "Are you trying to tell me…" He trailed off, seeing the confusion, fear, and disappointment apparent in her eyes. "You're listening to ghosts?" _Kid, you are progressively getting weirder._ It sounded lame even as the words left his mouth, and if Kelly was any kind of normal human being, she would have laughed at him. Instead, his stomach sank as she nodded.

"Well…yeah." Kelly said, her free hand crossing over her chest to grab her shoulder. Her whole posture shifted to the defensive, and she gazed up at him with uncertainty. "I guess, could you let go of my arm?"

"No." He said. He could tell she was freaked out, just by looking at the dialation of her pupils. "What's going on Kelly?"

"I don't know!" She snapped, yanking her arm back fruitlessly. "I didn't ask to be a freak."

"You're tracking it through the walls." He said, musing, ignoring her statement, and her attempts at escape. If need be, he'd just spin her around and bend her elbow behind her back. "Humans can't do that." He said, suspicious. "What are you?"

"I'm a human." She said. "You said earlier that we'd figure it out."

"That was before you ran from me again." He said, his hand tightening. "I thought we reached an agreement."

"We did." She gasped, struggling in his grip, but he pulled her forward, and she fell off the steps and into his arms. His second arm enclosed around her. She gasped again as she wriggled.

"Stop struggling kid." He muttered in her ear. "I can think of five different ways to break your arm from this position, and none of them are pretty."

"Dean!"

"I'm going to ask the question again, Kelly." He said, slowly. "What are you? Some psychic? Another freak created by yellow-eyes?" If she was, then she'd have been lying to him from the start. He didn't appreciate that.

"I swear I haven't been lying to you, Dean." She whispered, her face forced into his chest, and she could hear the rapidity of his heart beating. "I swear, I swear, I don't know what's happening to me."

"If you really believed that you wouldn't have run again." He told her. "You're bordering on yellow-eyes spooky, and I want to know what's going on."

"I don't know!" She exclaimed. Kelly knew she should know who that was, but like everything else she remembered about her former life, it was growing dim. _I knew every Supernatural plot twist there was._ And now she couldn't remember their biggest foe? _Who he really is? Or what he wants?_ That terrified her more than the dangerous tone in Dean's voice, or the fact that he was holding her muffled against his chest. _I'd never even have a chance to scream._ She realized. "Who's that?" She whispered, as tears began to leak from her eyes.

Dean's eyebrows rose, and he let her go. "Nevermind." He said. They had enough problems without bringing that up. And it wasn't going to help him get to the bottom of what was going on with Kelly. _If that yellow-eyed son of a bitch has something to do with it…_ His thoughts trailed off as he looked down at her, noticing for the first time that she was crying. "Ah, hell." He muttered, and though it hurt him to do it, he put an arm around her shoulder. She shrugged him off. That didn't help his temper. Not that he could blame her. He'd gone from being her best friend to enemy number two today. _I'm a bastard._ He didn't want the kid to run away again. _Gotta give her props though, it's hunting her and she's stalking it_. With…ears.

"I'm really scared, Dean." She said, her voice small. She seemed even tinier than a few minutes ago, and a lump rose in Dean's throat. "What's happening to me?"

"I don't know. But I promised we'd figure it out." _I just don't know where the hell we should start_. He thought, suddenly tired. _I need to lighten the mood_. "So what is it? Super hearing?" He asked, as he led her down the stairs, and back towards the second floor. _I am so freaked out right now_. He thought as she looked up at him with those wide innocent eyes. They were so grateful. _And I'm a lying scumbag_. He had no idea what to do, or how to protect her. _I'm not going to rape her_. So what was he left with? _Lies and promises that I can't keep?_

"Something like that." She smiled. "When you found me, he'd just got outside my range."

"Range?" He asked, suddenly feeling stupid. She pointed at her ears and recognition dawned. "Right." He smiled a little at her impatient sigh.

"I know I've been an idiot." She said.

"Yes, you were." He said, looking down at her, his hand still firmly gripping her wrist. "Reckless beyond reason."

"I realize that." The irritation was back. But Dean plowed on.

"Just because it's in retreat doesn't mean it's done with you."

"Or Jo." She added.

"Freak." He said, and watched a small real smile curve the edges of her lips. "But you've got Sammy." He added, looking at the taupe walls as they walked through the second floor door, and onto their home level. His finger flicked the safety of his gun on and off, the 1911 Colt semi-automatic. "He's got that whole freaky ESP thing going on."

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"And you've got me." He added. She looked up at him, and something brought the lump back into his throat. _Don't look at me like that. _ He thought, as hope brightened her eyes. _I'll just let you down._

"Yeah?" She asked, that same smile widening on her lips.

"I've told you this before." He reminded her.

"I didn't believe you then." She replied.

He stopped at that. "What?" He asked. "Don't you trust me?" _I can't handle this. _ "How many times am I gonna have to break through that thick skull of yours?" He tapped her skull, pausing for a moment on her soft brown hair. _Who am I kidding? I can't protect you, Kelly_.

She shook her head, chuckling softly, and her eyes rose to stare at him with a mixture of sadness and fear. There was hope there too, in those mahogany brown eyes, flecked with gold and green. In those chestnut pools wrapped around dilated pupils and glittering in the florescent lights. They passed a window to the outside world, and she was captured for a moment in the fading light, as the sun sank down behind the jagged Philadelphia skyline. Long streaks of pink and red burned against the clouds and the smog heavy uneven horizon. She tucked that rebellious strand behind her ear again, and in the moment of the sunset, she stood on tiptoe to press her lips against his five-o'clock shadow. The soft pink skin trailed for a moment over the bristle of his cheek. Then she sank back, an embarrassed flush beginning to rise against her pale neck, below her jaw. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and stared down at her boots. She didn't look at him for several long seconds, and Dean was too stunned to make a snappy comeback. _You'd think I'd never been kissed before._ He chided himself. But this was Kelly. The girl he hated on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and only found her presence mildly irritating during the rest of the week.

"Thanks." She whispered, as they came to a stop in front of Apartment 212.

"What did it sound like?" He asked suddenly, and she turned to look up at him confusion etched into each crack and cranny of her face. "The ghost." He repeated. "What did it sound like?" He was uncomfortable with Sam's strangeness, but he wanted to get off of the subject of the kiss. Even if it had been on the cheek. But Kelly was also a frightened doe and the wrong word said and the wrong time could send her into a frenzied flight. _And I don't know that I'd be able to catch her in time_. Now that it was night, the ghost would be out. He wanted Kelly stashed somewhere safe. The same went for Jo of course, but so far their killer hadn't taken an interest in her. She stared at him silently for a few moments, turned the knob of the door, and walked inside. He would have followed her, but his legs were jelly as he turned. He had seen something dark in those eyes, a flash of gold, when she'd remembered the ghost. Predator eyes. It sent chills up his spine. _I can't deal with this_. He thought, following her. Determined that this conversation wasn't finished. _Not if she has useful information. _ But he wasn't prepared for the storm awaiting him on the other side of the door.

Above them, a pair of bloodshot eyes peered out of the vent, it had watched the conversation and the girl's retreat into the safety of her salt covered house. But it was a house he had cracked before. A smile found it's way out of the grizzled greasy beard to reveal a full set of uneven yellowed teeth. "_Pretty_." He hissed, voice no louder than a single puff of steam from a kettle. _"Pretty, shiny, black soul."_ It's voice echoed through the metal passageways of the vents as grimy fingers released their hold on the metal lines of the grate. Then as the sun vanished into it's bed behind the long Philadelphia skyline, and the figure passed into nothingness, all that remained was a tiny whisper, hateful and frightening in it's intent. _"Eat you."_


	6. Chapter 6: When the Black Dog Barks

AN: Please leave reviews and comments. It decreases the time it takes for me to get another chapter out. So you get to read more.

Chapter Six: When the Black Dog Barks at Twelve

The door of apartment 212 swung open, and Dean walked inside to see Kelly captured in one of Sammy's bone crushing hugs. "Sam!" Kelly gasped. "Put me down." But Sam's arm's only tightened around her ribcage, and she swallowed her remaining air. She managed to squeeze out the words. "Can't breathe…" Dean swallowed any jealousy he might have had on the subject and walked over to the table.

"Sorry." The younger Winchester said, in an abashed voice as he set her down on the linoleum floor. "I was worried." He let his hands rest on her shoulders, as he leaned down to look into her eyes. "Promise that you won't take off on us again." He said earnestly, and she smiled.

_Right Sammy gets the award winning smile._ Dean thought darkly as he looked back at them. _I'm just the jerk who brought her home._ That bothered him, and it got worse when Kelly snapped a salute to his brother. After all, she'd kissed _him_.

"I gots it, Mom. Daddy already dealt out the punishment." She said with a tiny grin, and Sam put his arm around her shoulder.

"Right because that's all there is too it." Dean muttered, shaking his head. _I'm Daddy now? I should have let Sam go after her._ Could have saved himself a shitload of trouble, and he wouldn't find himself being called daddy. _It's wrong_. He wasn't the fatherly type. "Daddy eh?" He said, raising an eyebrow at Kelly, he smirked when she stuck her tongue at him.

"It suits you." She told him.

"How am I Mommy?" Sam asked, hiding a smile behind his hand at Dean's expression and ruffling her hair. Jo frowned, annoyed as Kelly giggled.

"Cause you've got dinner on the table." She said, looking up at him, and pointing to the open pizza box on the metal table. Sam laughed.

"But I'm at least a MILF right?"

Dean snorted at that, but he didn't appreciate Kelly's reply. "Of course." She said, running the flat of her hand seductively up Sam's chest. While Dean knew she was joking, his jaw still clenched as he looked away. "Who wouldn't want to sleep with the sensitive guy?"

"You." He grumbled under his breath. Kelly shot him a dirty look. _I'm getting dinner._ He'd do it just to get away from the freak with the super hearing. _At least she's not telepathic._ That was something to be thankful for. Jo was sitting by the table, playing with her knife as she looked over the case file. Dean was grateful for her helping to return the room to a state of normalcy, however small it was. He watched silently, as she flipped it in and out of its sheath, twirling it around her fingers. Dean wasn't interested in the display though, his eyes were on the pizza box that lay open next to her. He was starving. _Mom always said to never get between a man and his meal_. He thought, as he grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza. It was cold to the touch, but that didn't bother him as the scents of cheesy goodness melted around thick slices of meat pervaded his nostrils. The grease of the slice seeped into the brown napkin and down across his fingers. After he scarfed the slice, and enjoyed the taste as the pizza melted onto his salivating tongue. He licked his fingers. "God I love Philly." He said. "Only better pizza is in Chicago and New York." When Jo raised a disgruntled eyebrow at him. He added. "Deep dish." That explained everything.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Jo asked, as Dean swallowed his second slice and wiped a blob of tomato sauce off his cheek.

"What?" Dean asked, following her gaze to where Sam and Kelly were chatting. The worry lines were still creased around his brother's eyes, but he looked relaxed enough. "About Kelly?" He frowned, as Jo nodded.

She stabbed the table with her knife. "That amateur is going to get us all killed." She said, in a clear precise voice. Dean raised his eyebrows, and realized he couldn't deny what Jo had said. Even if Jo herself was also an amateur.

Kelly's light eyes flicked over to Jo, and she frowned. Her face flushed, like a child caught in a lie. "I sure hope not." She joked, but her voice was soft, and she found that she couldn't meet Jo's angry blue gaze. _I'm really sorry about it._ She thought. She'd panicked and the only thing that had made sense to her at the time was to run. "I said before that I'd take responsibility for my own end." Her eyes were more serious now. "I meant it."

"Yeah." Jo snapped. "But how many of us do you plan on taking with you?" She raised a blonde eyebrow. "Me maybe? Dean certainly, you've already dragged him into everything. How about Sam?"

Kelly blinked, anger twisting into a mad ball in her gut. But she didn't say anything, instead Sam stepped up beside her. "It was her first ghost attack Jo." He said, gently trying to absolve the situation. "We can't all be brave about it."

_She's quiet when she knows she's done wrong._ Dean realized, watching her. _That or she becomes cheeky_. He wasn't sure which side he preferred, the joking defensive or the quiet acceptance. Dean glanced at his brother. Sam was rigidly standing next to Kelly. _He's fond of her._ But Sammy couldn't be that attached yet, could he? "Some more than others." He quipped. "All more than Kelly." Kelly glanced at him, and he smirked, felling like his normal self.

"I think she was pretty brave." Sam said, with a smile as he looked down at Kelly. "She just needs to be less reckless."

"Basic component of the personality." She told him, tapping her skull with a small smile on her oval face. "Can't help it." Dean snorted at that. From what he'd seen so far it was true.

"And if you keep it up you'll die." Dean said, swallowing another slice. "So you'll manage your original objective." Kelly glared at him. "Sammy." Dean indicated. "We need to talk." He glanced at the girls. "In private."

"Fine." Sam said, stepping away from Kelly, as Dean indicated the door outside. "We'll be back in a few."

"Don't kill each other while we're gone." Dean added, looking over Kelly and Jo one last time. The truth was that if they were going to have a catfight, he didn't want to be involved. _And Sam needs to know about…well, Kelly's freakiness_.

Kelly watched the boys disappear out the door. "We'll be good." She promised, as Jo snorted. _Okay, if you don't want to remember what happened in the stairwell fine_. She thought. _I supposed we'd reached a new level of understanding._ But, like so many times before. _I was wrong._ She glowered after Dean, knowing that he was probably transferring back into hover mode. She examined the room, it had mostly been put to rights by Jo and Sam. The broken chairs were stacked in the far right corner, the table was back up, and there was pizza on the table. Her stomach growled. She slid in to grab a piece of pepperoni from the table. She wanted to get off the subject of her yellow bellied cowardice, but she knew that Jo wasn't likely to let it die. And she was right, as she stepped forward to take a slice; she just missed being slashed by Jo's knife. "Hey!" She exclaimed.

"This pizza is reserved for Hunters only." Jo said. Kelly raised her eyebrows. _Round one and the bitch comes out swinging_. "I bought it, so I divvy."

"And I assume I'm not among the few and the proud?" Kelly asked, settling into the chair across from the blonde huntress. Jo's steely gaze was all the response she needed, as the girl turned her eyes back down to the papers sprawled out in front of her. After several long moments, when Kelly couldn't take the heavy silence any longer, she asked. "Found anything?"

"No." Jo responded, shutting the case file. She looked up at Kelly. "Why did you come back?" She demanded, brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulder, the cotton of her blue plaid shirt whispering against her arms as she did so.

"What are you talking about?" Kelly asked, disgruntled, looking at the knife in the center of the table. She wished Sam would come back and act as a buffer. She tried to sharpen her listening skills, and hear what was going on outside the door, but Jo kept zinging her, and she failed in keeping her concentration. "Why wouldn't I come back?"

"I figured you'd make for the exit like the chicken shit you are." Jo said, leaning forward on her elbows, over the knife. "Once you saw a real ghost in action." Kelly opened her mouth, but Jo just kept going. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again." She said, as Kelly's hand snaked towards the pizza again. Jo's fingers swatted her back, as she continued. "You're going to get us all killed. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you what a good dog you've been because you managed to get home without becoming ghost chow." She leaned forward even further, her eyes meeting Kelly's. "I'm not going to pat you on the head and tell you all is forgiven either."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not looking for your forgiveness." Kelly snapped. "Or your approval." She lifted her mahogany eyes, flecked with umber beneath the florescent lights of the hanging lamp to glare furiously back at her.

"No, but you're looking for Dean's." Jo said. "And you're just a burden on him and Sam." She frowned angrily, her gaze trying to match Kelly's intensity. "Like I said when I first joined, you've got no training, no experience and you can't fire a gun. You're no good, except that our blonde loving ghost seems to want you." She snorted in disbelief.

"You don't believe me." Kelly said, irritated.

"Let's just say I'm skeptical."

"You think I lied so…what? Dean or Sam would come running back?" She demanded, her eyes sparking, as her tank top fell open to reveal the blobby bits of her borrowed bra. "So they'd let me go on the hunt?" She waved at the ceiling and the broken chairs. "You think I broke all that?"

"It's not outside the realm of possibility." She leaned back crossing her arms, and cocking her head to one side. Her blonde tresses fell sideways, glinting in the light. There was such skepticism on her small oval face that Kelly nearly choked on her anger.

"You think I cut my face?" She asked. "That I set the whole thing up?"

"Heard of stranger things happening."

"Don't…" Kelly looked down at the table. "Don't you dare…" She hissed. "Not you." Her eyes snapped up, glinting in the light. Again, she felt something predatory rising up in her stomach. "Not from someone who's no more than an amateur." She cocked her head to the side, imitating Jo. "So Joanna Beth Harvelle?" She asked, her tongue lashing out with poisonous barbs. Her eyes narrowing. "You haven't faced a ghost yet, what gives you the right to rag on me?" She paused, her body aching, and she was tired from the long day. Her cheek hadn't stopped stinging, even if the pain from the other cuts had subsided. _Plus my body is growing increasingly alien_. With it's strange animal-like responses. _I don't have time for jealous girl fights…_ But somehow she knew it was unavoidable, just as she knew she couldn't stop herself from being sucked in. Her fingers clenched over the small pentagram mark on her palm, she hadn't shown it to Dean. _He's freaked enough as it is_.

"Every right." Jo said. "You've proven that we can't trust you."

_What's this we_? She wondered, as her eyes narrowed into slits, as she evaluated the girl sitting across from her. _I know I screwed up, but honestly? _ It wasn't any worse than the others. "All you've got going for you is the fact that your father was a hunter." She snarled. "And maybe he was a great one, Jo. But all you've got going for you are the half-baked romantic notions some bar flies put into your head. You don't know anything about this life." _And I don't either, but I'm sick of you always acting superior_. "They were probably spouting about their glory days, and how great it is." Jo was glaring at her now, and her fingers were grasped around the tiny knife. She was digging it into the table. Metal grated on metal as she twisted it, her knuckles white. But Kelly kept going. "So yeah, maybe I did screw up, and maybe I got scared and ran off."

"You did." Jo hissed.

"And maybe I'm not reliable." Kelly finished. "But I have as much right to be here as you." She swallowed. "Maybe more, since I'm the new fixation." She leaned forward again. "I want this thing dead and buried Jo." Jo snorted over that slip of the tongue and gazed at Kelly with derisive anger. "I want to wipe it out." _I need to get some of my own back_.

"You don't know anything about my father." Jo said, and Kelly sighed. The blonde's voice was harsh, and she was on her feet, her fingers tight around her knife, her knuckles going from white to translucent as she did so. "So don't talk about him, you haven't lost what Dean and I have lost. You're just some orphan who got taken in as a charity case."

"I am not." Kelly hissed.

"That's all you've been so far." Jo said, rolling her eyes. "You're the poor little orphan who wants to do the job, and can't even be left behind because monsters come chasing after you. You need to be protected." She stabbed her finger at Kelly's chest, and the other girl shut her eyes. "You take their attention from the hunt, 'cause they're always worrying about you." She slammed her hand into the table. "And here, when you slip up, you die."

"What do you suggest we do with her then?" Dean asked from the doorway, he and Sam had re-entered. He sounded genuinely curious, as he looked the small blonde over. And Kelly blinked back her own tears, as hurt welled up in her throat. _Well, I haven't done anything to deserve his help_.

"We put her on a plane and send her back to Momma." Jo said, her voice clear, precise, and succinct. "She's a liability here."

"That's a thought." Dean said, suddenly thoughtful. Sam looked very uncomfortable as he looked at Kelly. _When did he swallow the hornet?_ She wondered, as he glanced away from her. _What did Dean tell him_? The stone that had been growing in her stomach, began to sink.

"You can't be serious!" She exclaimed.

"And if I am?" Dean asked, looking over at her. Kelly met his eyes with her own glare.

"No." She said. "You promised."

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. _It's for the best kiddo, I'm getting less confident about being able to deal with you_. At least for the time being. "It's a sound plan." He admitted.

"But there's a hitch." Sam said, as he walked over to stand behind Kelly. "She doesn't have any form of identification, so it'd be impossible to send her away by plane."

"Put her on a bus then." Jo said dismissively. "Greyhound will get her there."

"We'd be done with the hunt by then." Kelly said, disbelieving. "Dean…" She trailed off, as she looked up into his eyes.

"She'd be out of the way." Jo added.

"Sam." Dean signaled his brother, and Sam came over to him. "Can we do it?" He asked him, looking over his shoulder at Kelly. All the girl's muscles were tensed and she looked exhausted. _Safest place to keep her is out of the way_. Even if it did mean letting her out of his site. _But I cant babysit both of them at once_. And Jo was right, Kelly was a distraction for both of them. _And Dad always said distractions only get you killed._

"No." Sam said, shaking his head. "No."

"Sammy…"

Jo glanced at Kelly, and crossed her arms. A smile of triumph on her lips. "Dean's going to send you home to my Momma." She said, her mouth twisted, ugly with jealousy as both Dean and Sam looked at them again. "What did happen to your family anyway?" She asked. "Did you run away from them too?"

"Shut up." Kelly said.

"You did." Jo crowed. "I knew you were the kind of despicable being that would run at the smallest problem. You're parents are probably burning in hell because of you."

_No_. She dimly recalled fighting with her mother the night before, and she'd gone for a drive, but… _No. _ Inside Kelly a fiber snapped, one of her self-control mechanisms, and that darker self who had been lurking in her predatory eyes broke out into the open. There was a clatter, and a loud screech broke the tension cluttering the room's stale air. Dean and Sam both whipped around to stare at the table. Kelly was on her feet, and the knife, which had been buried into the metal of the table, was in her hand. The blade was threateningly pressing against Jo's throat, and her eyes were burning with angry tears. Dean felt a chill pass up his spine as he gazed at that frightening glare. _Jo must have said something._ He realized, knowing that one wrong word could lead to the whole situation exploding in his face. But for Kelly to have reacted so violently, it didn't seem like her. _Damn it_. Had she always been this unstable?

"You don't have the guts." Jo hissed. "You don't have the stomach to kill me with my father's knife." Kelly pressed the blade into the soft flesh, leaving a tiny trail of red behind her. "You're not going to kill me."

"But I'm apparently a yellow bellied coward who leaves her friends in danger." Kelly said; her voice was soft, dangerous even.

"You proved that already, and now you're going to be a murderer." Jo said. "I knew there was something wrong with you." Jo's eyes moved to Dean, who had moved forward.

"Take it back." Kelly growled. "Take it back!" She knew she sounded like a five year old throwing a temper tantrum, and then Dean's fingers closed around her wrist and wrenched her backwards. She squirmed in his grip, but he held her tight. Mahogany eyes dark with anger as she glared up at him.

"It's time for a time out." He said, despising himself for even saying those words. The twenty year old wriggled against him, but he held her tight. _Well, I'm glad that I know she's not possessed by a demon_. But her reactions were so far across the board that Dean wasn't sure what to do with her. _Get her away from Jo for starters_. Whatever the Harvelle girl had said pissed Kelly off, royally. She'd never acted like that with either him or Sam. _I've never seen her so angry_. Or so dangerous. He doubted she was capable of slitting Jo's throat. Yet. But then he hadn't known her long _But from the look in her eyes, give her a few more hunts and it won't be a problem._ He couldn't help wondering where the sassy girl who'd fallen into his lap had gone, as he looked into those furious eyes, she glared with such dark intensity It almost frightened him. If Dean Winchester got scared. He didn't though. Sam was watching them, and Dean mouthed. "Help me." To him, and his brother nodded. She fought against him, practically feral in the way she struggled, her lips contorting viciously.

"Let me go." She growled. Her voice low in her throat, and she sounded nothing like the Kelly he normally knew.

"Calm down." He said, half-dragging her to the bedroom door. Sam grabbed a chair from the table and followed. With his free hand, Dean opened the door and shoved her inside, taking the knife back as he did so. Hurt, fury, and naked hatred were exposed in those frightening eyes. The narrowing of her eyebrows only made her look more predatory, and did nothing to soothe the knot that was gathering up in his intestines. "Be a good girl, and we'll let you out in a bit." He said.

"Fuck you." She snapped, crossing her arms.

Dean shut the door. "Ha…" He sighed, taking the chair Sam was offering him, and for safety's sake shoved it under the already rattling knob. He hoped that she was just doing it to be annoying, not because she had any intention of busting out. "Is she a temperamental bitch or what?" He asked, looking at Sam. His brother just shook his head. "Thanks Sammy." He wiped his brow, surprised at how hard he'd worked to keep control of her.

"What did you say to her?" Sam asked Jo.

"Come on Sammy." Dean shook his head. "Just drop it." Sam's eyes tightened, but his voice hadn't been mild when he'd spoken to Jo. Instead it was angry. Very angry. One eyebrow rose in the quintessential Dean Winchester expression as the older sibling surveyed the younger.

Jo, who up to this point had worn an expression of that was a mix between anger and undaunted smugness, now looked like a child with one hand caught reaching to far into the cookie jar. Part of Dean hoped that she was stuck, as punishment for having riled Kelly up. "I didn't say anything that hasn't been said before." Jo said quickly, too quickly for Dean, and shrugged. "She just snapped. I guess she can't handle the pressure."

"She seemed to be handling it just fine." Sam said. "What did you say?"

_She deserved what she got, for talking about my Dad_. Jo thought. _This is my way of being close to him_. And Jo wouldn't stand for anyone talking bad about those reasons. Her mother might, Dean could question her, but if someone like Kelly tried they'd get beaten down. _And she looked bad in front of Dean_. It was clear that the girl just wasn't up to the task. "Can I have my knife back?" She asked, looking at Dean. He tossed it to her.

"Sammy it doesn't matter." Dean said. The group didn't need to be broken up any more than they already were. Even though he had misgivings about leaving Kelly in a room, alone, again. _If something happens to her, then she loses all privacy privileges_. But the truth was that he was royally pissed with her. _Whatever Jo said it's not worth drawing a knife._

"I still can't believe she snapped like that." Sam said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Oh, I can." Dean said, beginning to pace across the room. Jo watched him with interest. _She hasn't acted normal…_ Well she'd never acted normal. _But she's been different since the ghost attack_. There was something about the way she was behaving, something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Okay, so she was freaked out by the ghosts, that doesn't give her the excuse too…" Sam trailed off.

"She scared the shit out of a crazy bad spirit." Dean said. "With her teeth, Sammy. That's some pretty crazy crap."

"If you believe what she said." Jo added from the table, she ran her finger around the shallow cut in her neck. "Which I don't."

"You don't?" Sam asked, looking at Jo with raised eyebrows as the door rattled behind him. Kelly's muffled voice came through the cracks and Jo smirked.

"I think she was trying to get attention." Jo said with a shrug. "She seems to be the kind, with all the melodramatic crap she pulled earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if she made it up."

"If it wasn't for the ectoplasm I'd be inclined to agree with you." Dean said, with a smirk. Without Jo or Sam noticing he'd walked over to the electrical outlets. He lifted up his finger, showing a blobby black substance. "Some mad son of a bitch made this." He pointed at the ceiling, similar black lines ran through the cracks. "And that." He smirked at Jo. "So I'm agreeing with her."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Jo snapped, lifting up the case file. "This ghost has only ever chased after blondes." She shook it, and the papers rattled in the sheath. "There's not reason behind it." She swallowed. "Plus how can you believe that she bit the damn thing? It's a ghost Dean!"

"You do?" Sam asked, skeptically as he looked at Dean. "That she bit it?"

Dean shrugged. "She seems to believe it." He said. "And you didn't see the freaky meditative stuff she was doing in the stairwell." Dean looked at his brother. "If that girl is normal then I'm Wedge Antilles."

"So what are you saying Dean? That she's like me?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrow, and taking his place on the couch.

"The spirit wanted her awful bad to get past all this salt." Dean said and he shook his head. "I thought I was supposed to be the skeptic."

"It's just knowing her background…" Sam trailed off. "It's hard to believe." Dean's eyes snapped to Jo, and Sam shut up. Dean stalked forward, and rammed his finger into Sam's chest.

"I'll tell you something." He said. "If I hadn't made that promise to protect her, I'd—"

"What Dean?" Sam demanded. "Leave her on the side of the road?"

_That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea._ Jo thought, from where she sat. Her hand compressing the shallow cut in her neck. It hurt like hell. "There's nothing wrong with that." Well there was everything wrong with that, but… _Kelly Jones is a freak._ She'd nearly stabbed Jo. That didn't put the other girl in her fan club.

"Maybe." Dean said. "This whole situation is getting a little out of control, Sam."

"You think that's something Dad would do?" Sam said, his voice cold. "Just abandon her."

"Don't you bring him into this." Dean snarled. "You can play the crusader of justice Sammy, but I don't recall her ever asking for our help."

"You're going to say that now Dean?" Sam exclaimed, exasperated as his eyes flicked towards the door. _What if she hears us?_ From his vantage point, Kelly was only just starting to trust them, and if anything happened. _She'd run off again, and she could go anywhere._ Plus with no past, no history, it would be almost impossible to track her down. _We can't screw this up._ They'd promised to get her home, to protect her, to train her. _Clothe her and feed her_. So far Sam was pretty certain they'd only done a few of those. "On the hunt?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "What of it Sam?" He brushed past his brother, walking back towards the kitchen.

"Because she needs our help!" Sam snapped. "And because it's what we do. We help people Dean."

"Are you saying we're superheroes now Sam?" Dean turned around. "I'm Captain Atom and you're Green Arrow? Some shit like that? We are _hunters_." He said. "We save people from ghosts, not themselves." _Kelly can probably hear everything I'm saying._ He realized. He'd forgotten that in his anger. _I must like the biggest turd on the face of the planet_. After all his promises in the stairwell, she'd think he was just turning his back on her. _I'm not the protector type_. She'd be disillusioned sooner or later, and it would be easier for her if it happened early. "She's more trouble than she's worth."

"She cut me." Jo said from the table. "There's no telling when she'll do it to you Sam." Sam glared at Jo, his dark eyes smoldering in his skull.

"She's frightened." He said. "She's alone. She needs us."

"You're a broken record!" Jo exclaimed, she stood, and turned her neck so Sam could get a clear view of the slash in her neck. "You don't know anything about this girl! You've admitted it yourself! And she's already run off once, after she was allegedly attacked."

"She ran because she was scared."

"That doesn't make it any better Sam." Dean said, his voice cool. I _deserve to burn in hell for doing this._ His eyes flicked to the door. _And I'm not wholly certain she's human._ In fact he was rather doubtful on that score in particular. But it wasn't something he could tell Jo. Kelly was a Winchester problem, as eager as he was to get her away. _I'll freak out until she's safely with Ellen though_. And away from this ghost. _That's not to say there won't be other things after her too_. But it would be better if she hated his guts. That she didn't trust him at all. Those hopeful looks had hurt too much in the stairwell, and he couldn't let them continue. "She's a danger to the mission."

"Okay Dean." Sam sighed. "We'll put her on the first bus to Wyoming in the morning." He had deep misgivings about this plan. _Poor girl doesn't have anywhere else to go. Anyone else._ No one to run to. She just had them. Her survival was completely dependent on them, and it was cowardly for Dean to just shove her away.

"We'll pick her up when we're done." Dean promised his brother. "We just need her out of the way and out of danger until the hunt is over."

"You're really going to send her home to my momma?" Jo asked, knowing she would be displeased by the answer.

"I'm leaving her somewhere safe."

_Lies._ Kelly thought. Her back stiff from leaning against the wall. She didn't need extra sensory perception to hear what was happening in the next room. _If you won't make use of me now, you never will_. She sighed, burying her head into her knees. _He lied to me._ She knew she was to blame for putting the knife to Jo's throat. _I can only blame it on the weird stuff happening to me._ Dean was probably right. _But I don't want to be on my own again_. Everything in her mind was hazy, memories that had once been so sharp were dim. "Who am I again?" She asked the ceiling, as the room rattled. "Am I Kelly Jones?" She looked at the pentagram. The ring of blackened flesh stood out against the paleness of her skin. It didn't smell the way she thought charred flesh should. _And its too detailed…_ Somehow, it felt like it had always been there. A perfect part of the mystery of her being. "What am I?" She wondered, staring at the shadows that moved beneath the crack in the door. A sterile stench flowed into the room, as the overhead lights flashed. Kellly didn't turn around as cold, dirty fingers closed over the cotton of her shirt and the bare skin of her shoulders. Honestly, she'd been expecting him to come. _Sweat. Chloroform_. The knowledge of the smells came more quickly this time, nearly overpowering her.

_"Pretty black soul."_ The soft voice hissed, and she recoiled from his breath. Blood and onions. Unwashed. Dirty, disgusting. Her mouth shut, and she didn't scream. What good would it do her now anyway? Dean obviously didn't want her.

_He says he'll come for me after he finishes this hunt. _ But that was just a lie. A lie like everything he'd told her so far. He'd taken the first opportunity to get rid of her. _I've only been on the hunt a day_. Whatever the ghost wanted to do to her… well… _If I die maybe I'll go home_. If you die in dreams… "Maybe I'll wake up." She whispered. _Great, now I'm becoming suicidal._ But did she really want to live in a world where the Winchesters despised her? Really? _And if Dean sends me to Ellen I'll never get home anyway._ She'd grow old here. She'd die here. Nameless and alone. _I can't live like that_. "It's all one big lie." She told the ghost, as she felt his fingers slide up her neck.

"What was that?" Sam asked as a soft thump came from the bedroom. He was sitting on the couch with his computer on his lap, his eyes flicking from it to the white door. The files Ash had sent them were, manifests and names of those who had once been held prisoner in the building to the left of them, were open on his computer and he was casually scrolling through them, both Dean and Jo peering over his shoulder intently.

"It's nothing, she's probably just throwing stuff." Jo said, dismissively. "Does she have these kinds of tantrums a lot."

"I don't know." Dean said, shaking his head. But a worried frown creased his forehead.

"Should we check on her?" Sam asked as his brother, pointed out a name he'd just scrolled past.

"Wait." Dean said. "Herman Mudgen?"

"Wasn't that H. H. Homs's real name?" Sam asked, his own forehead creasing.

_"Lonely."_ Was his response as she was turned around and slammed against the wall. His fingers closed over her windpipe, as she struggled in his grip. _"They don't love you at all."_ He said. _"They don't know." _She felt him get closer to her. _"But I do." _ The grip tightened, and she could feel her neck purpling under his hold, her breath became shorter and shorter. Her fingers clenched into small fists at her side, and her eyes burned. Deep within her belly something feral rose, like it had against Jo, and her lips issued a terrifying inhuman snarl. Herman Mudgen released her, taking a step back. Uncertainty become a shadowed cast on his pale unkempt features. Kelly wasn't certain how she knew his name, but her own hands rose to feel the tender lines that were quickly purpling on her neck.

_I should scream. _ She thought, sliding to her feet, and watching him warily. _How come they don't hear him? _ She wondered, and that worried her even more. _I must be crazy_. This had to be some schizophrenic dream. Some coma she could wake up from given enough time and energy. _Wake up! _ Her mind screamed, as she slid sideways, and backwards. Herman Mudgen advanced on her, recognizing that whatever strange power had come to help her was vanishing by the second. "Stay back." She whispered.

_"I will make it all better, pretty black puppy."_ Herman Mudgen whispered. _"It will only… for a few moments." _ His voice faded in and out like a radio. And Kelly was certain that he wasn't wholly in his right mind. Beyond what he'd been when he was alive. Wide bloodshot eyes met hers, as he grabbed her again, slamming her onto the bed. He lifted her up and brought her down again, the back of her head slamming into the bed frame. She shook like a rag doll, and hung limply. Dazed. Blood trickled down through the opening between her dark eyebrows, and off the bridge of her nose. His onion smelling, sweaty, dirt streaked hand slid up over her nose, his other hand was pressed against her chest, and she struggled. Kicking, as his fingers closed her nostrils and her mouth. Her scream was muffled as he leaned close. She bit the inside of her cheek, iron taste of blood flowing across her tongue, and she spat it through his fingers. _"So tell me pretty puppy."_ He whispered. _"What color do your insides bleed?"_

"H. H. Holms?" Dean asked. "You mean that Holms? America's first serial killer?" Dean rubbed the back of his head in disbelief.

"Who?" Jo asked.

"THey coined the term mass murderer for Holms." Sam aid. "He was a serial killer before America had a term for it."

"And his flavor of choice?" Dean said, looking at the information Sam had pulled up. "Pretty petite blondes." He turned to Jo with a smirk. "Boy, you sure do know how to pick 'em."

"Still doesn't explain why he's after Kelly though." Sam said, as he continued searching through the file. "No where does it say H. H. Holms ever went after brunettes." He sighed.

"The mystery that is Kelly." Dean smirked. "There's just something about her spirits find irresistible."

"Anyway." Sam shot his brother a dirty look. "He built a mass murder mansion, complete with trap doors and acid vats. He even had chambers built into the walls. He used chloroform to knock out his victims."

"What I smelled in the hallway." Dean said.

"And he'd keep them alive for days. Either suffocating them, or letting them starve to death." Sam read. "The worst part of his house was the basement, where he tortured some of his victims. Thats where authorities found a collection of blonde hair ripped from the skulls of his victims."

"So what?" Jo asked. "We do the usual drill right? Find the body, salt his bones and burn them."

"Not that simple." Sam said.

"See, when he died," Dean began. "They encased his body in solid concrete.

His final wish, so that they couldn't desecrate his corpse. Ironic really." There was another thump from the bedroom. "What's that bitch doing?" He asked. "Jumping on the bed?"

_Yeah, pretend you're not curious Dean_. Sam thought. _Five minutes and you'll be bashing down that door._ He found it a little hilarious that his brother wanted to send Kelly back to Wyoming. _Especially since he can't spend more than fifteen minutes away from her without worrying._ Even when she was in the next room. There was another thump.

"_Young."_ Herman Mudgen said, as she gazed up at him with glazed eyes. She coughed and struggled for air. _"Innocent_._"_ His eyes hardened. _"Killable."_ Kelly lifted her right hand, her dominant hand, the one that was burned and marked, to grasp Herman Mudgen's wrist. The ghost began to scream, a horrible terrifying scream.

"Damn it, Kelly!" Dean snarled. Straightening up and striding across the linoleum floor. His boots squeaked a little as he passed over the smooth scratch proof floor as he did so. Sam smirked as he checked his cell for the time. _Five minutes past ten, right on time._ He thought, satisfied. Dean had been able to resist for thirty minutes and six seconds since they'd thrown Kelly into the bedroom. Then Sam heard it. The shriek that rose from the bedroom, unlike anything he'd ever heard, and there was a roar. Inhuman. On his feet and grabbing the salt loaded pistol he always kept close, he watched Dean throw open the door. "Sam!" Dean roared. "Gun!" And Sam tossed his brother the pistol. There was a crash, like something going through solid glass, and his brother snarled. "SHIT!"


	7. Chapter 7: What Would You Say?

AN: Like I said before, love reviews, they make me write faster. Leave notes and get more chapters. Sounds easy right?

Chapter Seven: What Would You Say to Yellow Eyes?

Wind blew noiselessly through the curtains of a broken window in the bedroom of Apartment 212. The first thing that he noticed about them was that they were navy. The window looked out on the sleeping city of Philadelphia, and shattered glass lay strewn on the street below. A man stood there far above, his blonde buzzed head leaning out of the frame and staring in disbelief at the ground. He knew that a girl had gone out this window, he had seen her drop away himself, hurled by the ghost who had been chasing her. Dean Winchester wondered what sort of talisman she had used to make the ghost of serial killer H. H. Holms scream bloody murder. He didn't know, and at the moment he didn't care. He just knew that once again Kelly was gone and he hadn't done a single thing to save her.

She woke up, pinned to the hard concrete floor. Her back ached as if she'd been jabbed by a thousand tiny needles. _Not surprising considering Herman hurled me out a window._ She thought, wincing as she rolled onto her stomach. Above her, light filtered down through a vent, and she heard water dripping off the walls. Her eyes, unused to the dark light made out the curve of a tunnel, and far away a rat chattered over a piece of cheese. "Where am I?" She asked, aloud. Knowing that her fall should have killed her. She remembered staring at Dean with frightened eyes as Herman Mudgen lifted her up by her throat screaming while she held him. Herman had thrown her before Dean had fired, and the look of horror that had masked the older Winchester's face was now burned into her mind. _He fired several shots while I was falling_. And then… _Nothing_. Absolutely nothing. It was a blank. Her body trembled as she slid to her knees. Wet cold water soaked through her jeans and she shivered.

"Why you are a resilient one aren't you?" Came a voice out of the darkness and gloom, and Kelly thought she saw a flash of yellow shining out of the shadows. "I thought maybe I'd have to save you." A man walked slowly out of the gloom. In the murk of the tunnel Kelly couldn't make out his facial features, all she saw was the yellow glow of his eyes. She knew she should be terrified, but somehow… she wasn't. "But no… It turns out your progressing faster than expected." He stopped a few feet away from her, and crouched. Their eyes met, and Kelly felt an angry growl rising in her throat. Her body stiffened like a cat's, and she hissed at him. " Now, now, I'm not here to fight." Kelly felt something heavy settle over her, and her body went rigid, she struggled against the pressure but it forced her down, until her cheek pressed against the cold wet cement. Mold and all the nasty smells that came with it assaulted her nostrils. "That a girl." He knelt over her. "You see kiddo, you're just a newborn, barely alive in this world, and that makes you vulnerable."

"What?" She gasped, as her throat constricted.

"Shhh, don't waste energy talking." He said. "It would be a terrible tragedy if you kicked the bucket too early." He straightened. "For me anyway, I've waited a long time for one of you to fall." Out of the gloom she could see his smile, wider than the Cheshire cat's. Kelly felt something wet trickle down her forehead. IBlood. Mine./I Left over from where that evil son of a bitch had slammed her head into the bed post. "And it'd be damaging to my plans if I lost you now."

"Who are you?" Kelly demanded, wincing as pain lanced through her back. She wondered how many hours she'd have to spend yanking tiny shards of glass out of her shoulders and the skin around her kidneys. _I already have scars._ Now she would have more of them. _Like a real hunter I suppose._

"A…a friend." He said, with a dismissive wave. "For we shall be very good friends."

"We're not friends." She snapped.

"No, no not yet."

"We'll never be friends."

"Oh I doubt that, you see, your kind, Kelly, may I call you Kelly? Your kind is the enemy of all ghosts, goblins, demons, and things. That's why they're attracted to you." He leaned in close. "That's why they want you dead." Kelly's heart thudded madly in her chest as he leaned over her, and ran his crusty fingers through her wet hair. Blood trickled down her forehead, over the bridge of her nose and to her lips. "And you can die, Kelly, you most, certainly, can die. Especially now, the way you are." He smiled with satisfaction as he watched the crimson line descend towards her chin. "And it's been so long that most of my people have forgotten just how _useful_ an innocent puppy like you can be." The yellow-eyed man leaned in and wiped his index finger up the crimson line. "To the cause." Placing his finger in his mouth, he swallowed. "Delicious, you beasts always did have the best blood."

"My…kind?" _What is he insane?_ Kelly wondered, her eyes darting around the small closed area. There was only one exit through the sewers and she was not strong enough to stand, much less walk. Her head spun every time she inched forward, and the dizziness often threatened to overwhelm her. _He must be, he drank my blood_. There was something familiar about him, like she'd seen him before. Somewhere.

"Yes, yes, your kind. You'll find out what those are soon enough." He glanced down at her, a pitying smile on his lips. "And no, to answer your question, they're not quite…" He spread his hands around his face and smiled. It was a terrifying smile. "Human." Kelly withheld a gasp. _Maybe he's a demon, and demons lie_. They always lied, they had no reason to tell the truth. "Oh, they were once I imagine, a long time ago, just like me. But not now, no, not now. I'd be careful about telling the Winchesters about this." He said, tapping her on the head, and stood. "You're handler hates creatures like you, and if he found out, well…" The yellow-eyed man smirked. "He'd put a silver bullet right into that pretty chest of yours. And we wouldn't want that." She wiggled forward and felt the crushing weight of his power break over her again. "It would throw a wrench in my plans, and as I said, I have waited a very, very long time for you." His strength shoved her into the floor but she kept squirming and wriggling beneath it. There was pity in his eyes, as he looked down at her, but Kelly pegged it as being false. "If you'd let that nimrod sleep with you and send you back the way you came then maybe things would have been different. But I am fortunate that you are stubborn, and now you'll belong to me." Kelly struggled again, moving forward another few inches. "Poor fool, he doesn't even know what he has." The yellow-eyed man smirked and snapped his fingers and she rolled onto her back, her body muscles tensed. "We wouldn't want you leaving." He added, almost as an afterthought, it would spoil the grand finale."

"What are you…" Her jaw clenched beneath his power.

"Now, now, you aren't strong enough yet kiddo." He said. "But we'll work on that, you need to be prepared, primed, boiled for the service you'll offer me. But until then…" He stepped away from her and looked down the hallway, a tiny smile breaking his rough cowboy features. "Try to survive."

The world grew colder as Kelly felt a presence approaching from down the hall. She knew by the ungainly gate, and the thick dirty beard who it was. _Herman Mudgen._ She thought with quiet dismay, she hadn't escaped him after all. She looked around but the yellow-eyed man was gone, having left her all alone with a psychopathic killer. _A ghost_. She had escaped him before, but now she had nowhere to run to. The scent of chloroform filled the air, as if to announce his presence. She could almost feel the whispering touch of the yellow-eyed man's voice brushing through the air. "Now pay attention." He said, so soft, that Kelly almost couldn't hear him over the ghost's lumbering howl. "And learn something about you're true nature."

_"Found you." _H.H. Holms whispered through his yellowed teeth, as he grasped her by the hair. _"Thought escape, but no one ever escapes."_ He smiled. _"There is nowhere to run." _ Kelly didn't have time to contemplate the yellow-eyed man's words, nor could she think as pain stabbed through her scalp, and as blood loss forced her once again into a oblivion and darkness.

While Jo and Sam had slept, he spent the whole night scouring the surrounding streets for Kelly, but found no trace of her. _There wasn't even any damn blood on the sidewalk, except on the glass._ But nothing to suggest that she had landed there. He hated himself for it and as he walked back into apartment 212, he felt his worry growing. What if he wasn't able to find her? What if she ended up like all of Holms other victims? What if he never saw her again? "You said that Holms used compartments in the walls to stash his victims right?" Dean asked as the sun broke over the Philadelphia skyline. Jo and Sam were both already up and moving.

"Yeah." Sam said, as his fingers tapped away on his keyboard.

"And I've got news." Jo said, holding up pictures. "Another girl was snatched from her apartment last night. Same look as what happened here with Kelly." She lifted the cup of steaming hot coffee to her lips, but it scorched her tongue and throat as it went down. She swallowed, it tasted like nasty sewer sludge, but she continued to drink. If she was going to help Sam and Dean save Kelly. "Jessica Mills, age twenty one. Her boyfriend came by her apartment this morning and she wasn't there."

"So, alright." Dean said. "We take apart these walls, anywhere large enough to hide a girl."

"That son of a bitch is hiding them in the walls." Jo said, looking at Dean with appreciation. "I like your plan Dean-o."

"Wait." Sam said, after a moment. "It says here that Holms performed his worst experiments in the basement, if he was going to hide those girls anywhere it would be there." Dean noticed the dark circles beneath Sam's eyes, as he realized how long his brother had been up. _He's just as worried about Kelly as I am_. And still doubt wriggled at the back of his mind. _Maybe more._

"But this building doesn't have a basement." Jo said, examining the floor plans.

"Walls it is." Sam said, shutting his laptop. "I'll take the top level."

"Good, Jo and I will search the first and second." Dean said, gathering up a flashlight and some blueprints." Jo smiled, she knew she should be worried about Kelly, and she was a little. Even if a part of her believed that the little amateur had gotten exactly what she'd deserved.

_She doesn't deserve to die though_. Jo reflected. "Sure." She said, very happy to be spending more time with the one and only Dean Winchester.

"Be careful." Sam said as he headed towards the door, but he looked pointedly at Jo.

"Oh, I'll be fine." Jo said dismissively. "It seems it doesn't want _me_."

Dean nodded, with a sigh. Dean knew that Sammy's trust in his ability to look out for any kind of female form was severely damaged at the moment. _And I have to agree._ He had worked very hard to keep a hold of Kelly, but at every moment she seemed to just slip right through his fingers. _And now she's god knows where_. He could only hope that she was with Holms. _But…_ He'd smelled sulfur around the crash site, and that meant. _A demon could have snagged her, and…_ She could be anywhere.

One change in venue from a dark tunnel to a dark rusted metal cell didn't mean much to Kelly. She discovered from feeling around that she was in a coffin-like box, one that left just enough room for her body and her head, but no room to move around. There was a little wiggle room, but no more than that. Above her the dense metal had been raked with long claws, and from the scent radiating off of it, Kelly could tell they had left long streaks of blood. Human blood. IFingernails./I Some poor soul had tried to claw her way out of this box, not that it had done her much good. Kelly was lying in ten years of decomposition, and all that was left of this woman was dust. The contents of her stomach hurtled up into her gorge, only to be drawn back down by gravity. "Shit." She whispered, swallowing. Her own blood was mixing with the dust, making it sticky. Her jeans clung to the skin of her legs, but she could not move them, she was too tired. Too tired even for tears. "Shit." She repeated, her voice nothing more than a whisper. IDean will find me./I She thought. IHe will. He has to./I To lie in this iron coffin felt like she was waiting for death. But Kelly Jones was nothing if not stubborn. II took you on before and I'll do it again./I She thought fiercely. Her earlier conversation still haunted her as she peered out into the hexagonal room, iron death traps like her own lining the walls. IWhat did he mean?/I Was he lying? She wanted to believe she was. But if he wasn't… IAm I evil?/I No, she couldn't believe that. IHe said I wasn't human./I But that had merely confirmed what she'd suspected already, so it meant little in the overall scheme of her life here in this miserable world. IWhat am I?/I Did she dare tell Dean about that conversation? "No…" She murmured. She couldn't risk that. II nearly died once before./I Tonight, yesterday? It all melded together. IAnd I want to live./I She smiled a little. IYes, I want to live./I She sighed. IAnd more importantly I want to go home./I So she would fight. Yes, she would fight until Sam and Dean came for her. Then she would find out what she really was and discover a way to get home. INo matter what that man says, I'm still human./I Kelly trusted that, because it was all she had. Her humanity. In the distance she heard crying. "Hello?" She called.

"Yes?" Came the answer, and Kelly slammed her hands against the metal cage. "It's no good." The other girl said. It was a voice Kelly didn't recognize. "There's a lock outside the door, and it won't budge."

"Good to know." Kelly said, as the room grew darker. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jessica." Came the reply. "Jessica Mills, I was in my apartment last night and… Oh god." Her voice broke in a sob. Kelly closed her eyes, she lacked the patience to deal with crying. "Oh god, he's going to kill us!"

"I have friends." Kelly said. "They'll come looking for me." She hoped that would give the girl hope, but she was sorely disappointed.

"They won't know to look here." She said, still sobbing. "They won't know where to look! How will they find us! They don't know where to look!" _Okay, score one for hysteria_. Kelly thought, running even lower on patience.

"They'll find us." She repeated. "They'll save us." There was a rush of wind through the stale air, and the temperature dropped once again. Jessica began to shriek.

"He's coming! Oh, god! Oh, god! He's coming!"

"So what d you like about her?" Jo asked as they squeezed between the gaps between the apartment complex's dusty cement walls. Mold and plaster fell onto her shoulders and into the crinkles of her long blonde tresses. She shook her head vigorously, creating a cloud of dust about her head, captured in the light it looked like a halo. Ahead of her, Dean pointed his flashlight, intently scouring even the smallest crack that his body could fit through. He'd been tirelessly diligent and while Jo admired that about him, she couldn't help but feeling disappointed. She knew that this was probably just his level of commitment to the job, but still, it felt like more than that. He was looking for _her_, and now Jo found herself asking questions she didn't really want answers to.

"I don't really." Dean said, patiently scanning with his flashlight and checking his map.

"You're kidding." Jo said, her voice flat. "After all the times you've chased her down, you're going to say that you don't like her?"

"I've only known her a week." Dean said. "And she's been a pain in my ass through all of it." He shook his head. "But she's helpless, and Sammy made her promises, promises we both have to live up to." He hated that he was lying to Jo, but he needed her mind focused on the job and not on the tensions that lay between her and Kelly.

"You picked her up while you were working a job right?" Jo asked. _Which isn't normal Winchester behavior according to Momma, so what's really going on?_ She wanted to know who Kelly was, and what she'd done to make that ghost scream. "Doesn't she have any family? Any friends?"

"No." Dean said, his eyes narrowing, and his body language suggesting that he would like nothing better than for her to drop the subject. "It's just us."

"Us?"

"Sammy and I." Dean replied, as they came to the edge of the long wall, and the gap grew smaller at the end of it, even though it went on.

"So she's like a little sister?" Jo asked, hopeful. If Dean felt like that about Kelly, then it would explain all of his reactions and care for her wellbeing. If he didn't, then… Jo sighed. There wasn't any reason to be jealous of family.

"It's something like that." Dean lied, mostly to himself. But it didn't explain the anxiety underlying his hurt pride of letting down the one he was responsible for.

"Oh." Jo smiled, suddenly feeling much better. "Then maybe when this is all over…"

"This is as far as we can go." Dean said, pointing his flashlight through the gap. Up and down, then side to side as he examined the narrowed entryway. "I can't fit through that. "

Jo peered past him and into it. "This is the last section of the wall right?" She asked. "I can fit through that." She pointed to the opening that clearly descended down towards the next level.

"No way." Dean said. "You're not going off alone." _We've already lost one too many, and how would I explain it to Ellen?_

"Kelly could be in there." Jo insisted. "Or that other girl, Jessica Mills. You can't stop me from looking."

"Want to bet on that?" Dean asked. "What if Holms gets you too?"

Jo laughed. "Then I'll find Kelly a lot faster won't I?" She asked, a tiny smirk appearing on her peach soft lips. "Besides, I need to beat her up over a dispute on continuing stupidity." She squeezed past him, enjoying the feeling of rubbing her backside against his groin. It wasn't a surprise when she felt him respond. Behind her disgruntled and determined exterior, she grinned. _Kelly's not the only one who can affect him. _ She thought with satisfaction. At least that way.

"Come back here!" Dean hissed, but Jo ignored him.

"I'll meet you on the next floor down." She called, as she disappeared. Dean sighed loudly, and started to make his way make down the shaft. She'd made him uncomfortable, and with all his anxiety and frustrations, he had nothing to take his pent up sexual energy out on. _I need to find a cocktail waitress_. He had enough time to hear her scream.

"JO!"

Kelly winced. She wasn't entirely sure how she'd gotten rid of the ghost. _No, I am._ She thought spitting iron and red blood from her mouth. _I bit him. Again. On the hand. Like some fucking animal._ She thought gripping her arms, and lifting her palm, to gaze at the rams head in the center of the pentagram. That black symbol had been burned into the flesh of his wrist. It was blackened, and Kelly could have sworn it glowed slightly. _I couldn't use this?_ There hadn't been time, he'd placed his hand over her mouth, and she'd had no choice but to respond in kind. Then he'd vanished in a gust, leaving her alone again. Alone, and facing the newfound horror of her cellmate. As if her day couldn't get any worse. "He tried to suffocate me." She said, for what felt like the thousandth time. "And I bit him."

"You bit him." Jessica said, dumbly. _God, what is she? A parrot mocking everything I say? _ It sure as hell felt that way. "You bit a ghost. You bit a ghost. You bit a bloody fucking ghost." Her voice trembled, and Kelly knew that with this latest development, Jessica was frightened that he was going to turn his attention to her. _I can't say that would be a bad thing_. Then maybe she could get some sleep. _What color do your insides bleed? _ She shivered.

"Yes." She repeated. "I Bit Him." Somehow this felt like another repeat conversation she'd had with Dean, and that did nothing to improve her mood. Which was by this point, getting progressively darker. _And it's Jessica's fault_. Kelly had no compassion left in her, the woman was an idiot, and hardly a credit against the stereotype that came with her hair color. _It's not like he's going to bother her, yet. I pissed him off, he'll kill me first_. And she wouldn't let him. She wasn't going to sacrifice Jessica to achieve that goal, not on purpose anyway, but still. _I am going to get out of this alive_. That was her promise, and she meant to stick by that. _ I am going to live!_

"He's back!" Jessica shrieked, as the figure of Herman Mudgen appeared through the bars. He carried in his arms the unconscious body of Joanna Beth Harvelle. _Well, that's a point against Dean. _ She thought, completely exhausted. "He's going to kill us!" The other girl whispered, and Kelly shook her head.

"Shut up." She said. "Do you want him to notice you?" _No? Then shut your trap._ A few hours without whimpering and tears would be nice. _She must be incredibly dehydrated by now._ But if Jo was here, that meant the boys had to be getting closer to figuring out where the monster had stashed them. She watched as Herman Mudgen lay the unconscious body of Jo in her own coffin to the left. Kelly had grown a bit bolder since her successes against him, and the marks on her body that apparently worked when warding him off. _I can't exactly let Jo take her turn being the marked recipient of his wrath._ She was already covering for Jessica, so what was one more? _I'm the best equipped._ And she had to believe that Sam and Dean were coming. "Hey freak!"

"Are you insane?" Jessica whispered, as the angry bloodshot eyes of Herman Mudgen flicked to where Kelly was lying, deep hatred burning behind them. "Do you have a death wish?" _No._ Kelly thought. _But every second he spends focused on me, he's not suffocating you. So it works out_. Herman Mudgen advanced on her.

"I guess the last bite was a little much for you yeah?" She cocked her head to the side as she peered out of her cage, her heard hammering in her chest.

_"Pretty puppy."_ He groaned as he walked towards her. Kelly slid backwards until her shoulders were pressed against the cold steel of her cell. She knew she needed as much room as possible. She opened her left palm and gnashed her teeth ready to make use of both, as primitive as it seemed. _"See how it taunts."_ Herman Mudgen's head tilted sideways, insanity glaring out of his bloodshot eyes. _"It will not say such things when it is screaming."_

"I wouldn't bet on that." Kelly taunted. "I'm cheekiest under duress." _Like, well, now._

_"What color does it's insides bleed?"_ Herman Mudgen's head fell sideways as he examined her through the crack in her cell.

"Let's find out." Herman Mudgen's hand snaked through the small opening, grasping at her hair. She lunged hat his hand, grabbing it with her right hand. For her, smell of charring flesh lighted the air, but this time Herman Mudgen merely twisted away. _Guess that doesn't work every time_. She thought, disappointed that one of her few and only gambits hadn't paid off. She squirmed farther back, thanking the lord for being small and skinny with no breasts to speak of, as she did so. A low growl rolled out of her throat, and she lunged forward again as Herman Mudgen grasped her by the hair. He yanked down, hard, but her teeth still sank into the leathery skin, or what had once been skin, what felt like skin, Kelly wasn't all too sure at the moment over how to classify what was happening, because, as Dean and Jo had repeated back to her a thousand times, ghosts and spirits were incorporeal and therefore intangible. _Otherwise untouchable_. Kelly thought, mentally imitating Jo. Kelly was pretty sure that the other girl thought she was a retard. _Take this opportunity to develop yourself_. Whatever the hell that meant. _I suppose I'm doing that_. She thought as the screaming spirit wrenched himself free of her jaws. He was spiriting over to Jo, and Kelly found it rather funny. Because a few seconds after he'd stuck his hand into the blonde huntress's cage, than he dissipated.

"This knife is made of pure iron bitch!" Jo screamed after the whirlwind that signified their captor and tormentor.

"You both are crazy." Jessica said, in her naively wise way. At this point, Kelly didn't have the energy to argue with her.

"Are you Jessica Mills?" Jo asked through the crack in her steel coffin. Kelly listened, very sleepily, to the other girl give an affirmation. She was very tired, having been up for so many hours, and put through so much stress. The words were becoming blobby bits of gunk that stuck in the crevices of her brain but achieved no real meaning. _I can't fall asleep_. She thought. _He'll kill me if I fall asleep._ But her second, third, and fourth winds were already dead and gone. Now she was riding on her fifth, and if Herman Mudgen stayed away too long, her adrenaline wouldn't remain high enough to get to the point of keeping herself awake. "I know this might sound silly, but…"

"I know, I know, you're here to rescue me." Jessica said, though her voice trembled. "Your compatriot already informed me of that." Her pale blue eyes swam back to Kelly's cage. "What are you?" She asked again.

"Human." Kelly's shoulders hurt too much to shrug.

"Civilian." That came from Jo, but the beat of her answer had the same speed as it normally did, so Kelly was willing to bet that the other girl had gotten at least a decent nights sleep. _All alone on that lumpy bed_. She thought, with a pang of jealous envy. _I'd kill to be on that bed right now_. "Good to see your alive and kicking Kelly." Jo added, more as an after thought than anything else. But still, with only her eyes visible, Kelly made out a glimmer of respect shining out of those perfect blue orbs. But the murky shadows did make it difficult.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in Dean's shoes, explaining to your Momma how he got me killed." Kelly said, though there was a certain delicious justice in that. She longed to see that hard ass get some kind of comeuppance for being an incredibly obnoxious and overbearing git. _Put me in time out will he? What am I? Two_? Apparently in the land of Dean Winchester she was. _It's sort of pathetic that I'm relying on him to save the day._ She thought, but the fact was their situation looked incredibly bleak. _In fact it blows._

"I don't know why she's fond of you." Jo sniffed, returning to her old aloof confidence. "You're not that special."

"Oh I think she's incredibly _special_." Jessica said, from across the room. "She's so special that she's practically undead! There's got to be some rule against biting ghosts. What are you a savage?"

"If he comes your way I hope you do the same thing." Kelly said. "Or do you expect to just lie there while he chokes you to death?" He'd already tried it on her twice, so she was guessing by virtue of experience that it was his death dealing method of choice. Jessica whimpered, which Kelly took to mean that she'd made her point. "What got you here Jo?" She asked, her eyes warily, if blearily, on the entrance to the sewer.

"Chasing you." The other girl replied.

"Damn fool of a reason." Kelly said. "I expected you to let me rot."

"I'd do no such thing."

"You couldn't win over Dean if you did." _Though by now I'm sure Dean is more than willing to throw me to the sharks_. Ever since she'd come to this weird world filled with ghosts, spirits, and demons, trouble had seemed to follow her, well, like a puppy that liked to be continually kicked. _Except I'm the puppy and the trouble is kicking me_. Somehow, that just wasn't comforting. "But, you found me." She sighed. "Lot of good it'll do you, though." She added as Jo slammed her fist against the steel wall of her cage. There was a yelp. "I was going to warn you…about that."

"Slip your mind?" Jo asked, and Kelly could see her shaking her fist. She glared through the slit in the door. "What does he want with you anyway?"

"To know what color her insides bleed." Jessica complained from across the way. Kelly withheld a sigh. _Where did the crybaby go?_ She wondered, now Jessica just sounded like a spoiled teenager. "Honestly who'd want to know something like that?"

"The ghost." Kelly said, her voice incredibly flat.

"Did you bite him?" Jo sounded bored now. Kelly felt that her reaction was entirely inappropriate given the situation.

Kelly spat more blood onto the rusted bed that served as her cell. "Obviously."

"You really are a freak."

"Thanks for that." Kelly replied, noting the slight trace of laughter in the other girl's voice.

"I have to admit that I'm a little impressed." Jo said, and while her tone was grudging, Kelly could almost smell a smile beneath her façade.

"You shouldn't." She sighed spitting more blood onto the floor of her cell. It tasted like hers, so it probably was. She hadn't gotten that good a chunk of Herman Mudgen's arm. Cold air compressed around her body and the world was spinning once more. The more serious injuries seemed to have stopped with the bloodletting, but there was no telling what kind of internal damage she'd sustained. She hoped none. "He tastes terrible." Her head slumped against the cold steel. _I can't go to sleep. I will die if I sleep_.

"Dean's coming." Jo said. "He's coming for us."

"Yeah." Kelly whispered. "There's no doubt in my mind." _I am so tired, it wouldn't be horrible for me to just rest a minute right? What's the harm in that?_ She couldn't finish that thought before a resounding roar broke through her inner ear drums. _Stay awake! _ It ordered, but Kelly was too far gone to obey.

"Kelly? What's the matter?" She heard Jo's call, but she could do nothing to stop her. Oblivion was coming to claim her, and all she could do was submit.


	8. Chapter 8: The Jack of Clubs

AN: Please review!

Chapter Eight The Jack of Clubs has a Hammer and a Cell Phone

"He's got Jo." Dean said, his voice dark and trembling, as he looked at his brother. Sam's forehead furrowed, as he stared at his brother. There were dark bags hanging beneath his brother's eyes, remnants of is futile search for Kelly Jones. _Kelly Jones, it's strange that we don't even know her middle name._ He'd already sent a private request to Ash, he'd given as few details as possible, simply stating that the girl needed a new identity, one that was unquestionable when held up under scrutiny, so that she wouldn't look suspicious when they were held up by the cops. Which, as Sam knew, tended to happen to the Winchesters on a fairly regular basis. Now though, now that was a question best left in the past, and his thoughtful foresight felt like a heavy burden now that Kelly was missing. _Now Jo's gone too_. Oh, Ellen wouldn't like that.

"What?" He asked, following his brother as Dean headed back towards the apartment, his boots creating indentations in the green carpet as his heavy footsteps receded further and further away from Sam. "How'd that happen?"

"I wasn't with her! I left her alone." His brother snarled over his shoulder, and Sam could hear the deep echoes of guilt. "Just like Kelly." His brother muttered, as they continued walking. "Damn it!"

"Okay, don't worry, we'll find her." Sam said. "We'll keep looking."

"Where?" Dean asked. "Where are we gonna look Sammy?" Sam swallowed, he'd never seen Dean so shaken, but with the multitude of failures that lay over their heads when it came to Kelly, it wasn't unexpected. _Jo will be okay_. Sam thought. _ She has to be. We'll find her, and Kelly._ The girl was just starting to warm up to him, and she was the only person he'd spent any time with lately who could discuss some of the finer points that he'd learned at Stanford. Themes and theories that were unimportant when faced with the terror, fear, and evil they hunted every day, but still, he'd hate to lose the only person who made the world seem normal. _She's the kind of person a man could settle down with, raise a family with, and be friends with._ What he felt when he thought about Kelly had no relation to the love he'd had for Jess. The two were incomparable, and Kelly? Well, she just helped soothe the ache, was a distraction from the things they'd lost. He wasn't in love with her, and it was too soon to tell if he might be. _Besides Dean's… taken with her._ And Sam wasn't the type of guy to interfere in his brother's love life. _He's just too slow to realize it_. Especially since Kelly Jones had none of the qualities that Dean apparently found appealing in the women he slept with. _Except Cassie, her spirit probably is reminiscent of that._ Cassie Robinson, the only girl that Dean had ever loved. As far as Sam knew.

"Inside the walls." He said, as if the answer was completely obvious. But his voice broke a little, and he already had his doubts that the girls were there. _No shreds of clothing, no blonde hair fragments, nothing to suggest that they were ever there_. Except a wrench. But that was probably left over from a member of the apartment maintenance crew, or even some unlucky electrician. _No links to the girls. _ None, whatsoever.

"We've been looking inside the walls all day and all night Sammy, if they were there we would have found them by now." Dean snarled; as he shoved open the door to the apartment. "But there not, so where the hell do you suggest we start looking next? Down the well maybe? In the plumbing?"

"Hey." Sam snapped, suddenly recognizing the sarcasm in his brother's tone, it was unlike Dean to take his anger out on anyone but himself. _Though he's known to be belligerent..._ "It was the only lead we had." Sam said, as he followed his brother inside.

"And now it's a dead end!" Dean roared, turning around on his booted heel. "It's dead, it's gone, its buried, rotting six feet under in some concrete block. And that's where Kelly will be if we don't find out where the hell she is!"

"And Jo." Sam added.

"Her too!" Dean growled.

"Okay, let's think about this, maybe we got the Holms motel, murder mansion wrong." Sam said, as he leaned over the building plans, and the map of the sewers. "Girls don't just vanish into thin air, they have to be somewhere nearby."

"Yeah, well we better fucking think fast." Dean said. "Sam, there's something I need to tell you…" He trailed off as the ringer on his cell went off. The rock in' roll beat of Hells Bells filled the air as Sam raised a worried eyebrow at his brother. Dean flipped open his Motorola i850 and put it to his ear. "Yeah?"

"You lied to me, she's there." Ellen's harsh voice cut through the static air, as Dean swallowed. "Ash may be a super genius, Dean honey, but he folds like a cheap suit. Put my daughter on the phone."

"Ellen." Dean began, as Sam watched him intently.

"No, Dean, I want to talk to my daughter." Ellen voice broke a bit, and Dean could feel the worry and fear breaking through the anger in her voice. _She's got every reason to be scared._ He thought. _Considering what just happened in the walls_.

"She's gonna have to call you back." He said, turning his back on the table and walking towards the kitchen.

"Where is she?" Ellen asked, and there was a long pause. "Why don't I hear her snapping at your girl Kelly in the background?" Dean swallowed, if there was one thing Dean didn't want Ellen to figure out, it was the fact that both girls were missing.

"They're off, doing things… Taking care of feminine business." Dean trailed off, sensing that Ellen didn't believe him. "Look we'll get them back."

"Back? Back from what?" She paused, as realization hit her. "They're both missing." Ellen said, and Dean winced as she drove the proverbial nail even further into his chest. "You stupid idiots, you let not one, but both of them get…." There was a gasp, and another long pause. "I'm taking the first flight out." Ellen's hardened tone left little room for argument, but still Dean felt that he had to try.

"That's not necessary." Dean started. "We've already got a—"

"The hell it isn't."

"It'll be okay, I promise." Dean said.

"You promise?" Tears were breaking through Ellen's voice now, and Dean could feel her tightening up on the other end of the line. His own throat constricted with her. "That is not the first time I've heard that from a Winchester."

"What?" Dean asked, he couldn't contain the surprise in his voice, and it leapt from his throat to echo around the room. Sam looked up from his study of the surrounding sewer systems with concern.

"Anything wrong?" He mouthed, with a raised eyebrow, but Dean just shook his head and continued listening intently to the phone.

"That doesn't matter." Ellen said. "You already promised me that you would look after that Kelly girl, that you would feed her, clothe her, train her."

"I know." Dean sighed. "We've been trying…"

"Trying isn't good enough, I'm relieving you of your responsibility to her."

"Ellen, we'll get them back."

"If anything happens to Jo or Kelly…"

"It won't." Dean said, wishing that he fully believed that. Kelly had been missing for nearly two days already, and every second now felt like she was getting further away. He hadn't had the strength to tell Sam about the sulfur he'd found on the street, and since ghosts failed to leave traces of that particular mineral, it meant only one thing. _Demons._

"Ash already has my plane ticket." Ellen said through the phone. "I'll be there I in a few hours." With those terrible words, she hung up the phone, and Dean was left wondering what she'd meant by saying she was relieving him of his responsibility to Kelly.

"Damn it!" Dean snarled, shoving his phone back into his pocket and turning to face Sam.

"Don't beat yourself up Dean." Sam said, seeing the barely contained anger etched into the hardened lines of his brother's face. "There wasn't anything you could have done, either for Jo or for Kelly."

"No, Sammy." Dean said, leaning forward. "I _knew_ that the ghost was after Kelly. We _knew_. And after what happened with Jo, I should have been in that bedroom with her. I should have known it would come around the second I turned my back." He rammed his palm into his forehead, as he turned back towards the window. "And I should have never let Jo go off on her own."

"There was nothing you could have done." Sam repeated. "Nothing, both of those girls are incredibly stubborn, and once Kelly gets a thought in her head…" He trailed off, sensing that his brother wasn't listening, as Dean whirled back around to slam the palms of his hands into the table.

"Tell me you got something." He said.

"Ah, well." Sam's forehead crinkled up as he concentrated on the pictures in front of him.

"Don't tell me you have nothing, Sammy." Dean said. "We have to find them, and we need a lead, a good lead to track them down. So do you have it or not?"

"We _will_ find them." Sam said. "Trust me." He picked up the pictures.

"What about the murder mansion?"

"Okay." Sam said, spreading apart the pictures and looking back and the sewage plans for the local block, and several streets above and below the apartment building. "So there were things other torture chambers inside the walls right?"

"Yeah."

"But there's one we haven't considered…" Sam paused, almost for dramatic effect.

"We're losing time Sam." Dean said.

"We haven't thought about the one in his basement." Sam said.

"Because this building doesn't have one." Dean said, his voice harsher than he meant it to be. Sam was glad that his brother had returned to his more charmingly gruff self. _Because I honestly can't take Dean in hysterics_. But now he was registering a twelve on the close-minded scale. And Dean, though physically action oriented, was not an idiot.

"That's true it doesn't, but look at this." Sam pulled out one of the rolls of blue from beneath his sheets and laid it out on the table. "See this hexagonal shape here in the sewers." He outlined it with his finger as his brother nodded. "It looks exactly like how Holms built his basement."

"Why wouldn't anyone have found the bodies if Holms was hiding them in the sewers?" Dean asked, and Sam felt that his brother had finally hit upon a valid question.

"Because it's a closed off section that's been abandoned for the past…."

"Let's go." Dean cut in. Grabbing his coat he took off, Sam pursed his lips, looked down at the plans, and thought. _Well that was easy_. He grabbed them, and followed his brother. _The chances of Kelly being alive…_ Well, they were heading towards the zero portion of Sam's internal survival calculator, and while Sam recognized that, he knew Dean wouldn't listen. _He's hoping that she's alive, and to be honest, even knowing the realities and the odds, I want her to be too_. But through this ordeal, Sam had also begun to question whether it was right to keep throwing an innocent girl into these situations. _This whole thing has proven that it's not just demons that are after her_. Her gallery of rogues apparently included everything else. So was it right for them to keep bringing her to the trouble?

"Kelly!" Jo screamed. "Kelly are you alright! Say something! Anything!" Outside the steel slate that served as a cage she heard the whistling rush of wind that signaled Holms' approach. "Kelly!" She couldn't see the figure of her rival through the crack of her cell, only some of her limp brown hair. She couldn't even hear the quiet pulsating of Kelly's breathing. Not that it did her any good as Holms appeared before her cage, his greasy beard curling off his face in large black clumps, his bloodshot eyes examining her with a sexually driven admiration, those bleary orbs suddenly seemed very sharp and Jo could feel the distaste within them. He was searching for a way around her knife.

"_Pretty."_ He whispered, running his hand over the steel bumps outside her cage. _"Pretty deadly thing."_

"You bastard!" She snarled. "You killed her! You killed her!" She pounded her fists against the wall, ignoring the pain that sparked through the already bruised flesh of her palms. "You freak! I'm going to kill you! Hear that I'm going to kill you!"

"_Can't. Other one said so too. Black one. Dog. Young, vulnerable, sweet, she was, wouldn't say, wouldn't answer."_ He spread his hands, a maniacal smile on his lips. His yellow uneven teeth exposed in the large grin, as his disgusting breath wafted into Jo's nostrils. _"Already dead."_

_It's just my luck that he has to smell the same as when he was alive_. She thought, clutching her knife against her bosom, as the blue plaid puffs of her sleeves crinkled against the curve of her shoulder. "I'm gonna sentence you to oblivion." She growled. "If you even think of trying to touch me again." As a response, a grimy hand snaked into her cage, faster than she could react, and just as she was slashing with her knife, she felt a wrenching pain, as needles jabbed into her skull. Jo couldn't help herself, she screamed. Blood trickled down the side of her head, as H.H. Holms stepped back, three locks of blonde hair clenched in his gnarled fingers. Across the way there was a groan.

"What'd I miss?" It was Kelly's voice, harsh and hoarse, laced with the jagged edges of whatever trauma she was suffering, but it was still her, and she was alive. Jo had never once imagined that she would be excited to hear her rival speak, and now she was ecstatic. _I didn't want her to die. _ Kelly was far too fun to fight with for her to be lost to some ghost. _And I don't want to have to face the look on Dean's face if he finds her lifeless body. _ Jo imagined that he would probably carry the expression of someone who's puppy had just been run over. While she had no doubt he would make Holms suffer before hell, and maybe follow him down there to get in a few extra rounds, she had no desire to see a man cry.

"_Ah, so pretty puppy failed to pass into the sleep of nevermore."_ Holms said, as if he found that pleasing. "_I did want to be the one who killed it._" As he turned, Jo saw through her crack that his right arm was bleeding from a set of terrible jaw marks that seemed to be almost _burned…_ into his arm. Her thoughts whirred as she tried to come up with an explanation for what could do that and what it meant, as far as she knew ghosts could not be harmed in such a way by any weapon.

_They can be made to dissipate by salt and iron…_ And they could be marked by strong spells and talismans, but burned? The flesh looked like it had been nearly ripped out of his arm, and by something much larger and stronger than human teeth. _But…_ It didn't surprise her that the blood was vanishing before it hit the ground. _Cause if whatever bit had also restored him to some kind of mortal body… _ Jo was certain that her mind would probably have snapped in two. _And there'd be one more loony on their way to the crazy bin_. "Kelly?" She asked. Still relieved that the girl had only passed out, and hadn't actually kicked the bucket.

"Kinda busy." Kelly replied, and Jo realized that Holms was standing in front of her cell, an odd expression on his face. What made the whole scenario more frightening was the fact that he was undoing the lock.

"He's going to…" Jo trailed off, as the lid of the cage snapped up and Holms' grasped Kelly by her neck and flung her out onto the cold cement floor. There was a crack, and Kelly moaned as her shoulder dislocated. She rolled onto her back, eyes burning, and her lips contorting ferociously. "Shit!" Jo hissed as she pressed against her cage door. "Dean's coming Kelly! He's coming!" _He has to_. She didn't think her rival could last much longer, now that Jo could get a good look at her. Stains of blood could be found over the whole of her body, her arms were chipped with a myriad of tiny red marks, created by the shards of fractured glass when she'd gone back first through a closed window. There were smaller cuts on her face, but none like the one cut deeply into her right cheek, it was closing, if slowly. Wet marks showed through her pant legs, and Jo wondered if there were worse injuries hiding beneath her jeans. Her navy blue tank top was shredded against her belly, and three, long; bloody lines traced their way from her abdomen to the top of her ribcage. They were superficial at best but ugly to look at. The flesh containing her intestines was bruised between the scratch marks, and Jo hoped that it was due only to her outside wounds, and not the beginning marks of an internal injury. "You have to get up!" She shouted. "Kelly, he's going to kill you!"

"I think…" Kelly said, as she coughed. "That has already been established." Still, she made an effort to roll, but her body was having none of it. And she fell back into the same position, unable to do anything other than look up at the spirit who would become her murderer, and lift her useless left hand in preparation to defend herself. The pain of having her shoulder popped out its joint paralyzed her right, and the entire arm shuddered uselessly against her side.

"Shit." Jo muttered, as Holms' leaned over the squirming body of her rival.

"_So tell me pretty puppy."_ He whispered with a smile as he knelt over her body. _"What color do your insides bleed?"_ There was a profound pause, and then the bloodshot eyes of Holms widened into large plate sized orbs, and the ghost hissed with hatred. Jo wondered why, but she couldn't see past him to the face of her rival.

"Blue." Kelly said, as Holms' fingers closed around her throat, tightening and cutting off her breath. "Purple, green…" She squeezed out, her useless left hand sliding up off the floor to grasp his wrist, and attempt, with little strength, to yank back his hand. "Yellow…" She gasped, kicking at him, but her foot passed through his body, and she was unable to deter him. "All… colors of the… rainbow… really…" The words choked themselves out of her throat, and Jo wondered why the other girl was spending her last breaths on something so pointless. _Well, if she dies, at least I'll be able to tell Dean that she went down choking on her own jokes_. "Why… don't… you… look…" The other girl gasped. "Find…out… experiment… best way…" Holms grinned suddenly, and a shivering pulse lashed out up Jo's spine. _Something…. Really bad is about to happen._ She thought, as she pressed her horrified face to the cage, across from her Jessica was suddenly quiet as a mouse, her own eyes as large as the earth globes in Mrs. Morry's first grade classroom. _She's hoping that won't be her fate_. Jo thought, and wondered if any of them could escape what was happening to Kelly. _If Dean doesn't come…_ She shook her head, she couldn't think like that. If she did, she'd stop struggling, stop fighting, and that would mean Holms having his way. _I will never let that happen_. She thought, gripping the handle of her knife.

"_So, tell me pretty puppy."_ The ghost repeated, that terrible smile still lighting his lips. _"What color do your insides bleed?"_ Holms stabbed his hand into Kelly's belly, filling the air with her agonized scream.

"Dean." Sam said, grabbing Dean by the shoulder as they headed towards the opening of the manhole. "The chances… Of, well, finding Kelly alive are…" Sam had been determined not to mention it, but as they drew closer and closer to the manhole that lead down into what could be Holms' lair. He found that he simply couldn't help himself.

"I know Sam." Dean said, looking at his brother as he searched the ground with a metal detector, Dean's own fist was clenched around the metal detector, so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. The detector went off, beeping ecstatically and they followed it through a gap in the blue and gray rundown buildings to an empty field filled with patches of dead brown grass, dust, and exposed earth. Sam followed the beeping until it went up another decibel, pulsating so loudly and rapidly that the entire rickety body of the detector shook.

"Looks like the place." He said, switching off the metal detector and moving it to the side.

"Yeah." Dean replied as he swung his shovel down into the hard dirt, he used his heel to push it in deep, and then yanked out a curving blade full of uprooted grass.

"Dean." Sam tried again. "When this is over, when we find her…maybe…"

"Let's just focus on finding them, Sam." Dean said, as he shoved the shovel in again, this time hearing the loud clang of metal on metal. "Ellen's already on my ass about Kelly, I don't need you throwing in your two cents."

"She's my responsibility too, Dean." Sam snapped, as he knelt, and helped his brother clear away the dirt, cementing the round cover of the manhole shut. "And she's my friend."

"Yeah, I know, you guys are chummy." Dean said, sarcastically, as he pulled back the manhole and switched on his flashlight.

"You can't keep avoiding this subject forever, Dean." Sam said, as he too looked down into the darkness. Slimy brown cockroaches scurried up the mildew coated walls, their unused wings clicking against their hard shells, as their six feet easily carried them down away from the harsh light of day. Unstable rings jutted out of the walls to provide handholds, and Sam knew that if one broke or gave out, he or his brother would end up at the bottom with a broken arm, leg, or worse. _But the reward is greater than the risk_. If they managed to get both girls back alive.

"Watch me" Dean said, as he swung down onto the first handhold, sliding the handle of the flashlight between his teeth, he began to climb down into the darkness. Below them, a terrified scream echoed through the curving walls of the tunnels and bounced up towards them. Dean looked up at his brother, and Sam stared back, they both recognized that voice.

"Kelly." Sam whispered, but Dean said nothing as his continued climbing, much faster and far more recklessly than he had before.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god_ Kelly Jones thought as her back arced off the ground, shifting back and forth as she tried to think of some way to escape. She had no idea whether or not God would answer, but at this moment. _ Jesus, you're the only shot I've got_. She thought as her eyes snapped open wide. _There is a hand in my…_ She screamed again. Her vocal chords hoarse as the hand of Herman Mudgen, H.H, Holms, squished through her insides. She could feel his hand in there, squeezing and wrenching her organs, though there was no outward sign of it on his body. _No._ She thought, remembering what the yellow-eyed man had said. _You are the enemy of ghosts, spooks, and all things that go bump in the night. That's why they want you dead_. His words cracked across her memory, echoing through her mind as her body continued to scream. H. H. Holms ripped his hand back, Kelly gasped, her body going ridged, and her nerves, set on fire by pain, continued to roar inside of her. Holms leaned over her, a wide smile on his cracked lips. _Whatever I am_. Kelly thought darkly. _Whatever I am becoming, he fears it._ She remembered, probably even better than the insane ghost who hovered over her, the taste of his blood on her lips, or the stench of his skin as the mark on her palm branded him. _He fears me_. If what the yellow eyed man said was true… and she had her doubts about trusting the things he said. _Because actually trusting his person is out of the question_. Thoughts of him sent chills up her spine, and from what he'd said about her, what she was, and what he wanted, she knew that he represented all the darkness that her future could hold. Perhaps, a sad fate awaited her. Her eyes snapped back to Holms. _If there is darkness in me_. She thought. _Inhumanity, savageness…_ The feelings and emotions that always came whenever she became angry, or when her survival was threatened. An alien reaction for her, but one that was wholly natural to her instincts, and if it always happened when she was most desperate. _Like now._ Then maybe…. She swallowed.

"You bastard!" Jo was screaming, but her words were like an out of tune radio in Kelly's head, fading in and out, in and out, so that only every other word was audible. And sometimes, she heard nothing at all, just… static. "You….get…here!"

_Sorry, Jo. _ She thought. _I may not be around to steal Dean's attention much longer. _ Her head fell backwards, and she stared up at the blonde. Jo was pressed against her cage, as if she hoped that her body weight would somehow force the cage door to snap open. Her fingers were squeezed through the thin crack, as if she was reaching for her, and her large blue eyes were wide. There was a loud clang. _I…_ Holms' hand was sliding up her throat, his slimy fingers pressing against the bruises he'd already imprinted on her flesh, and she winced. Her lungs gasping for the air she would soon need to survive a strangle hold. _Can't…_ Her eyes squeezed shut, and she searched past the pain, the agony, and the fire chasing itself in circles through her nerves. She descended, reaching for the self that lay deeper than herself, wrapped in a black embryo at the center of her psyche. It was a face she'd always known was there, but never how to reach it, never known how to call for it. She still didn't. _Need…please…_ She pleaded, as the grasp around her throat tightened, and her concentration threatened to collapse onto inward. To throw her out and leave her helpless. Dependent on a man who might never come, and certainly not in time. _Please!_ The grip tightened, as power rolled over her. _Not time…_ She opened her eyes and stared up at Jo, gasping as her supply of air began to dwindle away. Strong fingers constricted around her throat, tightening their hold, stealing the breath from her lungs bit by bit, until the oxygen was gone, and only poisonous carbon dioxide remained. "No." She whispered.

Jo stared helplessly at her rival, but when the girl turned her eyes up to her, Jo was not prepared for the change they had undergone. They burned into her, bright blazing gold around a dark pitiless pupil, dark umber created a barrier containing the harsh color within the iris of Kelly's eye. If it hadn't Jo feared that color would have spread through the whole of her eye like a demon's. Jo found she could not gaze back into the fury of those eyes, blazing bright like a pair of suns confined inside the body of a light bulb. Matchless. Kelly's hand slid from her side, her left hand, to once again grasp H. H. Holms' wrist, but her eyes never left Jo. Squeezing her own shut, Jo slid back into her cage, terrified. Whatever it was that slumbered inside the tiny human form of her rival, well, it wasn't human. Her instincts screamed for her to run, but it was not the same as what she had felt when Holms had assaulted her. No, it was different. "Kelly?" She whispered, through the bars. It was the ghost who had everything to fear. Kelly's head lifted off the ground, and as she began to turn her horrifying gaze onto H.H. Holms, a bang echoed through the chamber.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch!" Dean's voice bounced around the walls, and Jo had never been so happy to see anyone in her entire life. She could have kissed him. _Not that I wouldn't anyway_. She thought, watching as Dean leapt down and ran towards the prostrate form of Kelly. Whatever monster had rose inside of Kelly's breast was gone, slumbering back inside the girl, and leaving Jo to wonder if she'd simply imagined it all. _Because Dean obviously isn't seeing anything strange_. She thought, more than a little jealous as the elder Winchester squeezed Kelly in a bone crushing hug, and whispered something in her ear.

"Jo?" Sam called, and Jo rattled the door of her cage.

"Here!" She yelled.

"I'm here too." Jessica sad. "Now hurry up and get me out before he comes back!"

"She's obviously not suffering to badly." Dean muttered, looking down at Kelly, his fingers tracing the purpling marks from where Holms' had attempted to strangle her.

"She's terrified." Kelly said, her voice so hoarse that her vocal chords strained to produce sound louder than a whisper. "She had to watch two monsters attack each other in a death match." She coughed, and Dean assumed that she'd been trying to laugh. "Of course one was caged and wounded… so…" Her tired eyes didn't even have the energy to widen as he pressed his rough index finger against her lips.

"Shut up." He said.

"Dean." Sam called, as he bashed in the lock holding Jessica's cell shut. "I could use your help getting everyone out."

"Yeah." Jessica said, sliding into Sam's supporting arms. "He's not going to be gone too long." She looked up and down Sam's chest. "You're hot. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Oh…for the love of…Christ…" Kelly coughed.

"Right." Dean said, setting Kelly down gently on the cold cement floor. "Don't go anywhere." He added, patting her on the head, it worried him when he drew back fingers dusted with dried blood.

"Where…" Kelly whispered, her bruised lips forming a tiny smile. "Am I gonna…run?" Dean just shook his head, as he strode across the room to Jo. She tilted her head back to watch him go, trying to force her senses to stay alert for Mudgen, in case he decided to make a stunning re-entry into the battle. _How are they going to get us all out in time?_ Kelly wondered, her head tilting to stare at Jessica. _I can't walk, and while Jessica can, she'll pretend so Sam will give her a piggyback…_ Forty-eight hours in a confined space and a life-threatening situation really helped to get to know a person. _Far more intimately than I'd have liked._

"Jo." Dean said, as he approached Jo's cell. "You alright?"

"Never better." She said. "I don't think I've ever been happier to see anyone in my life!"

"Good." Dean said, relieved she was okay. He lifted the barrel of his gun and bashed it against the lock, until the old rusted thing broke. He opened the chamber and offered her a hand.

"In fact I could kiss you." Jo said, taking his and sliding out onto her unsteady feet. She'd only been trapped for a few hours, but it already felt like a lifetime.

"Yeah…" Dean said. "Save those sentiments for later." Jo nodded, knowing that she'd take him up on that again. "Can you walk?" He asked, and she saw his eyes were already sliding back to the bloody mess on the floor, but Sam was already there, gathering Kelly up in his arms. Her head tilted to rest against the younger Winchester's shoulder, and Jo watched the pained expression on Dean's face as his brother's eyes lit up tenderly. Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah." Jo said, as they crossed the room. "Don't worry…" She trailed off, as Dean walked over to Sam, his eyes once again examining every visible injury on Kelly's body. Jo stopped in the center of the room, finishing her sentence even though no one was listening. "About it." _Great, now I'm jealous of a person who might just be mortally wounded._ Suddenly the advent of Kelly's death had the potential to brighten her day. _I am a sick and terrible person_.

"If we're done with the family reunion, can we get out of here?" Jessica asked, crossing her arms, she wobbled a bit.

"Yeah." Dean said as they headed towards the door. "Wait." He stopped, as Sam slid through the opening, Kelly in his arms, and Jessica not far behind him.

"Dean if we wait any longer Kelly might bleed to death." Jo said. "She needs to get to the hospital."

"I know." Dean said, and as Jo watched him it looked like he was in terrible pain to add. "Sammy can look out for her, we need to finish off Holms."

"How?" Jo asked. "You said his body was encased in concrete."

"I have an idea." Dean said, putting his hands on Jo's shoulders, and the simple act of physical contact made her heart soar. "But you need to be bait."

Kelly started, her head lifting up off the black leather as Sam shut the trunk. "Sorry." Sam said, coming around the side of the car. "How do you feel?"

_Like you just shocked me out of the best sleep of my life._ Kelly thought, biting her lip. _Dickweed._ "Like I got thrown out of a window, and run over by a…." She coughed. "Rampaging rhino." She finished, her brown eyes narrowing as she looked him over. She was too tired to be angry, and Sam had rescued her from the prison. "Where's Jessica?" She asked, not really caring about the answer. _She could be in a ditch…for all I care…_ Her lips curved tiredly. _Score one for compassion…_ But she could hide the fact that she detested the little blonde bimbo. _No, definitely no compassion here_.

"That's understandable." Sam said, a small smile on his features, and Kelly had to admit that he was incredibly cute when the skin around his eyes crinkled. "Considering."

"Considering." She agreed. _Soulful, that's what I'd call him, soulful._

"And, ah, Jessica…she took off." Sam said. "Thanked me for rescuing her, told me I was a little too much of a freak for her." He paused, with an air of one done a great wrong, and Kelly hacked out a giggle. "Said she'd get checked out at the hospital on her own and…" He slid a small business card out of his pocket. "Gave me her number anyway."

"Dean'll be jealous." Kelly observed. "And you're crazy for letting that hot mamma jamma get away. Those'll be his feelings anyway, I think she was a stuck up little…" She trailed off, as Sam laughed. "Where are the others anyway?"

"Dean had a plan for dealing with Holms, but he wanted me to stay up here with you." Sam stared at her intently, and Kelly dropped her gaze. "I agreed."

"Don't…want me stolen out from under your nose again, huh?" She said, needing extra breaths to finish the sentence. That was troubling. "Even though I…can't…go anywhere." She lifted one of her weak legs.

"Yeah, well, you've disappeared under worse circumstances." Sam said, as he leaned against the car. "And with Ellen arriving in a few hours, better safe than sorry."

"Somebody's in trouble." Kelly sang softly, as she shut her eyes and relaxed against the leather.

"Dean, he's in deep shi…. Trouble." Sam said, kneeling down and reaching into the car to run his fingers worriedly through Kelly's short brown hair.

"I'm an adult Sam, you can say shit." Kelly sighed; she didn't open her eyes, and didn't notice as Sam looked back at the uncovered manhole. Below shots ran out and there was a terrible scream. A man's scream.

"Scream all you want you little bitch, but you're not getting through that salt!" Jo screamed, as Dean shut the entrance behind her with a clang. She turned to Dean and said, "Let's get out of here."

Dean smiled at her. "Couldn't agree more."


	9. Chapter 9: The Queen of Hearts

AN: Please leave me some reviews!

Chapter Nine: The Queen of Hearts Puts Down the Knife

Ellen Harvelle stood in the hospital waiting room, an agitated Sam Winchester stood to her right pacing back and forth, every so often his dark brown eyes would flick to the clock on the wall and watch the hands tick, then they would shoot to the swinging double doors. Watching with envy as white coats walked freely back and forth. Ellen found that she preferred Dean's practiced patience as he flicked mindlessly through the latest edition of the Enquirer, his head jerking up only every other time the door creaked open. If the state of the young woman named Kelly Jones hadn't been so terribly bad when the Winchester boys had finally brought her in, with Ellen's own daughter Jo in tow, she might have found their anxiety amusing. Jo and Kelly were still behind those white walls, being examined by doctors, and neither of the Winchesters could claim family rights. Ellen felt that was a good thing, saved the doctors the problem of those fool boys hovering over them. Her lips pressed into an iron line, in fact the only reason she was here and not with her daughter was to keep these two from sneaking into the back to find out what was going on for themselves. _How like a man_. She thought, chewing the inside of her lip, she glanced up, seeing a white jacketed doctor heading towards them, followed closely by a police man. "How are they doctor?" She asked, as Sam walked over and Dean stood, far too quickly for her to believe he was indifferent. _Nice attempt there kid._ She thought, with a small internal smile. _But it doesn't fly with an old saw like me._

"Oh your daughter is going to be fine Mrs. Harvelle, she's just a little shaken up." The doctor looked down at his pad. "This is Officer John Clemens, and he'll be asking you a few simple questions."

Ellen looked over the tall man in blue. He had a small scar above his right temple where a bullet had nicked him during some job. He couldn't be over thirty, she decided, based on the lines around his roman nose and slanted grey eyes. From the way he wore his uniform, clean and starch pressed without a button out of place, she knew he'd be a tough cookie to fool. _Almost like they sent someone over from the homicide department in disguise. Hope those idiots have their story straight_. Especially after the injuries Kelly had sustained. _If I had to guess after seeing the girl, I'd think she was domestically abused._ In fact, Ellen was certain that one of the reasons they'd taken so long was that they were checking to make sure the girl hadn't been raped.

"You said a robber did this?" John Clemens asked, lifting his own notebook, and looking over both boys with deep suspicion.

"Yes." Sam said. "My brother and I, we were on our way to visit Kelly and Jo at their apartment…"

"Yeah…they're roommates." Dean said, rubbing his nose, as he glanced at his brother. Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean.

"And how do you know them?"

"Girlfriend." Dean said as Sam said. "From college."

Sam glanced at his brother. "I mean, I know her from college because she's my brother's girlfriend." _Really Dean?_ He thought, trying to keep the disbelief off his own face. _You're going to lie to the cops about her being your girlfriend?_ He was a little jealous. _Well, maybe he's talking about Jo. _ Looked up at John Clemens with his honest brown eyes. "Dean was really excited about meeting her, and he said she had a roommate so they planned on us all going on a double date."

"Right." Dean said. "Really excited, you won't find another girl like her officer, she's a little firecracker. Cute as a button." His lips tightened in a tense smile, he didn't like the way Clemens was looking at him. "This guy, he's been down in the dumps since his last girlfriend left him. Sulking you know, won't go to bars with me, won't go on dates. Felt he needed a pick me up, you know get back in the pond, swim with the fish."

"Thanks, Dean." Sam said, pursing his lips.

"No problem." Dean said, taking the hint.

"So, which one is your girlfriend?" John Clemens asked.

"What?" Dean paused a second too long, as Sam broke in.

"Jo Harvelle." Dean frowned at Sam, and if the police officer hadn't been standing right in front of them, he would have kicked his brother in the shins. But instead he smiled winningly.

"That's right." He said, feeling like he'd just swallowed a lemon.

"Yeah." Ellen said, as Clemens turned to her. "I'm Jo's mother." She offered a hand. "The Winchester boys are old friends of the family, we go back a long way. Knew their father, he was a good man, John Winchester." She added, as Clemens raised an eyebrow and wrote that down on his paper. "Jo talks about Dean all the time, she's really quite taken with him."

"Interesting. How long have you been dating?" Officer Clemens examined the pencil scratch marks in his notepad as he looked up at Dean.

"Umm…" Dean began, trying to look like he wasn't trying to remember, while he wracked his brain.

"A few months." Sam said, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder as he smiled at the skeptical policeman.

"Yeah, it's so good that time just flies. Feels like we just started dating." Dean said. "Like we just went on our first date this evening, you know how that goes Officer."

"I do." John Clemens laughed. "Been with my wife nearly fifteen years now, and every time I look at her I remember the first time I met her. She was beautiful then."

"That's great." Dean said, slightly strangled and smiled very tightly, as Sam looked past the doctor to see Jo Harvelle being escorted out into the waiting room. Dean felt Sam nudge him in the ribs, and he too saw Jo. "Sweetie!" He said.

Jo raised an eyebrow up at him from her wheelchair. "H-honey." She responded, looking from him to the police officer as Dean planted a brusque kiss on her forehead.

"Play along." He muttered in a low voice, while brushing a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Then he straightened. "So what's the story doctor, can Ellen and I take my sweetie bear home?" Sam nearly choked on laughter at his brother's serious expression. He knew how much it pained playboy Dean to say something like "sweetie bear".

"Well, you're going to be fine Ms. Harvelle, you were just a little shaken up, some superficial cuts, some bruises, but nothing that needs an overnight." The doctor said, as he looked from Dean to Ellen. "You can go now."

"Sorry doctor, the girl who was brought in? How's she doing?" Sam asked quickly. Dean cast a suspicious look at his brother, sticking his hands nervously into his jeans as he looked up at the doctor.

"Ah, we haven't been able to contact her family." The doctor began, as Sam whistled inside his head. _Hope Ash works fast._

"That won't be necessary doctor." Ellen said. "I was her legal guardian until she turned eighteen, her mother was my second cousin, if you check her background, you'll find a record of their deaths in the Wyoming database. After that she became my ward. Jo and I are the closest thing she's got to family."

"We're practically sisters." Jo said, picking up where her mother left off, and giving the officer a winning smile.

"Sisters dating brothers." Clemens remarked, as he wrote away on his notepad. "That's sweet." He surveyed both Winchesters.

"So how is Kelly, doctor?" Ellen asked; she lifted her eyebrows at him. The doctor jumped and looked down at his chart.

"Oh yes." He pushed his large hornrim glasses back up his nose. "She'll be fine, we were able to properly reset her shoulder, we're keeping her here for overnight observation. She sustained several small superficial injuries to her back, and a great deal of bruising around her intestines, but after an extensive checkup and an MRI, we were able to identify that while she has some internal bleeding, which worried us, but there's no damage to her major arteries. We've stitched up the cut on her cheek, and I'm afraid she'll always have a scar from that." He brought his clipboard to his chest, as he rocked back on his heels. "She'll be fine."

"Can we see her?" Dean asked, from where he knelt beside Jo. Clemens glanced at him suspiciously. "She's just so close to my Jo-jo." He said, squeezing Jo's shoulder.

"Like family." Jo said. "We'd really like to make sure that she's okay."

"Are you all done here Officer Clemens?" Ellen asked, looking at the police officer.

"Just need a brief description of what the man looked like and I can be on my way." Officer Clemens said, looking down at Jo. "And since you're here Ms. Harvelle maybe you can tell me what happened?"

"You must have gotten the basics from the doctors and my Dean-o?" Jo said.

"Officer, my daughter is very tired." Ellen said. "Perhaps we could do this in the morning. Since I'll be taking her with me to recuperate in Wyoming for a few months, she's taking a break from college."

"Just a quick description will be fine." Clemens said with a smile. "I understand how trying the situation must have been, did you see anything?"

"No, I didn't get a good picture of the killer. Kelly had ordered Chinese, even though I told her that we were going out to eat." Jo rattled off, putting her finger to her lip. "And there was a knock on the door, she was in the shower so I told her I'd get the door, she was just getting out when I answered." She put her hand to her head, remembering that the doctors had checked her for injuries there. "He hit me in the head, I'm sorry, it's a blank from there."

Clemens smiled again. "I understand, I'm sorry for interrupting." He said, and turned to go. "I'll be back to question Ms. Jones tomorrow." He told the doctor, and walked off to meet his partner, a tall dark haired man in similar dress was waiting at the entrance.

"You cleared out the apartment right?" Dean asked Sam under his breath, looking over at them. The dark haired man turned his head to stare at them, and Dean dropped his head.

"Yeah." Sam said. "No weapons, just clothes." He had gone in the Impala while the doctors had rushed Kelly to the head of the emergency line and sent her straight to the surgeons. "It looks lived in."

"Good." Dean said, knowing that their story wouldn't hold up for very long anyway. _Not if they decide to do their homework_. But He, Sam and Kelly would be gone soon, so there was nothing to worry about. "You know one of us is going to have to lie about being related to Kelly eventually." He added.

"Great that Ellen was here then." Sam said tightly. "What did you want me to do, say she was my fiancée?"

"Considering what's happened Sam, and knowing the danger she's in, do you really want to leave her in this hospital by herself all night?" Dean demanded in a low voice as Ellen continued talking to the doctor. Jo had taken one look at him, and wheeled over to her mother. Dean hoped that they were making a case for all of them to be able to see her.

"I don't see a problem Dean." Sam said. "The threat's gone; Holms is trapped."

Dean took a deep breath. "There as sulfur in the street after she disappeared Sammy, sulfur."

"Demons?" Sam asked, suddenly concerned.

"I don't know." Dean said. "But it's worth checking out."

Kelly Jones shifted in her bed, as the nurse finished with her final check up. She was very happy when the woman had finally removed the stethoscope from her chest. "Looks like your going to be just fine Ms. Jones." The orderly said as she walked out. Kelly nodded, not happy with them wanting her to stay overnight. _I could say no, why didn't I say no?_ It was true that she hurt all over, but she'd rather be spending time with the Winchester's instead of in this stink hole. Eyes open she stared up at the ceiling, she'd slept a lot earlier that day, and it was one of the reasons they had taken so long to examine her. _I just passed out_. She sighed, the wind blew through the curtains of her empty room and she stiffened, her eyes flicking around the walls looking for any signs of life. _I'm so jumpy._ "I really am hurting in a bad way." She muttered, gripping her covers. Her head fell sideways against her pillow, and she stared out the door, watching the people pass by. The light overhead flickered for a few moments.

"Waiting for lover boy?" Kelly rolled over, to see a pair of yellow eyes staring back at her from the shadows. Outside, the moon had risen above the sleeping city, and the stars peeked out from beneath the ebony black sky. She could hear the sounds of the city, it was slowing to a standstill, but it never completely stopped. "He won't be coming you know." He said, walking out from the gloom.

"You." She sighed, flopping back onto her pillows, too tired to really care.

"Yes, me." The yellow-eyed man raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. Kelly bit back a giggle, even though he was terrifying, he looked like a disappointed rooster. "What have I done to deserve so much indifference, is a gasp of fear beyond you?"

"What do you want?" Kelly asked from her bed, her heartbeat rising rapidly, like it did the last time he was around. "Or are you here to give me more cryptic hints about the nature of my true self?"

"A wince? A scream?" He asked. Kelly raised an eyebrow in return. "See, that's what I like about you Kelly, stubbornness. Stubbornness is a key to victory, not all the keys of course or victories, but you're certainly getting there." He smirked. "Go team."

"Are you just here to prattle?" Kelly asked, her gut twisting, as she glanced to the door again. The yellow-eyed man followed her gaze, and he smirked.

"Cavalry won't be coming I'm afraid, Kelly dear." He said. "You see it's after visiting hours, and after that little story your boy told, well." He stared into her eyes. "Let's just say he's not in a position to come storming down those thick white doors."

"What happened?"

"Ah, see, now I've got your attention." He said, perching on the foot of her bed. "I'll tell you about the boy, but to get to that story, you," He pointed at her. "Have to listen to me." She nodded slowly, knowing that she shouldn't trust him. But failing to see any other option. _If what he said is true. _ And she wasn't sure about that. But she wasn't so hardheaded, that she could refuse her own curiosity. "Yes? No?"

"Yes." Kelly said.

"Good, now while I don't want this getting back to old Deano, I'm sure you'll know better." The yellow-eyed man lifted his hand like a gun and pointed it at her chest. "One tiny mentioning of this and bam, silver bullet straight through your heart."

"And that'll kill me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. _So that makes me… a vampire? A werewolf? What other things does silver kill?_ She knew that Sam and Dean had a journal, she'd have to look in that.

"No." The yellow-eyed man said. "But it'll hurt like hell."

So, silver was out. "You said…."

"I said I wouldn't want that." The yellow-eyed man said. "I never mentioned anything about it shooting you dead."

"So you're saying Holms couldn't kill me?" Kelly said, frowning. "I'm impervious?"

"Oh no, he would have killed you." The yellow-eyed man spread his hands. "I could kill you. Silver can't, but it's the first thing ole' Dean will try." He smiled. "Because it's the first thing his daddy would. But!" He said, raising his hands up high, and looking at her with a mocking grin. "Then he'd know that you aren't human, and we'd have a problem. He'd find some way to kill you, and I really can't have that. You see Kelly, I need you to be a surprise." He said. "The surprise of my big finish." He sighed. "You deserve to know the truth about me, and it's that the reason why I'm here. You see I will be busy for the next few months, and I won't have time for these lovely chats."

"Preparing?" Kelly said, lifting her head off the pillows, and feigning disinterest.

"Smart cookie, maybe I'll give you a treat." He said, with a knowing smile. "And you did well against that Holms character, you're progressing nicely, far more quickly than most of your siblings ever did. It makes me all tingly inside."

"So you're here because you want to praise me?" Kelly asked, suddenly feeling a bit more confused. _Why isn't anyone coming past the door?_ She wondered, trying to pluck up the courage to look again. Her heart was in her throat.

"No, I'm here to warn you." He said, widening his smile. "There are problems on your horizon, ones you can't possibly dream of, and I need you ready. Sharpening your skills for the long road ahead. Like Sammy boy." The man paused. "You know, he's quite taken with you, and if you're lucky he'll be the one you, well, I'm getting ahead of myself." Kelly stared at him, wondering when he'd get to the point, she couldn't really tell whether or not he was telling the truth, and she was almost ready to go back to sleep. _Especially if he's not going to harm me, yet._ That gave her time to figure him out. _Unless he's counting on the fact that I'll tell the Winchesters…_ Maybe he was. So he'd get whatever it was he wanted from her. "Now, time is short and I believe I promised you a story, oh that's right, your boy told the darn sheriff that he's dating blondie, so that's why he won't be coming, at least not quickly. She likes him too, you should give your attentions to Sammy, you really should." He smirked. "Less heartbreak in the end for you."

Kelly swallowed, not sure whether she believed him or not. _I really need to tell Dean about this. _ She thought her mind on his previous answer, especially if silver couldn't hurt her. "What hurts me?" She asked.

"Oh lots of things." He said. "But I wouldn't worry about that."

"Why not?"

"You're a tricksie one aren't you?" He laughed. "Think you'll get me to reveal something crucial." Then in a blink of an eye he was nose to nose with her, and she shrank back. "That's right, puppy dog. You will do exactly what I want, when I want, and you'll tell no one about our secret meetings. Otherwise I'll take your boyo by his insides, stretch him out, and hang him off a tree for the crows. Because I don't need him, he's not a threat to me without that gun of his, and he's only got one shot anyway. What are the chances he'll miss." The yellow-eyed man leaned even closer, took her by the shoulder and shook her. "Now, you need to wake up."

"What?" Kelly asked, starting, she opened her eyes an empty room, the wind blew softly through the curtains and she sat up. There was a hand on her shoulder, and she found herself looking up into Dean's serious blue eyes.

"Wake up?" He asked, a tiny smile curving the corners of his mouth.

"Dean!" She slid off the bed, and flung her arms around his neck. She pulled herself tightly to him. "Thank god!" Dean raised an eyebrow as his arms closed around her, and held her against him, breathing in her scent. Though he wasn't quite sure what he was doing. _What are you doing?_ He asked, as his hands moved up her back to her hair. Someone had washed the blood out of it, he realized as it slid silkily through his fingers. He closed his eyes. "Thanks." She whispered, into his chest.

"For what?" He asked, and Kelly sank back, letting him go. Dean examined her small oval face with her eyes, there was a small white patch covering her cheek, and small band aids along her arms hiding the cuts from scar creating air. She looked a little pale, but otherwise well.

"For…" She trailed off, staring up at him. Memory of what the yellow-eyed man had said. "Saving me from Mudgen."

"Holms?" He asked, wondering how she'd discovered the ghost's real name. It was something he'd eventually have to check into. He raised his eyebrow again. "You were having a nightmare."

"That's it." She said, punching his shoulder lightly. "Thanks for waking me up."

"Lie down." Dean said, pointing at the bed, and trying to reason out why she was acting so strangely. _Since when has Kelly ever…_ That wasn't true, she'd kissed him on the cheek two days before. _Okay, so maybe this isn't out of the blue. _ It was still strange, and he wasn't sure he liked it.

"Okay." She said, getting back onto the bed. He turned. "Dean."

"Yeah."

"Don't leave me." She said in a small voice, the idea that she'd meet the yellow-eyed man in her dreams terrified her, even more than reliving what had happened. But she was tired of pretending to be brave. _I don't want to meet him ever again_. She thought, squeezing her eyes shut. Then she looked back up at Dean. "I mean, would you stay?" At the confusion in his eyes, she clarified. "Here? I don't want to be…alone."

"That's a first for you." He said, turning around and looking at her again. The crown of her hair fell messily around her face, not beautifully at all. "Wanting me around." He coughed as she nodded. There were heavy bags beneath her wide eyes, and he knew that if this moment had been a movie the moonlight would cast a soft glow across her face to make her appear otherworldly. _Well she is_. He thought, looking at her and the small cut across her lower lip, and the long purple finger marks that traced themselves around her throat. His esophagus tightened. She didn't though, she looked normal, tired, and a little broken. Who'd ever believe she fell out of the sky and into his lap. _Why isn't she asking for Sam?_ He wondered. Was it just that he was here? Or was it because of something more than that? He shook his head, those were stupid questions that had no place in the situation. "Okay." He said, setting his coat on the chair. The uncomfortable one left in every corner of a hospital bedroom. "Here's to the world's greatest torture device." He said, lifting his hand to her, and knowing that he should leave. After the doctor had refused to let them see her, hours ago, Jo, Ellen, Sam, and Dean had all taken the Impala back to a motel near the airport. He'd tried to go to sleep, but guilt kept him awake, so Dean had snuck back out at eleven, taken the car, and come back. _I'd needed to know that she was all right_. The words from the doctor themselves had no real meaning, unless he could confirm them with his own eyes. "You're lucky." He said, flopping down into it, and glancing back up at her. "Hospital beds are the most comfortable ones around."

"No." Kelly said, flushing a little and feeling very cowardly. "Could you stay here, up here… with me?" She patted the bed, and Dean gazed at her in disbelief.

"Kelly, you're mildy…" He paused. "Attractive and while it would get you off my case and on with your life, in your condition, now isn't the best time for—" A thrown pillow struck him square in the face, cutting him off mid-sentence, and as it fell to the floor Dean was stunned, wondering what the world had come to when he was saying no to sex. "That."

"Who'd want to sleep with you?" Kelly asked, her brow furrowed, as she fell back onto her pillows, her body aching from sudden movement. She glanced at him. "Well, actually, who hasn't?" She laughed, wondering what she'd been thinking asking him to stay with her. _He'll just make fun of me, or some sexual joke out of it_. Dean winced, knowing he'd deserved that. "But…" She sighed, terror and fear flickering in her expression as she shut her eyes. _No, I won't admit I'm frightened, not to Dean_. It seemed childish to say that she'd been having nightmares. _And admitting it aloud will just make it more real_. She thought.

Dean paused for a moment, realizing that he'd missed something crucial. _I'm not the deep thinker. _ He thought, wondering again why she wanted him to comfort her. _Sammy's better at this type of thing_. But having experienced what she'd seen, if not something close to what she'd felt, as a child he remembered the nightmares following hunts with his father. Now they seemed so far away. _She's scared of the dark_. He should be saying, your tough, you'll get over it, hand her his colt to stick under her pillow and walk out the door. But somehow, he couldn't. _I've left her alone too many times before._ And something bad always happened. "Alright." He said. _How long has it been since I spent the night in a woman's bed?_ He wondered, as he walked over to her. _Not since Cassie_. And he knew how well that one had turned out. _If that police officer finds us, we'll be in hot water_. But somehow, right now, that didn't seem to matter. "Scoot over." He said, still trying to be gruff.

"You will?" She asked, sitting up, and gazing at him. She looked so happy.

_So happy to just have my lie in her bed, what the hell is she?_ "Just for tonight." He said, sitting down as she slid to the right. Putting his boots up on the covers, he leaned over; it surprised him when she snuggled into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "You grow up tomorrow."

"Okay." She murmured, her eyes closed. Dean smiled down at her, as his arms closed around her, and her head rested nestled against his shoulder. "Thank you, Dean."

He laughed a little. "Yeah? For what now you little rat?" He was actually rather curious about what she was thanking him for now. _Kelly's acting strangely tonight._ She hadn't been this frightened in the sewers. _But then she was too tired to be frightened._ Instead she was cracking jokes.

"Keeping me safe." She whispered, pressed against his side. "Checking on me, even though you must find me unbearably annoying, and…"

"Letting you eat the last cream puff?" Dean asked. Kelly looked up at him, her nose wrinkling in indignation.

"I'm being serious here!" She exclaimed, hitting his chest.

"So am I." Dean said, with a wry smile as he brushed the patch covering her cheek. _She'll have a scar._ The doctors had said, a scar. A scar that was his fault, marked his failure. How many more would she receive on the road with them? _Maybe Sam's right._ He sighed. _Maybe she shouldn't…_ He'd wanted to send her away, back to Ellen, he'd been angry, and that was why he'd left her alone. _If…_ No, that wouldn't do him any good, not now. _I'm the one who should be thanking her._

"Cream puffs?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He smiled.

"Right."

"The great Dean Winchester." She said, relaxing back. She rested her head on her pillow as she stared up at him. There was no room on the twin-sized bed, so their legs remained intertwined. Dean realized that throughout the night some part of their bodies would always be touching. _Crap._ "Likes cream puffs." She grinned. "I'll have to remember that." Her eyes flicked up his face, and the troublesome cat-like expression that he enjoyed so much returned. "So do you share pie?" She asked.

"Never pie." He said, pressing his lips together. _She didn't mean for that to be dirty._ Or did she?

"That's a shame." She shrugged, rolling onto her side. "I'm a fan of pie." _Oh dear Jesus Christ in heaven._ Dean thought, as her leg pressed against his. She was wearing a hospital gown, with nothing but a bra and some flimsy underwear, and it would be so easy to just… No, this was Kelly. _And she's not a woman_. She was barely more than a girl, and he could not take anything that came out of her mouth in a sexual way. _Screw that, I'm a man._ This little slip of a girl was not teasing him. But she leaned in close, until they were nearly a fingers width apart and he could feel her breath rushing against his lips. "A big fan of American pie." She whispered her finger tracing its way up the center of his chest. "Aren't you?" She paused, her fingertips slithering down towards his waist. "Are you a man Dean Winchester?" Dean felt his jaw drop wide open, his hands reach for her, and he paused for a second, stunned. Then she grinned. "Gotcha." She laughed, falling back, and glancing down at his pants. Again, she raised an eyebrow.

"Bitch." He said. _I am never questioning your womanhood_. He had a feeling there was a certain side of Kelly hiding, and while he was now curious to see where it lead… Now was not the time.

"Sam was right." She chuckled, putting her arms behind her head and staring up at the ceiling. "You are easy." Dean growled, and felt like grabbing her, just to show her how hard he was. But it wouldn't him any good, so he relaxed uncomfortably into the scratchy bedsheets.

_The hell is wrong with me?_ "I could take you right now." He told her.

"I'm quaking in your boots." She said, with a tiny smile, as Dean stared down at her, mild fury trying to fight it's way through amusement. "But you're not the kind of guy to do that, Dean." She smirked. "And even if you did, I'd tell Sammy on you." Now, she looked like a cat that had made off with an entire bowel of cream, and Dean couldn't deny that it was the truth. _I really can't do anything to her_. Oh, but at this moment he wanted to, just to prove her wrong, and take back that crack about him being easy. "I don't want to see Sam mad at… anyone really…" She examined his face with her brown eyes. "He's scary when mad."

_Yes…_ He thought. _And he's fond of you too._ "Let's keep this between us." Dean said.

"Good." She said, snuggling back against him. "Tell him I'm having nightmares, and…" She trailed off, closing her eyes.

"And?" Dean asked.

"I'd never sleep alone again."

"You're already never sleeping alone again." Dean informed her.

"Oh after this, you'll be in the easy chair." She said, pressing her finger against his chest. "Deano."

Dean frowned, and he leaned in to tickle her ear with his breath as he whispered. "So Sam will always be in the bed?"

"You're dating Jo." She said primly, rolling over, and Dean was left in the dark wondering what the hell she meant by that. _And how does she know that?_

"Really?" He asked. "What's your source on that?" He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for her to come to him. He listened to her bite her lip. She chewed on it quietly for a few moments, then she slowly rolled back over to stare deeply into his blue eyes.

"Are you?" She asked, suddenly serious.

"Do you like Sam?" He asked in return, a little pleased that she was pressing the question. She sighed loudly.

"You're impossible." She snapped, flopping back into the covers. "I'm going to bed." She muttered, closing her eyes. After a long silence when she didn't say anything, and there was nothing but her soft breathing to comfort him, Dean rolled his head over to glance at her. Reaching into his back pocket to the small knife he'd smuggled into hospital, past security and the metal detector. He flipped it open, and stared at the clock, it was just past one; he couldn't help but sigh.

"Truth?" He asked quietly, kicking himself for not letting her sleep. She opened her eyes, and looked at him solemnly. "It was some crack story we told the police officer."

"So he wouldn't think you were the one who robbed me?" She asked, softly, slipping closer again. Dean pulled her close to him, and she nestled back into his shoulder. "Wait." She said.

"Are you going to come clean about Sammy?" He asked, looking down at her. His usual smirk on his lips, she frowned at him.

"You're a nimrod." She told him. "What are you doing here?"

Dean's eyebrows rose. "You were the one who asked me to stay."

"That was before I knew you lied to a police officer!" She hissed, pulling him down as a nurse passed by. "What is going to happen to your story when he comes back tomorrow and finds you here?"

"He'll think I'm cheating on my girlfriend with her best friend." Dean replied. "But since nothing happened, I'm sure Jo won't want to break up. Does that make you sad? You were the one who tricked me into your bed."

"You are impossible." She said, falling back against her pillows and letting loose a loud yawn. "So? May I sleep now?" Her head moved in closer to his chest, and he smiled wryly. Wondering for a moment if his brother would ever share this kind of moment with her. If they continued on the road together, it was possible. _But I just find her interesting, not attractive._ So what did it matter anyway?

"Why not?" He asked, as she curled up against him.

"Good." She murmured sleepily. "I…need to restore…" She yawned one more time, like a huge cat, mumbled something about sleep, and then she was gone. Dean chuckled. _I wonder how she does that so easily._ He thought, with a smile, as he rested his chin on her head. Her hair tickled his nostrils and he fought a sneeze as he closed his eyes. Completely unaware that the worst news possible was going to be given to him the next morning, he slept, a peaceful dreamless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10: The King of Diamonds

AN: What do you think? The story is just beginning, enjoy the ride!

Chapter Ten: The King of Diamonds Offers Up the Hatchet

The next morning Bobby Singer walked in to find Dean Winchester passed out on a hospital bed, his arms enclosed around a girl with dark brown hair. From the look of things, they'd spent the entire night together, a feat that Bobby was not surprised Dean had been able to accomplish. It fit in nicely with his con-artist, law breaking self. What did surprise Bobby Singer however, was the fact that both Dean Winchester and his female counterpart were completely clothed. If hospital gowns counted as clothing. The girl he assumed was Kelly Jones, and Ellen had told him all about her. But apparently not _all_ there was to know. "Jesus bloody Christ in hell!" Bobby exclaimed, and Dean rolled off the bed, completely surprised.

"Ugh." He groaned. "Where…"

"CHEESE!" Kelly cried out, bolting into a sitting position, Bobby looked down as her gown flapped, the ties in the back having come undone during her sleep, or possibly by someone's overeager hands. Who was to say when it came to Dean? She blinked, groggily looking at him and then at the clock, then back at him. "Who are you?" She asked.

Dean was also getting off the ground, well, stumbling more like. "Bobby?" He asked, looking up at the older man.

"Miss." Bobby said, looking down. "If you wouldn't mind…" He pointed at her gown, which was now flapping loosely in front of her chest. Out of the corner of his eye, Bobby watched Dean's eyes rise to the girl, going over every visible curve of her black bra, when he should have been staring at the floor. Bobby did him a favor and whacked him over the head.

"Oh…" Kelly said slowly, looking down at herself. A horrified flush rose to her cheeks and she whirled around, her fingers slipping around the ties, and at the same time giving both Bobby and Dean a full view of her backside. Dean snorted and Bobby whacked him again.

"How'd you get here Bobby?" Dean asked rubbing the back of his head.

"Flew in this morning." Bobby said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Dean. _What have you been up to boy?_

"Bobby?" Sam asked from the door as he walked into the room. "Did you find him?" His eyebrow rose as stared at Kelly's back, from the black bra loosely clipped closed. There were a few long red marks trailing across her back, and as his eyes slipped down to take in the curve of her but and her legs, he too received a quick whack on the head. And he quickly turned around, rocking on his heels until Bobby or Kelly informed him that it was once again safe to look.

"Didn't your father teach you boys nothin'?" Bobby asked, as he slid a long manila envelope from beneath his jacket.

"I brought Kelly a change of clothes." He said, shaking the bundle he held in his hands.

"Give it here." Bobby said. "Now get out." Dean looked up. "You too Dean." Bobby said tiredly. "A lady deserves some privacy, and she and I have some business to discuss." He said, giving Dean a quick kick to his backside as he too headed out the door. Kelly turned around as they did so. A hot blush had suffused her cheeks.

"So?" She asked. "You said you had business?"

"Yeah." Bobby said, sticking his hands into his pockets. "You're coming with me."

"You were here." Sam demanded, as they walked down the hallway. Dean sighed. "The whole time? Did you know how worried we were Dean? Waking up to find both you and the Impala gone?" He stopped and whirled around jabbing his brother in the chest. "You couldn't have even left a note?"

"Well, I didn't expect to be gone long Sam." Dean said, completely taken aback by his brother's overt anger. "I was just going to check on her, and come back."

"And what? Dean, what? You just couldn't help yourself?" Sam demanded. "You just had to sleep with her?"

"If I had sex with her, she'd be gone Sammy." Dean snapped. "You and I both know that. So, yeah, I slept with her, but I didn't _sleep_ with her."

"Oh." Sam said, putting his hands in his jeans. "Fine then. Ellen wants to talk to us." Dean glanced at his brother, he'd been expecting Ellen to rip him a new one last night, but she hadn't.

_I should have seen it coming._ He thought as they headed for the waiting room. "Why is Bobby here?" He asked suddenly, looking at his brother in confusion. "Did you call him?"

"Ellen did." Sam said. "Apparently, she's decided to take the matter of Kelly's fate into her own hands." He sighed. "She said that Kelly's got a choice, she can either get training from Bobby or from us. She's betting on Bobby."

"She'll choose us." Dean said, far more confidently than he felt.

"What makes you so sure?" Sam asked raising an eyebrow. "She got kidnapped by a ghost with us, tossed out a window, and he stabbed his hand into her gut." He walked beside his brother, looking around for Ellen. The hardened woman stood with Jo in the corner, her arms crossed across her flannel-covered chest. Sam shivered a little, he didn't like where those eyes were leading.

"Dude, we're the only ones who can get her home." Dean replied. "Now let's see what reasoning Ellen's gonna dish out." He walked confidently towards Ellen and Jo. Sam followed shaking his head.

"Sounded good when she explained it to me." _Especially since we'll be getting her back once the training's done._ Well, if she wanted to come with them.

"Here." Bobby tossed Kelly a thick manila envelope. "A gift from Ash." Kelly nodded as she opened it. "Sam requested it for you, it's got a drivers liscence, a passport and a birth certificate for the State of Wyoming. Plus he fabricated your entire background from the age of three." Kelly pulled them out, looking at her pictures, and documentation.

"Wow." Kelly muttered. "He even made death certificates for my parents." In this reality, she was apparently an only child. "So." She looked down at her body, glad that Bobby had let her dress herself for checkout. The doctors had already cleared her the night before, and all she needed to do was sign out. "You said something about me coming with you?"

"Yeah." Bobby said. "From what Ellen's been tellin' me about you and what she's gathered from the Winchesters and her daughter, you my girl, need a teacher and a damn good 'un, if your goin' to survive many more hunts."

"And you prefer that I do?" Kelly asked.

"Doesn't matter a whit to me either way." Bobby said, rubbing the back of his head. "But there's a plane ticket back to Sioux Falls, South Dakota if you decide to come." He turned and began to walk out, at his slow pace. "Might save yer life though." He added over his shoulder, leaving Kelly to stare down at the plane ticket in her hand.

"But I can't." She muttered. "I really can't, if I go with Bobby…" Then she'd never get home. _I need you on the road, honing your skills_. Kelly closed her eyes. _If I go with Bobby I might get the chance to discover some answers_. And she wouldn't be putting Sam and Dean in danger while she learned the ropes, but… She sighed, and followed Bobby out the door. There was last night to think about too. _Maybe if I talk to Dean…_ Or Sam. Maybe one of them could help her get clarity on the situation. She ran quickly to catch up with Bobby.

"Get it." Ellen said, jamming her finger into Dean Winchester's stubborn breast. "That girl needs training, and she don't need the pair of you coddling her along the way." She lifted her finger and jabbed Dean again. "Now if you want her to turn into a worthwhile hunter, you'll send her with Bobby."

"We can protect her." Dean replied, the memory of the previous night still fresh in his mind, but counter balancing it was reality, and the truth of the matter was that Kelly needed training, and he wasn't sure if he was the one who really could give it to her. _It's true that she'd learn a lot from Bobby._ But… Three months was a damn long time. _Can I really stand that?_ Of course he could, who was he kidding, he was Dean Winchester he could handle anything or anyone. And this thing with Kelly? Well it was only a moment. The night before had been great, probably the best sleep of his life, but what did that mean? _That Kelly is a comfy pillow_. Oh and she'd teased him about his manhood. _And well…_ No one teased him, not if he couldn't tease them in return.

"I'm talking about the girl's best interest here, Dean." Ellen said, exasperated beyond reason with Dean Winchester's stubborn refusal of the facts. "Are you seriously willing to risk her life? Do you need her around that much?"

"No." Dean replied.

"Good so there's no problem." Ellen said.

"Hell yes there is a problem." Dean snapped.

"Dean." Sam said, patiently putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "She's got a point."

"No she doesn't."

"I'm talking about making Kelly into a real hunter. Someone who could be useful to you on the road, and you're going to shoot that idea down without even thinking about it…" Ellen trailed off outraged. "You're just like your father! Stubborn to a point. I hope that girl has more sense than you."

"You told Kelly about this?" Dean demanded, suddenly feeling angry for no reason he could really comprehend.

"Girl's got the right to make her own decisions Dean. She's an adult." Ellen replied. "But if you're too boneheaded to even."

"I'm going to talk to her." Dean snapped, turning heel and stomping back across the waiting room, back the way he'd come. Sam sighed loudly, as Jo ran to catch up with him.

"It was a nice try Ellen." He said, noticing that Officer Clemens was entering the building. "But it's hard to get anything to sink into my brother's skull."

"Maybe Kelly can get the point across." Ellen sighed. "Is that too much to hope you think?" She asked, following his gaze. "Great, just what we need." She sighed. "I'll head him off. You catch Dean, Kelly needs someone with a level head. Someone who's thinking about _her_ best interest, okay honey?"

"I can do that." Sam swallowed.

"Good, see that you do." Ellen said as she strode off.

Jo ran to catch Dean, taking him by the elbow, she smiled up at him. His hair was tousled a little from sleep, and there were rings beneath his eyes. She resisted the urge to reach up and run her fingers along the five o'clock shadow sprouting out of his jaw. He looked so rugged, even in the clothes he'd wore the day before. _Hot. _ She thought staring up into his gray blue eyes. "Hey." She said, and Dean stopped, he looked back at her.

"Yeah?" Dean asked as he looked down at her. "I'm in a bit of a hurry Jo."

"I know." Jo said. _This is probably useless, pointless, but…_ She had to get in the game sometime, even if he rejected her completely that didn't mean that she needed to stop trying. _And I've never really started except for a brief flirtation_. She wasn't sure of where Dean had spent the night the day before, but it was clear he probably hadn't been alone. _I have to try._ "There was something that I forgot to give you." She said, suddenly coy, as she reached up to run her fingers down his cheek.

"Right?" Dean said, starting to brush her off. "What was that again?"

"This." Jo said, dragging his head down to hers, and planting her mouth firmly on his.

Kelly turned the corner behind Bobby, and found herself staring at Jo busily kissing Dean on the mouth. Her eyebrows rose, nearly into her hairline, as her mouth opened into a small "o". Hurt, betrayal, all these feelings tightened her throat as her eyes welled up with hot tears, but she was determined to be strong. At least in front of Dean. _Damn it_. She thought, watching Dean's tongue enter Jo's mouth, and as Jo's hand tightened around the back of Dean's neck. _Damn. _ Any thought that Dean might actually miss her if she was gone, immediately flew from her mind. But she wasn't about to let Dean Winchester see that she was crushed. She glanced at Bobby, tucking the manila folder under her arm. He shrugged.

"Dean bein' Dean I guess." He said, she nodded silently. Blinking a little, she hadn't known her answer to Bobby's proposal yet, but now she did. Her throat tightened, and her fingers rose to the purpled marks against her flesh. "Don't take it too hard." He added at her expression.

"Bobby Singer." She smiled, wiping her eyes, and turning to him. "I believe I have your answer." At the sound of Kelly's voice Dean managed to disengage himself from Jo's mouth. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the kiss, it was just, well. _I…_ He'd spent the night with Kelly, and even though they were just friends, he was certain that they were just friends. But… "I'd love to." She said, staring at him with hard brown eyes. Then she looked at Bobby and held out a hand. "Here's to a prosperous partnership." She smiled, that beautiful cat-like one she always wore when heading for trouble or possibly cruelty. He knew her well enough by now to read that.

"Kelly." He began, but she held up a hand as she passed him and Jo. She paused, for a moment in front of him, looked him up and down.

"No." She said, shaking her head. "Just…no." Then she kept walking down the hallway, turned a corner, heading for the exit.

"Shit." Dean muttered, starting to run after her, but Bobby caught him by the arm. "Hey!" He shouted, turning around to stare at Bobby. "I have to go after her, Bobby, I have to explain…"

"Explain what?" Bobby asked. "How you were kissin' one decent gal less than ten minutes after sleepin' with the last? That girl's not interested in your explanations boy, and frankly I wouldn't be either. So stay here and shut your trap. She's made her decision." Dean frowned, yanking his arm away from Bobby and stomping down the hall. "Aw hell." Bobby sighed, following him. Glancing across the waiting room, where Office John Clemens was watching them with quiet interest. "You kissed him cause of that?" He asked Jo, indicating the man across the way.

"Well, that's not wholly the reason why…" She trailed off.

"Great." Bobby sighed. "You know that idiot's fallin' head over heels for that girl right?"

"Things change." She said softly, as she walked beside him. "And I didn't know that he'd…"

"Spent the night here?" Bobby asked. "Well, I ought to be thanking you, anyhow. If it wasn't for that kiss, the girl might never have done the sensible thing. If what your momma told me is true, then she'll need a bit more training to stand against what's coming after her."

"Momma called you?" Jo asked, she remembered her mother ripping a new one into Dean and Sam, but she hadn't known that Ellen Harvelle had taken it upon herself to change the situation. "Why?"

"Because the first Dean Winchester takes a crack at teachin', the gal ends up in the hospital, surviving injuries that should have killed, or at least seriously debilitated any normal human being." Bobby, shrugged as they rounded the corner. "That's why."

Kelly stalked down the hall, and almost didn't notice Sam until he caught her arm. "Hey?" He asked, putting a hand on her arm, and leaning down to peer into her face. "What's wrong? What happened?" Using his thumb he brushed away the hot tears streaking her cheeks. Kelly looked up into his soulful brown eyes, and she lifted a hand and ran it along his cheek.

"I'm taking Bobby up on his offer." She said, her voice soft. "And I think you're the only person who might miss me."

Sam swallowed. "That's not true." He said. "Dean will miss you." Kelly laughed, and it was a hard laugh, like he'd just said some ironic joke.

"Oh, I think Dean will miss me less than you think, Sam." She said, her hand dropping to his chest as she leaned against him. "I saw him kissing Jo in the hallway." She confessed, her throat tightened, and for the first time Sam got a good look at the purpled finger marks on her neck. He reached out and touched them, but when she flinched away, he stopped.

"Sorry." He said, putting his arms around her and pulling her against him. _Didn't Dean just spend the night with her? What's he thinking?_

"There's nothing to be sorry about." She whispered. "We're just friends, Dean and I. I was just silly to think…" She trailed off and looked up at him. "Call me won't you? While I'm with Bobby?"

"Sure." He said, pulling her against him again. Kelly liked the feeling of being against Sam's body. He felt warm and safe. _Pick Sammy…_ Yellow-Eyes' voice echoed through her thoughts. "Everyday."

She looked up at him a quizzical quirk in her brow, and she tapped him on the forehead. "Not quite that often chief." She said. "Give me your phone number." She said, fishing a hospital napkin out of her pocket.

"Bobby's got it." Sam said. "Don't worry." He patted her on the shoulder, looking up to see Dean staring at them.

"Then I'll talk to you later Sam Winchester." Kelly grinned up at him, wiping away her tears. "But I've got to get going, got a flight to catch." She glanced over her shoulder to see Dean standing there. _Great, now he's gotten the wrong idea._ "Let the battle begin." She muttered, as Dean walked towards her. "I'm going." She told him, as she stepped away from Sam. "You can't stop me." She added as he kept advancing, there was something dark in his eyes. A man with intent, and it was a face she wasn't used to seeing on the visage of Dean Winchester.

"Don't plan to." Dean said casually, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. But after watching her walk away from him this time, he'd come to a conclusion. _Sorry, kid._ He thought, as he grabbed her shoulder. _But I just can't seem to let you go_. "Just need to make something clear to you." His hand slid up behind her neck as she stared at him. "And you." He added glancing at Sammy. Then he pulled Kelly's mouth to his in a lip-bruising kiss.


	11. Chapter 11: The Ace of Spades

AN: Leave me reviews, you get more story.

Chapter Eleven: The Ace of Spades Picks Up the Pistol

Gary, Indiana

Two Months Later,

"I'm fine." She said, holding the phone to her ear. "No, really, Bobby's taking care of me." She laughed, as she leaned against the back of a rusted car, staring up at the night sky and the stars glittering overhead. "I just hadn't heard from you for almost three weeks and I was getting worried." She smiled as she listened to his voice, pulling a knife out of a sheath hidden inside her right boot; she began twirling it between her fingers "Oh, demon virus you say?" She sighed, as he continued to talk. "He did? Really? Well, that was idiotic of him." She shook her head, watching Bobby Singer descend the stairs of an old rundown apartment building. The stairs shaking sawdust as his booted feet clomped down them. Kelly wondered if she'd ever be around anyone who escaped the need for flannel. _Dean or Bobby it' lumberjacks all around_. Though... She looked down at her own baggy jeans jacket over a blue button down shirt, and dark wash jean pants. At the bottom light brown leather boots. _Cowboy is becoming a catch phrase for me too_. Now, no one would ever believe she wasn't bred and born a Wyoming country girl. "Hey I've got to go." She said. "Bobby's got a lead." She sighed loudly at the next thing he said. "Yes, I'm on a hunt. I've been doing field work for the past two weeks. You'd have known that if you'd bothered to check in." She laughed. "Well, you'll be getting me back in a month."

"Still talkin'?" Bobby asked as he approached. "Good thing I convinced ya to get a cell plan, stops you from wasting my minutes on useless conversations. You roamin' again?"

"No." Kelly rolled her eyes, putting her hand over the speaker. "They're just one state over Bobby." Then she lifted her hand and said. "You can live without me for four more weeks Sam." She listened to him, with a frown. "Hey, next time put Dean on the line, won't you?" Memory of the kiss flooded her, the feeling of his tongue on hers, the heat of his mouth and his body pressed against her, the sweet flavor of his breath as it flowed into her mouth. Filling her. Then she'd pushed him away, even though she was left longing for more. _I couldn't do that in front of Sam_. So she'd done the only thing she could think of. And apparently he was still holding it against her. Two months later. _Does that man know how to hold a grudge or what?_ She wondered, listening to Sam.

"Done yet?" Bobby asked, his amusement masked by impatience. Kelly glanced up at her crusty old teacher, a warm feeling of contentment flowing through her. Even though the agreed time period for her training was almost over, Kelly knew that Bobby Singer still believed she had a long way to go. But they both agreed on her practical skills with firearms and martial arts training, she knew how to clean and prepare them, had studied Latin intensely, and Bobby had prepared her with field knowledge on ghost weaknesses. _All I need now is experience_. And Bobby was determined to get her some of that before he turned her back over to the Winchesters.

"You got a lead?" She asked, as Sam hung up the phone. She tucked it safely into her pocket.

"Yeah." Bobby said, pulling out their case file. "Seems you were right about that old house on Fourth Street." He flipped through a few newspaper clippings that dated back fifty years. "There's a pattern here that we've been missing, it seems that every week running up to July 15th there are a rash of disappearances."

"Young couples." Kelly said peering over his shoulder. "And a random bystander?"

"Right, looks to me like it always involves three people. Two men and one woman." Bobby said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "One boy and girl are already missing."

"Tom Caldwell and Eloise Midgen." Kelly said, looking through the file. "They were recent graduates from the local high school, the police closed the case saying they've eloped. But the last anyone saw of them was in front of the Blake House." She sighed as Bobby tossed her the keys. She ran her fingers along the cold steel of the car's outer interior, glad to finally be out of Sioux Falls and doing something. "So you can't enter the house." Kelly unlocked the passenger door and slid inside the brown leather interior. She flipped through the case file again, trying to look for any hints about there being problems with secondary women. There weren't any. "But I can."

"Look, you're pretty green, this isn't the sort of thing you should be handling alone." Bobby said, as he started the engine. He changed gears and shifted the car into reverse, and they backed out of the Midgens driveway. Kelly pulled her black leather messenger cap back over her dark hair, and readjusted her baggy clothes. Bobby had given her some of his wife's old things from when she was younger, and as outdated as they were, it was better than having to scrounge up new things when doing a thankless job like hunting.

"I won't be alone." She glanced at him. "You'll be outside as my back up." She shook her head, dark brown hair fluttering around her cheeks, the white scar that cut across the top bone of her cheek, just below her eye, glittering in the streetlights. Her brown eyes narrowed as she examined him. Bobby gazed back at her, a tiny quirk in his lips, downplaying his serious expression. "I don't think we've got many options Bobby." Kelly told him with a heavy sigh. "And at some point you're going to have to start trusting me." She glanced down at the open pages of the file and then back up at him. "I mean, how can I got back to Dean and Sam if you don't even trust my skills?"

"You couldn't even hit the broadside of a barn with that gun of yours." Bobby grumbled as they drove. The streetlights glanced off the wet windshield, as on the horizon dark clouds rolled across Lake Michigan, preparing to bring with them yet another storm. They drove along the highway, scrunched between a hundred other vehicles all brighter, shinier, and newer. Kelly fought back a sigh, he always brought up her lack of hand eye coordination.

_Against anything except…_ "Then it's a good thing we're not hunting humans." She said, her voice quite a bit cooler than usual. "These people are going to die if we don't do anything Bobby." Kelly added, glancing at him, her large brown eyes solemn. "If I'm in there I can distract the ghost, and you'll have time to find the bodies."

"You gonna use your… talents?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Over the past few weeks he'd seen a few of them, and each one occasionally startled and impressed him. _I'm fairly certain she's not human_. At least not in the normal sense, he'd taken her to see a psychic during their first month together, but it hadn't turned out well. _The woman screamed bloody murder after five minutes of a séance_. They'd been trying to discover just what it was that Kelly was in the world for. _Only thing we do know is that powerful forces are working around her_. The psychic had managed to assure him, and Kelly, that she wasn't evil. _Neutral might be the right word_. Poised to slip either way. _Only thing she could tell us, we already knew_. She was a beacon that ghosts were attracted too. Whatever that meant.

"They're God given." Kelly said, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm better off in there than you, if it's killing young men and women, then maybe it's creating some kind of scenario that it's playing out."

"Every year?"

"Like a death echo maybe?" She asked.

"I'm a damn fool for letting you do this." He said, shaking his head, as they took an off ramp towards Fourth Street.

"Probably, but there aren't very many other options." She said with a sigh, leaning back into the seat and trying to find a comfortable position.

Chicago, Illinois

Sam put down the phone, as he stared up at the sky growing cloudy overhead. They had just come off a job, in Oregon, and had made their way up to the Great Lakes following the trail of the Yellow-Eyed demon, but that had long since grown cold. He was disturbed, more than a little, with Dean's admission about the fact that he might one day have to kill him. Sam didn't want that, and he was determined to stop it. But he was still haunted by the memory of what had happened in the hospital with Kelly. He closed his eyes, breathing in the clean air, and listening to the gulls cry in the distance around Lake Michigan. His fingers clenched the wooden railing on the second floor of the Scurvy Barnacle Motel.

Well, that's a way to ham hand it. _Sam thought, watching his brother crush the girl he might have liked against him. His mouth moving against hers, his fingers buried in her hair. Kelly's eyes, which had been caught wide open in surprise, had gradually shut as she leaned into the kiss. Sam couldn't tell what was going on in her mind, but he knew that at some point, she or his brother would have to come up for air._ And then I can have my say. _He thought grimly, he wasn't the type to enter into competition with Dean, not really, but just this once…_ He's not the only one who gets the girl. _Sam thought, compressing his lips. Dean's hand began to move down Kelly's back, and at that moment her eyes flew open and she shoved him back. _

_"Okay." She said, very slowly, and staring up at Dean with wide eyes. Her small lips were red and puffy. "Okay." Her hands were pressed against Dean's chest, holding him back, or else Sam knew that Dean would be finishing what he'd started. She took a deep breath. "I get your point." _

_"Really?" Dean asked, looking down at her, with an incredibly smug smile on his lips. "Because I don't think I've made it clear." He reached for her again, but she pushed him back._

_"I think you have." She said, as Bobby Singer rounded the corner with Jo Harvelle on his heels. She sighed with relief._ She wants nothing more than to get away from us. _Sam realized._ Both of us. _Kelly glanced at him and smiled_. Or maybe just Dean.

_"Is there anything else you've got to say?" She asked, as she pulled out her plane ticket. Bobby was walking towards her, mild curiosity flickering through his eyes, as he tucked his trucker hat down over his reddish brown hair. The lines of his face curved against his brow as he frowned, and the wrinkles around his eyes crinkled. He checked his watch. _

_"Hey!" Dean said. "I never said I was finished." _

_"I think you've already made it pretty damn clear how you feel Dean." Kelly snapped. Sam stepped forward as brother did, and Dean raised a challenging eyebrow. "So please, give me time to think." _

_"Girl's got a point lad." Bobby said, his voice mild, but there was a dangerous undercurrent to it. "She's got a right to make her own decision and she needs training, I think she's doing the smart thing here." _

_"Thank you Bobby." Kelly said. _

_"That's…how I feel too." Sam said, his voice quiet. "So yes, Kelly I do have something to say." He walked forward and pulled her into a tight hug, brushed her bangs out of her face, and stared into her eyes. "Have a safe flight." He said, and kissed her on the forehead. It was chaste. _More than anything right now, she needs a friend. _That had been Ellen's message to him, and Sam Winchester intended to be a voice of support in Kelly's life_. And she does need training.

_"Thanks." Kelly said, and squeezed him. Sam swallowed at the grateful look in her eyes. "My stuff's in the Impala right, Dean?" _

_"Yeah." Dean said, gruffly. His eyes were angry, but he'd seemed to recline back into his usual, less than charming self. "I'll get it for you."_

_"I'll come with you." Kelly said, and followed him out_.

Sam didn't know what had happened between them after that, but for some reason, Dean had stopped talking about her, thinking about her, or even wanting to really hear about her. He let Sam keep tabs, and that was strange, Dean wasn't the kind of guy to lay his heart on the table. _So it would be worse if she were to rip it out._ But Kelly didn't seem like that kind of girl. _Still, she must have been incredibly confused, going from spending the night with Dean, to see him kiss Jo, and then find him kissing her_. He understood that, and her reluctance to talk to his brother, but he didn't understand Dean's attitude. _I could have said a lot more to her, but it wasn't something I'd admit in front of Dean_. Sam thought, kicking himself for not being bold enough to kiss her goodbye. Sam sighed as he walked back into the motel room. Plaster barnacles clung to the sea foam colored walls, long sea anemones clung upside down to the ceiling, their fabric shaking in as the soft wind of the AC blew through them. Large sea horses swam between the barnacles, and on the right wall, the bathroom disappeared into the painted mouth of a blue whale. Sam sighed and looked for his brother, Dean was sprawled out on the turquoise bed-spread, undercut with silver gray sheets, one of his boots half off his foot. His face was shadowed by the moonlight, and the memory of what he said still haunted Sam. _There's a part of him that doesn't want to go on living_. Even with Kelly and their responsibility to her. _Bobby can take care of her, it's true, but…_ "Have a good convo?" Dean asked, looking up as the door shut.

"She's hunting with Bobby in Gary." Sam said, putting his cell phone on the table. He glanced at his brother, confusion dancing in his eyes. "Why haven't you called her yet Dean?"

"Doesn't want to talk to me." Dean said, his head resting against his palms, his blue eyes staring up at the anemones, stubbornly. His jaw was tight, the way it always got when they discussed Kelly.

"She asked about you." Sam said.

"Did she?" Dean raised an eyebrow. "Huh." He sat up. "Maybe she's finally getting off her high horse."

"What the hell did she do to you?" Sam asked his brother, suddenly extremely and possibly morbidly curious.

"Bitch." Dean muttered falling back onto the bed. As far as Sam knew though, Dean hadn't tried to pick any girls up in bars over the past two months that they'd been separated. He'd wondered if that had something to do with Kelly, as his brother seemed to grow steadily tenser. "Stupid…" He grumbled. But Dean refused to talk about it, or mention it.

"Did she promise to sleep with you or something?" Sam asked.

"No!" Dean snarled, rolling over. "Can we get off this subject?"

"Sure." Sam said. "You know Gary isn't that far from here…"

"Drop it Sammy." Dean said, his head snapping up to get an eyeful of his brother. "I don't want to see her, touch her, look at her, smell her, or think of her." He kicked off his second boot. "Not until she's ready to give _me_ an apology."

"What did she do?"

"Alright." Bobby said as they pulled to a stop in front of the ancient house that had once belonged to a man named Andrew Blake. His car creaked to a halt as he shifted into park and yanked the emergency brake. "Time for one last quiz."

"Oh for goodness sake Bobby." Kelly said, exasperation flicking through her eyes. "Two days from now it'll be the fifteenth, and if we don't get those kids out of there, two of 'em will end up ghost chow and the third will either commit suicide or be labeled for murder." She slammed her hands down on her lap. "So I don't think we have time to cover the basics!"

"You listen to me!" Bobby snapped, pulling the keys out of the ignition. "And you listen good. There is always time for the basics, when you rush, you get stupid, and when you get stupid…"

"You die." Kelly said, flicking open the glove compartment and pulling her nine millimeter Glock pistol. She fitted it into the back of her jeans, pulling down her jacket to cover it. Her messenger cap was pulled down over one eye in a swarthy style, and her bangs hung down over her face. Not blocking her eyesight.

"Got you iron knife?" He asked, as she lifted up her boot, pulling it out of it's sheath, when he nodded she stuck it back in. "Salt rounds?"

"In my bag in the trunk." She said. "I'm all set Bobby, and the ghost'll let me in. It's just your job to either track down the corpses of these three, or stop the third boyo from entering. You can handle that right?"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" Bobby asked. "Hey, you said the Winchesters were close?"

"Bobby." She sighed.

"I'm just saying, we could use a hand with this." Bobby said. "And don't tell me you would mind seeing Sam, or Dean."

"Dean's pretty pissed off at me."

"Still?"

"I hurt his pride, I suppose." She said. "I thought he'd experienced that kind of thing before." She sighed, sliding out of the car. "Keys?"

"I'll pop the trunk." Bobby said, yanking the pull. There was a click as it popped open, Kelly shut her door and ran around the back. She lifted it up and grabbed a plaid duffle bag from the trunk. Slinging it over her shoulder, she grabbed an extra shotgun and salt rounds from the back. "You know you won't be able to find it if it's possessing someone." He yelled, leaning out the open window.

"I know." Kelly said, slamming the trunk shut.

"If something goes wrong…"

"Call the Winchesters." Kelly said. "They're close, unless you have a few other hunter buddies who are more reliable."

"And trust them around you?" Bobby asked. "No thanks. How'd I explain it?"

"Tell them I'm a psychic the Winchesters picked up." She called back, as she hopped the wooden fence. "They might believe that."

"Honey, no psychic has got your nose for trouble." Bobby yelled. "Nor your ability to pinpoint spirits. I'm calling the Winchesters." Kelly sighed, and kept walking. "I mean it." She waved back over her shoulder as she walked up the curved path, inside a lone light blinked on, and the front door swung open, ready to admit it's visitor. There was a creak, as the house groaned, and Kelly stepped inside. Then the door swung shut behind her, locking her in.

"Oh great." She muttered, as the curtains shut, the lights dimmed, encasing her in utter darkness. "Just great."

Chicago, Illinois

Four Hours Later,

"Yeah." Dean Winchester said as he answered his cell phone. "What's wrong Bobby?" Over on the second bed Sam sat up, he swung his legs over the bed and leaned over them, staring at Dean intently. "Slow down, what happened?" Dean ran his hands over his mouth, he glanced at his brother. The worry lines creasing Sam's eyes made him feel nervous. "No, we're in Chicago. Yeah, we were just about to take off."

"Do they need help?" Sam asked. "Is Kelly alright?"

Dean held up a hand. "Bobby, where's Kelly?" His widened a little bit. "What? She's..." He growled low under his breath. _Stupid idiot always getting herself into trouble, ghost magnet my ass, somebody's gotta look out for her, little amateur..._ "Why'd you let her do it?"

"You know how she is Dean." Bobby said on the other end of the line. "You can't stop a freight train, and I don't think the ghost intends to harm her, other than using her as a vessel. But she's at a disadvantage."

"We're only two hours away from Gary if we take the freeway. We'll be there before sun up."

"We've got time boy, have Sam work some magic with those computer searches. We're looking for matches on an Andrew Blake."

"You guys are investigating the Blake House?" Dean asked, as he stood. "Sammy start packing, turns out Bobby'll need our help after all."

"Right." Sam said, stuffing his clothes, and his computer into a bag. "If Kelly's in trouble then we'd better be there."

"Now wait a minute, fellas." Bobby said. "The girl might be a pain in the ass, but she can take pretty good care of herself. You gotta trust me on this. She'll make it out of the house alive, I've just got too many responsibilities down here and I need some help."

"We'll be there in a few hours." Dean said, flicking his phone shut. He looked at Sam. "You ready to go?" Sam nodded. "Then let's hit the road." He stalked out the door like a bat out of hell, and Sam shook his head.

_He doesn't want to talk to her at all, but the minute she's in trouble he flies to her rescue. Typical._ He thought, following his brother out into the dark night.

Kelly Jones walked through the corridors of the house. "Eloise?" She called, lifting her flashlight high, and shining it back and forth. She sniffed the air, trying to find any trace of ectoplasm, even if it was rare, but there was nothing. _Guess Andrew isn't as pissed off as Mudgen_. She thought. _But he did only murder his ex and his best friend_. She climbed the stairs, they creaked beneath the weight of her feet, dust shaking as she climbed. "Eloise?" The candelabras jutting from the old wooden walls seemed to twist in the shadows as she walked by them. The flashlight was her only comfort, but it wasn't enough. _I need better night vision_. She thought, flicking it off. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. Together with Bobby, and often during the evenings after he'd gone to bed, she'd spent time honing the more unique portions of her abilities. They still frightened her, and the darkness of the undercurrent lying beneath their surface was still unreachable. She glanced down at the glove on her right hand, hiding her rams head pentagram tattoo. She'd started wearing it since she'd accidentally melted one of Bobby's more arcane objects. Apparently, her hand hadn't liked what was stored inside of it. _The essence of an old demon I think it was_. She stretched her fingers, and opened her eyes. _I'm glad Bobby noticed this particular talent._ She thought, as the world around her suddenly lightened. _Night vision._ Like a cat or a dog. After shining a light in her eyes, and seeing them reflect back at him, Bobby had taken her to an eye doctor. _And we discovered that my eyes are a little different than a normal human beings_. And it just so happened that they glowed yellow in the dark. "Eloise?" She called.

_"Not here."_ Came an angry growl out of the darkness, as an arm flew forward, clotheslining her. She dropped to the grounded and rolled out of the way. She looked up to see the face of a high school boy.

"Ah." She said. "Tom." _So he's already picked out his host_. "Why'd you let me in?"

_"I can see your sadness."_ The ghost said from inside his host. _"We'll fix that, when they come for you."_

"Somehow..." Kelly said. "I don't think that's an option." She pulled her glove off her hand. "Because I'm going to have to ask that you get out of him now." Then swiftly, she pressed the flat of her palm against Tom's chest. The boy screamed, his shrieks rising and echoing through the mansion. He writhed beneath her hand, as the pentagram symbol burned itself into his chest. The ghost shrieked and fell backwards out of his host. _This only works about once, so be glad Tom_. She thought, biting her lip as the sixteen year old boy collapsed into her arms. And it only ever worked on ghosts, demons needed to be exorcise. Pulling her Glock from behind her, she aimed at the screaming ghost and fired. The shot rang through the house, and the ghost dissipated. Kelly hauled the boy to his feet, and started dragging him down the hall. _Because I had to go it alone._ She thought.


	12. Chapter 12: Shadows of the Fun

Chapter Twelve: Shadows of the Fun

"Great." Dean said as he pulled the 1967 Chevy Impala to a stop behind Bobby's old rusted Firebird. "Let's do this thing." He opened the door and slid out of the car, his boots hitting the cold wet cement. In the moonlight, as the clouds shifted slowly over the stars, he could see Bobby Singer standing in front of the Blake House. His fingers were clenched against the wooden fence posts, blood trickling from his palms, as the wind whistled between the blades of dead brown grass that blanketed the front of the yard. Dean turned his eyes from Bobby to stare up at the house, and he saw what Bobby was watching so intently. A girl stood on the second story, in the far right window, her face pressed against it, as she hammered her fist against the glass. Dean couldn't make out the shape of her face, or her eyes, but the dark brown hair bound back in a ponytail was enough to give him an inkling as to why Bobby was so worried. Screaming the girl looked back over her shoulder, as a dark shape slipped behind her. And suddenly the curtains pulled shut and the lights went out. The girl was gone. "Kelly!" Dean yelled, charging up the sidewalk, ready to leap the fence, and get into the action. Sam was right on his heels, but Bobby Singer grabbed his arm.

"That ain't her, boy." Bobby said, as his fingers tightened around Dean's arm. "That ain't her."

"Bobby, I've gotta get in there." Dean said, turning his eyes back to the house as shrieks and screams rose eerily on the wind, echoing out and away, towards their ears.

"I'm sorry, son." Bobby shook his head, the bristles of his red and gray beard shivering against the slightly sagging flesh of his cheek. His square jaw tightened, and the tendon in his neck twitched as he looked at the house. "You can't."

"Wait a minute, Bobby." Sam said, coming up behind his brother. He too stared up at the house. "We just saw her inside the house." He pointed towards the upper story window, anger dancing in his eyes. "In trouble!"

"Exactly." Dean said, cocking his pistol. "So get out of the way."

"It wasn't her." Bobby snapped, his grip tightening on Dean's arm, his fingers sinking into the leather of the jacket and constricting tightly. "That damn spirit's been playin' images like that all night, tryin' to convince me to go in. It's a fool's trick, and I ain't gonna be fooled by it." Dean winced, as Bobby hissed. "And neither will you."

"I can't just leave her in there, Bobby." Dean said, trying to rip his arm out of Bobby's hold, "I have to get her out of there."

"We have to get her out." Sam growled, his voice sharp from behind his brother. "Dean's not the only one who's worried Bobby."

"I know how you boys feel." Bobby said. "I really do, but Kelly went in there on her own choice, she and I have a plan."

"And what's that?" Dean asked, his voice a low rumble in the back of his choice. "You're gonna let that ghost chase her around inside, while you find the bones and burn them."

"No I'm gonna stay here." Bobby said, glancing at Dean, and then Sam. "Keep an eye on the house so no more fools get lured inside." He pressed his finger against Dean's chest. "_You_ are going to find out what you can about Andrew Blake, his ex girlfriend, and their best friend. Where they're buried, then you're going to salt and burn Andrew's bones. End this thing once and for all." He glanced back at the house.

"Screw that." Dean said, pulling back, and looking back at the house. Where the dark haired woman who looked just like Kelly stood in the window, her hand outstretched towards him, begging, pleading for him to rescue her. _Dean._ A voice whispered in his head. _Dean please, you have to save me, I need you to save me._ His throat constricted and he squeezed his eyes shut. _Dean._

"Don't listen to it!" Bobby snarled, wrenching Dean's shoulder, so that the younger man turned around to face him.

"Bobby." Dean muttered. "I can hear her Bobby." He looked at the man who was like his second father. "She needs me. She needs my help." He rounded on the older man. "You shouldn't have let her go in alone!"

"That girl is a tougher cookie than you give her credit for." Bobby said. "I should know, I spent twelve hours of every day during the last two months making sure of that. I _know_ her Dean. Better than you." His grip tightened, as the younger man tensed again. "It's the spirit boy, it isn't her. Kelly wouldn't want you inside that house."

"Let go of me." Dean snarled.

"Dean, Bobby's right." Sam said, looking up at the old mansion with his worried brown eyes. "That's not her." His voice was tight too, and he didn't sound happy about the entire idea at all.

"What you hear her too?" Dean asked. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no."

"Then what do you know?" Dean shook his head, his eyes trained on the house.

"Dean, I've been talking to Kelly for the past two months." Sam snapped. "Never in all that time did she mention anything about being telepathic." Dean just shook his head. Sam frowned at him, but Bobby just looked up at the house. A worried cast shadowed his eyes as a cold wind blew up from the east, rustling the leaves of the gnarled old willow tree leaning over the iron fence in the right corner of the yard. It's branches curling down like hag's fingers.

"Yeah?" Dean said. His voice was rough and sarcastic as he looked his brother over. "Well, maybe you don't know her as well as you think."

"You gonna say the same thing about me Dean?" Bobby asked. He pulled his trucker cap down more tightly over is skull. "I've spent more time with her than either of you, so trust that I know what I'm doing."

"Okay Bobby." Sam said. But Dean just snorted.

"We can't go into that house under any circumstances." Bobby repeated, glancing from one Winchester face to the other. He was firm. But Dean wasn't paying attention, his eyes never leaving the house, as his finger twitched on the safety of his pistol.

_Dean…_

"I say we give the spirit what it wants." Dean said, staring at the door. It was swinging open. "I'm going in there."

"No." Bobby said.

"Dean." Sam said.

_Dean, please, I need you. _Dean swallowed. "You and Sammy can do some research magic." He said. "I'll get her out."

"It was her choice boy." Bobby said, gripping Dean tightly by his collar. "Don't you make me knock you out. You goin' in there is puttin' her and all those people in…" But he couldn't say anything more, because Dean had ripped away from him. In one smooth motion he hopped the fence. The cold black iron biting into his palm, his legs trembled as they hit the hardened dirt and withered grass on the other side. Without pausing, he sprinted up the winding cement paved walkway towards the door of the house. "Dean!" Bobby yelled, and Sam moved to go after him. "No!" Bobby growled, catching Sam before he too leapt over the fence. "You have to stay out here."

"Why?" Sam asked, as Dean disappeared inside the house.

"Cause we need to figure out how to get rid of Andrew Blake, and if you do enter that hell hole, the ghost will get exactly what it wants." Bobby said. Sam glanced at him, a worried crinkle in his brow. "You three make the perfect hosts to play out its scenario, probably even better than those two idiots it's already ensnared. But if push comes to shove, that spirit could always use Dean and that other boy." Bobby yanked his hand off the the fence. "They may not be ideal, but a host is a host." On the incline the Blake House stood quite, Sam's eyes followed the winding path up towards the rotting wood of porch, and to the door. It had already swung shut. "Kelly went in there knowing that." Bobby sighed. "It's why I'm out here, not in there helping her."

"Dean was just worried about her." Sam said, slowly, rubbing the back of his head, and suddenly jealous of his brother's impulsiveness, and wishing that he too could launch himself against that door. "He'll bring her out."

"That's what I've been tryin' to tell you idiots!" Bobby said. "She don't want to be brought out."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Haven't you been listenin'?" Bobby asked. "I said it was her _choice_! She went into that house to protect that pair of fools it had ensnared, and I'm guessin' she's been doin' a pretty brand spankin' good job, considerin' how bad it wanted your brother to come inside." He sighed, very loudly. "But it don't matter none now, it's up to us to figure out how to stop this thing, and we've got two days to do it."

"Or else?" Sam asked, suddenly very worried.

"Or that boy, you're brother, Kelly, or that other girl ain't comin' out." Bobby said, as he headed towards the car. "At least not alive." He swung open the door of his rusted firebird, and looked back at the youngest Winchester. "Now, you comin' or not?" Sam glanced at Bobby, realizing that he had no choice in the matter and followed him. He looked back over his shoulder at the house one last time, it was incredibly quiet, but it's silence sent chills up his spine. And he swallowed his jealousy over the fact that his brother was once again alone, in a perilous situation, with the girl Sam may in fact… love. _Be careful Kelly. _ He thought, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. He slid into Bobby's car, and they took off. Heading for the local library, and, hopefully, towards solutions.

Kelly Jones leaned against the dusty red wallpaper. She had managed to hide herself away in what once must have been a drawing room or a den. The linen couches were covered with white cloths, hiding them from view and lined up in a row like corpses in a funeral home. There was a chandelier hanging overhead, the electric kind. Kelly hadn't bothered to switch on a light, the city had cut power to this place after the last owner died. _But they couldn't bring themselves to knock it down_. Her sharp gaze made it's way to the window. There were two on the left wall, large with empire curtains made of thick burgundy muslin. They were dusty and the golden thread of the cords was frayed at the end. Like fine strands of hair the weaving poked out of the rope, waving in the stale air. Kelly closed her eyes, and looked across at the lion headed legs of the pool table. _What good is chalk and heavy plastic balls against a ghost? _She wondered. Even if it did her some good against any possessing host body, the reality was that she'd only end up hurting the people she was trying to save. _And my little trick is no good now_. Blake had already felt it once. _And once is all I get_. That was the rule, apparently, and why it hadn't worked on Holms that second time. She and Bobby had figured that out during one of their training courses. Once Kelly had begun to trust the older man, they had started on the problems posed by her skills. _Skills? I can sense ghosts_. That put her in the category of the psychics. _My eyes can see in the dark. _ They also glowed. That hadn't made any sense with the previous assumptions about who she was. _And there's a foreign mark on my palm_. Some kind of brand or talisman that hadn't turned up in any of Bobby's books, but it could burn a soul out of a body. _Oh and occasionally I can grab and bite ghosts_. She sighed. _I think that just made Bobby more confused._

Her breathing light and quick, she listened to the sounds of the house. Her senses had already pinpointed not one but three spirits here, and one of them was already incredibly pissed off. _Totally my fault. _She had booted him out of his chosen host. _Thankfully none of them are in a body._ She wouldn't have been able to find them if they were. _Two are conscripted into being here_. She thought. Her eyes flicking over the plaster ceiling, and the long lines of wood peeking out between the long cracks. _Trapped by there killer_. It was three right? Her senses were actually incredibly limited. To the point that while she could often smell a demon infesting a human body, it always took the entirety of her concentration to figure it out. _And they're practically invisible to my inner eye when they're possessing some poor fool_. Dead or not. It bothered her, and it was why she'd never been able to sense the yellow-eyed man. If he was in fact a demon… She sighed. Her breathing soft in the quiet coils of the room as she listened to the creaking of the house, the occasional shriek outside the door, sometimes she could hear screaming coming from the second floor above her head. All of which were meant to lure her out into the open. Moonlight slipped in between the moth eaten curtains, glittering on the kernels of salt she'd scattered across the windowsill. That had been her first order of business when she'd secreted herself here. Creating a barrier between herself and the ghost of Andrew Blake. Tom Caldwell, the sixteen-year old boy she'd rescued lay sleeping behind one of the long couches near the devil's head fireplace at the back of the room. The card table in the corner, to the white shrouds covering the furniture, gave the entire place the cast of a funeral home.

Outside the windows, the clouds moved silently overhead, and only the creaking wheezing of the house to comforted her. After a few hours of rattling the door, Blake had finally given up trying to enter. Instead he now mimicked screaming voices, and caused ghostly howls to echo through he house. Occasionally, about three times during the past hour, Kelly could hear the voice of a girl pleading and begging for help. Kelly wanted to find Eloise Midgen, and she prayed to God every time she heard those cries that they weren't real. _But having never heard Eloise I can't be sure_. She knew that if Sam or Dean were here they'd be scouring the house looking for her. _But I can't just leave Tom here_. Nor was wandering around in here going to do her any good. _I'd be doing what he wants, and signing my own death warrant_. After the stunt with the ram's head pentagram, Kelly was certain that the murderous ghost had it in for her. Not that she could blame him. She sighed, that had been only an hour ago, and as they passed from deep into the night and into the next morning the door simply rattled from time to time as shadows filtered back and forth beneath the tiny crack. Looking for an entrance. The light came from the hallway outside the door, and possibly from a streetlight. Kelly hadn't bothered to light a candle. It wasn't really necessary for her, she could rely on the vision blessed by whatever had sent her into this reality. _If someone sent me_. She sighed. Lifting tucking her gun into the back go her jeans, she tapped the tips of her fingers against the peeling wallpaper. _Besides, lighting anything might have alerted Andrew to my presence_. Though, she was fairly certain that he already knew where she was. But the door would rattle and the room would shake as Andrew tried to break in, he couldn't and it frustrated him. _So long as Tom is in here, and Eloise…_ Where ever the girl was, Kelly hoped she was safe. _But my goal is to prevent Andrew from getting what he wants_. To stop him from playing out the scenario which would eventually get the two men and the single woman trapped in here killed. The doorknob rattled again. Kelly tensed, knowing that she didn't have time to search through her bag. _I can't sense anything…_ Was Andrew in another body? Had Bobby been unable to resist the lure? Her fingers tightened on the trigger of her pistol, as she pointed it at the door. Unlocking the safety with her thumb, she watched as it creaked open. Seeing the body of another man in the gloom, blinded for a second by the flashlight, she was on her feet, seizing the man by the wrist, she whirled him around to slam into the wall, his foot cutting a line through her barrier of salt, she held him, with one arm wrenched uncomfortably up his back at the elbow, the barrel of her gun buried into his back, he jerked against her hold but she held him tight. The flashlight rolled across the floor as wind rushed through the door. Kelly sensed a presence sliding past her towards the body, she let the man go, realizing suddenly that he wasn't possessed, lifted her gun and shot. Again, Andrew's spirit dissipated. _Dean and Bobby are right._ She thought with a sigh. _I am a freak._ She couldn't hit a human to save her life, but every ghost was a bulls-eye. _No idea why that is. _Kelly turned around, walking past Dean Winchester to fix the salt line. _Before Blake reforms. _

"Kelly?" Dean asked, disbelief coloring his voice. She could make out his face in the gloom. _Andrew must have been tailing him_. That or the ghost had lead him here in hopes of him opening up a way through her defenses. _Well, it worked_. "Is that you?"

Emptying one of her extra cartridges, she filled in the spots where the line had been cut across by a large booted foot. Once it was done, she stood, brushing her hands on her jeans. She glared at him. "What the hell? Why are you here?" _Stupid ass. _ He was going to be the death of her. _Which would be a change considering that last time he saved my life._

"Rescuing you." Dean said, walking towards her. She stood, wiping her hands on her jeans.

"From?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, and for the first time Dean noticed the glint in her eyes. He reached out, the darkness murky around them, the only lighting coming from the moonlight, drifting down over the sleeping body of Tom Caldwell. Dean's fingers touched her cheek.

"The ghost." He said. She brushed his hand away, and picked up the flashlight he'd dropped.

"I wasn't in danger 'till now." She said. Returning to her position on the wall, she glanced back at him. "Dumbass."

"Idiot." Dean replied.

"Takes one to know one."

"Give me my flashlight." He said. She tossed it to him, and he turned it on. "I don't know how the hell you can see in here." He shined the light at her face, and was startled as the reflected back at him. _Like a cat._ He thought. Or some other kind of animal.

She shrugged. "I like the dark." She rested her head on the wall. "So, why are you playing the big hero?" She raised an eyebrow at him, her gun hanging loosely in one hand, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me." Dean snapped. He closed the distance between them, his hand snaking out and grasping her arm. Tightly. She winced beneath his hold but he didn't let go. He met her eyes for one long moment, then a little unnerved by the way her eyes were glowing, he dropped his gaze. She was like a wolf, gazing out from the shadows. He shined the flashlight at her again, and wasn't surprised when they became even more translucent.

"Stop." Kelly said, slapping down his wrist. "And I'm not." She paused, peeking around the corner of the open door, as she slid past him. She paused, looked at him again, shook her head, and muttered. "I mean I am."

"You are?" He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Not under these circumstances." She snapped.

"Well, you've been chatting with Sammy all this time." She glanced back at him, shaking her gun, then she looked away. "Figured you guys got close enough to forget all about me."

"Leave Sam out of this." She said, rolling back and looking up at the ceiling. "You were the one who never returned my phone calls." Dean looked her over, and he was forced to admit, outside of his annoyance, that she looked fairly adorable in that messenger cap. Kelly sighed, and pulled off her jeans jacket. Revealing her bare shoulders, they were much tanner than the last time Dean had seen them, and the red lines chipped into her skin by glass were now long gone. Only small pink marks remained, and they were few and far between. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Look, considering our relationship it's not a good idea for you to be here."

"Relationship?" He asked, waking past her to take a seat on one of the white covered couches. He raised a quizzical eyebrow up at her as Kelly let out a long aggravated sigh. "Is that something we have?"

"Apparently not." She said, slumping back down and resting her gun between her knees. "If you don't even remember." She grumbled, softly, as she kicked her plaid bag in front of her, and reached inside for some extra salt rounds. She clicked the pistol open, and began to insert them inside.

"Plaid?" Dean asked, as he looked at the bag and then back up at Kelly. "Really?"

"I've got my style." Kelly said. "You have yours."

"Yeah." Dean said. "But mine has taste."

"That depends." Kelly said. Her lips curled into a smirk. "Does cowboy say fashion man?"

"No." Dean said. "It says sexy." He ran his hand over his chest jokingly. Kelly snorted.

"It says scruffy." She replied.

"You'd know." Dean responded. Kelly sighed. "Plenty of girls have gone for the Dean Winchester look." He added after a few moments of uneasy silence.

"Enough to give you herpes." Kelly said.

"I'm clean as a whistle." He snapped. "I just meant that most girls have enjoyed the experience." He narrowed his eyes. "Cowboy or not."

They sat in silence for a long time after that, once or twice Dean would open his mouth to say something. Then he'd look over at Kelly who was prepping her shotgun. But he would only look away again and return to whatever it was he was doing. Kelly a few moments after would raise her head to stare at him, examine his face with her sharp eyes, but before she could ask, she'd lose her courage and once again look away. Neither of them spoke, even though inside their hearts questions burned, questions that had lain unanswered for two long months. But neither asked, because both were afraid of the answers they might receive.

Lake County Library

Gary, Indiana

"What are we looking for Bobby?" Sam asked, as they settled down at his computer. They were sitting outside the local county library, and Sam was doing his best to hook into their internet. He had no desire to break in to do research, but it was quickly becoming a likely possibility.

"In 1983, there was a man named Andrew Blake." Bobby said fishing out a newspaper clipping from the bottom of his file. "According to this paper, they were due to be married on the 15th of July, but two weeks beforehand he caught her cheating with his best friend." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"So he broke up with her then?"

"No." Bobby said. "She left him, and was going to elope with his best friend to Mexico and get married there. But his best friend, Samuel Elkins, came to talk to him a few days before he and Mary Sue were going to go. He wanted to patch things up. Blake knocked him out and locked him up in the basement of his mansion, and waited for Mary Sue to come calling."

"He killed them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but he kept them alive for days while he tortured them, one in front of the other. No one really knows what happened, but according to the coroners reports." Bobby passed Sam one of the pale white sheets. "And the amount of semen in Mary Sue's body, she'd been raped several times, and by both men." Bobby shook his head. "The sick son of a bitch made his friend have sex with her while he watched."

"He strangled her." Sam said. Holding up a picture of the red haired Mary Sue, he pointed to the blue and black marks around her throat. "The other women, who've been dying there, have they?"

"Yeah, they've been dying the same way."

"We need to get Kelly and Dean out of there." Sam said.

"No, shit, Sherlock." Bobby replied.

"I remember you slapped me." Dean said with a smirk, as he started cleaning his Colt 1911 semi-automatic. Kelly looked up from her position on the floor as outside the ghosts howled. The room shook a little, and the clock on the wall had stopped moving. Kelly pulled out her cell phone but there was no reception. Overhead the lights flickered, as Andre Blake grew agitated. _Tomorrow is judgment day. _ She thought as she looked up at him. Her gaze swung, to the window outside.

"After you grabbed my ass." She said, running her cloth over the black compressed steel. She tucked it back into her pants, and stood.

"I recall you liking it." Dean said. "My tongue down your throat." He smiled, his usual lecherous smile as she frowned at him and shook her head. "Pressing you against my car." He stood and walked towards her. "Promising to finish what I started." His gaze locked hers, and his hands rose to trap her on either side, as he leaned over her. She grew small, as his presence pressed down on her. "Give you a real goodbye kiss." Kelly ducked out from under him, and moved across the room.

"This isn't you talking." She said, staring out at the horizon line. This particular window in the Blake family home could see all the way out onto Lake Michigan. She waited impatiently for the sun. Light was coming she could sense it, for the sky had gone from an ebony black to a dullish gray. "It's Andrew's influence."

"Oh, it's me sweetheart." Dean said, walking up behind her. "And I meant every word I said." He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "You were the one who acted like I wasn't good enough, you pushed me away and went running to Sammy." Kelly gazed up at him wide eyed, her mahogany browns scanning his face, trying to determine whether he was the one really speaking.

"I called you." She said, putting a firm hand on his chest. "You never called back."

"Yeah, well, I already had your answer didn't I?"

"I needed time to make up my mind." Kelly growled, pushing him back. "And you kept pushing." She glared up at him. "I don't like to be pushed Dean."

"Yeah, well, you sure as hell made that clear." Dean said, walking past her to where Tom Caldwell lay hidden. Lacking any sort of delicacy, he dragged the boy's body out. Tom's chest moved up and down as breath moved in and out of his lungs, his face was pale. His eyes did not open. "This kid's really out, isn't he?" Dean asked, as he leaned over the body, examining it. His fingers stopped at the pentagram burn that had singed through his black hard rock tee shirt and imprinted itself onto his skin. The malevolent ram's head stared back at him. "What's this?" He asked, looking back at Kelly. "Did the ghost do this?"

"No." She said, clenching her right hand. "I did." Dean raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" He asked, his head tilting slightly, and the sharpness of his jaw was caught in the light. "You wanna run that by me again?" The fading moonlight glinted off his blonde head, as the gray arrival of dawn threatened the horizon behind his head. Deep inside the house the ghost of Andrew Blake moaned. And they grew one day closer to Judgment. Kelly pulled off her black leather glove and lifted her hand, palm up to show him. Dean walked over, taking her hand in his, and running his fingers over the black mark. It had once looked like a burn, two months ago when it had appeared, when the spirit of H. H. Holms had touched her for the first time, it had been burned into her skin. Now though? It looked like a tattoo, one that could be gotten at any parlor in the Midwest. "You got a tattoo?" He asked, and Kelly could hear the disdain in his tone.

"No." She said, her voice soft. She gazed up into his eyes, chewing on her lower lip. Wondering if after all this time, she should finally tell him the truth. _Well, if I don't Bobby will_. And then Dean would be royally pissed.

"No?" Dean asked, his head tilting sideways as he searched her face. "No? Tattoo's don't just appear out of thin air Kelly. It takes a needle and ink too…" He dropped her hand. "Male something like this."

"I got it from Holms." She said, staring at the moldy carpet. "When I first met him."

"And you were planning to tell me about it…" Dean asked, taking her shoulders. "When?"

"At the time we were on a need to know basis Dean!"

"Oh that's just great!" Dean snarled, and Kelly was surprised when he swung her up into his arms. "Just great. Are there any other secrets you care on sharing?" He asked.

"No." She snapped. "You'll figure them out as we go along."

"Damn useful talisman." He whistled, looking at the mark on her palm once again. _It's not normal that a ghost gave it to her though. _ But then, what about Kelly had ever been normal?

He dumped her unceremoniously onto one of the secondary couches. "Now are you ready to search for Andrew's body?" She quirked an eyebrow. "Because soon it'll be safe to leave this room."

"It's never safe." Dean said. "Anywhere." He leaned in on her, their noses almost touching, and Kelly felt the rush of his breath over her lips, if she leaned in a few centimeters their mouths would be touching, her eyes darted down to his lips. Memory of the kiss washing over her once more, the kiss in the hospital, the kiss in the parking lot. Everything. He was irresistible to her. She lifted her fingers to run them along his chin, stubble was just beginning to grow on his jaw. "That's lesson number one." Dean said, as the tips of her fingers trailed down the line of his cheek. She rounded around his chin, enthralled. But was it by her own feelings? Or because of the ghost? Her mouth moved in close, almost ready to brush over his lips, but Dean's voice stopped her. "What the hell are you doing?" She paused, less then a centimeter from his mouth, her lips came together, and she swallowed.

"Nothing." She said, looking away.

"So this ghost?" Dean asked, and Kelly looked back at him. He had straightened, and was no longer close to her mouth. "He sleeps during the day?"

_Guess he didn't want to kiss me after all. _ Kelly thought, sliding her arms over her knees. She'd guessed that she'd ruined things in the parking lot. When she'd told him no… Dean Winchester had a fragile ego. And this sort of thing didn't help. "Yeah." She said. "He segments his strength so that he can come out at night."

"So we can leave?" He asked.

"No, we're still stuck." _And I'm getting one step closer to being under his thrall_. She thought quietly, remembering the feeling of being close to Dean. _And that means I should stay as far away from him as possible_. Else they'd be having sex on the pool table like a pair of mad bunnies. _Which might not be a bad thing…_ At least she'd get to go home. But Kelly Jones was a practical girl, and she had standards about the men she slept with. _It's not that Dean doesn't meet those standards._ It's just that she wanted to be completely sure she was in love with him before she did. "But we'll be able to move around without interference." _I hope._

AN: Show love, give reviews!


	13. Chapter 13: Three's Company

Chapter Thirteen: Three's Company

As the sun rose over the sleeping city of Gary, Indiana, the red hues shifting in color from dark red to pink on the strands of smog that hovered in the sky high above, Sam Winchester and Bobby Singer pulled to a stop in front of the Gates House. Home to the only living relative of Mary Sue, her mother Carolina. Sam's rough jeans jacket had been exchanged for a slim fitting black sports jacket and pants. His patent leather shoes were shined, and he adjusted his tie. Bobby looked across at him, he too wearing a similarly distinguished outfit. His red-brown hair, streaked with gray slicked back against his skull, the rough stubble of his beard shaved away. Sam examined the older man, he was craggy but passable, the younger Winchester smiled, it would have been easier if it was Dean sitting across from him. They're rhythm clicked so well that no one ever really questioned them as FBI agents, church fathers, US Marshals, or whatever else they tried to pass themselves off as. _Dean's always saying that everybody sees what they expect_. So who would be stupid enough to try to pass themselves off as federal agents? _Us_. Sam thought. He glanced at Bobby. "You sure you're up for this Bobby?" He asked.

"Son, I was hunting ghosts before you were born." Bobby said, as he swung open the side door of his rusted Firebird. "I know what I'm doing." Sam hid a smile as he followed him.

The Gates House stood behind a long white picket fence. Making it an oddity in the surrounding suburban environment. Long strips of wood were attached to the two stories of cement walls and painted canary yellow, white trim closed around the banisters that stood side by side, and red brick stairs rose up between them, leading to a screen door, and a bright blue door. Two windows looked out on the Ford Street, staring down at Bobby and Sam, both men felt the judging weight of its gaze, as they opened the picketed gate, and stepped onto the gray cement pathway. The lilies, dandelions, and violets, all expertly planted in the beds along the inline of the fence, let off sweet scents, carried further by the damp air left over from the previous night's rain. Sam climbed up the steps and rapped his knuckles against the door. "Hello?" Came a voice from inside the house. It was an old lady's voice, crinkled and cracked.

"Hello ma'am." Sam called through the door. "I'm Sam Davis of the FBI, and this is my partner Bobby…" He glanced at Bobby, who mouthed 'Johnson'. "Bobby Johnson, we just need to ask you a few quick questions."

"The FBI, my goodness." The old voice said. Behind the door, Sam heard the whine of a cat, he glanced to the window opening out of the front of the house. A calico striped tabby peered back at him, and rubbed its cheek against the frame. "What is it about? I can't think of anything the FBI would want to talk to me for. Ever since Johnny went off to the war and Paul passed away. Why, there's just me in the house." Sam could hear the creak of a rocking chair as she stood, and listened to her cane jamming into what he could only assume was hardwood as she walked towards the door. "Could this be about my credit card? It was stolen recently."

"No ma'am, I'm here to ask you some questions about your daughter Mary Sue?" He said. The door swung open, and a tiny old lady in a gray shall, with square thick rimmed glasses, peered out at him. Her thinning white hair clung to her head in tight curls, and her watery blue eyes looked him up and down in a severe examination.

"Can't see why you'd want to bother an old lady about that." She said. "Case was closed near ten years ago." She pushed her frames further up her nose with one long boney finger. The skin wrinkled tightly around the huge knob of her joint.

"Well, you see ma'am, there are a few unanswered questions that my department's been investigating." Sam said. "Could we come in? It would only take a few minutes?"

"Everything you need to know is in those files." Mrs. Gates said. Her voice was tight, and her fingers clenched around the knob of the door. "Can't see what good it would do bringing it up now, except cause those who lost more heartache. No, son, I'm afraid I can't help you. That bastard took my Sue, and Samuel couldn't see fit to protect her." She sighed. "They didn't deserve their end."

"They didn't?" Sam asked. Bobby put a hand on his shoulder. Sam brushed it away. "But Mary Sue was planning to elope with Samuel Elkins wasn't she?"

Mrs. Gates frowned. "My daughter and Samuel Elkins were very good friends, young man. But I have no memory of her ever doing something so shameful as breaking off her engagement with the maniac who killed her." The woman paused, looking down at the floor, and Sam could see the fur of the tabby as it wound between her legs. "Though in retrospect I wish she had. Though Paul might never have forgiven her for it, god rest both their souls." She added. Looking back up at Sam. "I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Please…" Sam began. But the door swung shut, and the lock clicked. Sam watched helplessly as the tabby returned to its spot on the window, its tail switching back and forth as it stared at him with bright green eyes.

"She probably didn't know anything useful." Bobby said. His hand returning to rest on Sam's shoulder, as the younger man looked down at the file folder in his hands.

"Probably isn't good enough, Bobby." Sam said. "We had a shot of figuring out why Andrew killed Mary Sue and Samuel, now that's gone."

"No." Bobby said. He turned on the steps, as Sam's gaze was locked by the tabby cat in the window. "We know that Mrs. Gates didn't know about Samuel and Mary Sue."

"But all the accounts say that the three of them were old friends, Mary Sue knew Andrew growing up, and his family had no history of mental illness."

"But there was history of mental illness." Bobby said. His finger flicked to point at one of the loose leaflets in the sheath, as they walked down the stairs. He quickly crossed the cement pavement, and opened the gate. Sam followed, one hand finding it's way into his pocket. His brown eyes swung up to look through the window, and he saw Mrs. Gates watching him. Her long bony fingers stroking the green eyed tabby cat in her arms. "We know that."

"I get the feeling there's something we're missing." Sam said. Beneath the old woman's gaze he turned away. "Something important."

"We'll figure it out." Bobby said. "We have time."

"Not enough." Sam said. He shook his head, as he slid into the car. He checked his watch as Bobby started the engine. Sam loosened his tie, and pulled the knot free, tossing it over his shoulder into the back. He did the same with the jacket. Then he opened the file and ran his fingers over a college photo of Mary Sue, her arms wrapped around the neck of a grinning Andrew Blake. His finger followed the line to the strong sharp jaw of Samuel Elkins, who stood next to Mary Sue, his hand on her shoulder. He too was smiling at the camera. But it was a sad smile. "Not nearly enough Bobby."

"So it wasn't you calling me?" Dean asked, as he followed Kelly down the hall. He'd been impressed by the way she'd handily jimmied the kid to the chair, in case he woke up. By leaving him safe in the drawing room, protected by several lines of salt, they'd been left free to roam around and try to find the missing girl. _And the bones of this Andrew Blake._ Kelly was pretty certain that they weren't in the house, but Dean insisted on checking every possible source. That was the way his father had done, and that was the way he was going to do it.

"No." Kelly said, as they walked down the hall. She had to admit it looked very different during the day. The more frightening aspects of the walls, the deer heads, and large Persian rugs hung in between the large iron armed candelabras jutting out of the cracked hardwood were now reduced to creepy. Not that it helped. Kelly swallowed, her right hand nervously resting on the black metal of her Glock nine-millimeter pistol. Her messenger cap was now tucked safely away into the plaid bag hanging off her left shoulder, having chosen to bind her brown hair into a short ponytail. She had also stripped off her jacket, a tan spaghetti strap revealing her slim shoulders, and the miniscule curve in her waist. The shirt bunched up at the bottom, leaving a thin line of white flesh visible. The light glinted off tiny translucent marks left over from her flight through the window. She moved ahead of Dean, missing the way his eyes admired the rear view as she passed.

"It sounded just like you." Dean said.

"Well," Kelly said. She paused in front of one of the dark brown side doors leading off the hallway. She searched the small side pocket of her bag for salt cartridges. Pulling them out of her bag, she tossed them to Dean, snapping her own gun open, and reloading.. "You heard the voice inside your head didn't you?" She didn't bother waiting for him to respond as she added. "And when last I checked I wasn't telepathic." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Yet."

Dean snorted, catching the bullets. "You're creepy enough as is." He reassured her, clicking his own colt 19ll open. "Thanks." He added. Putting the extras in the pocket of his coat, he walked forward, taking up a position behind her. Kelly nodded, pressing her finger to her lips. The door creaked as she pushed it open, and she slid down the hall, gun raised ahead of her, ears open and listening to the sounds around her. "You can sense these things right?" He asked. His voice was low, but it still interfered with Kelly's search. She repressed a sigh.

"Not if they're in a human body." She said. Sliding along the wall, the top of her head, brushed a portrait and it shifted sideways. The corner cut across the top of her head, she ducked, as Dean's hand brought it to a stop. He entered in behind her, and took the opposite wall. "And my senses are weaker during the day."

"Huh." Dean said. "Still useful. So is it?"

"I can't tell." She said. One foot stepped over the other, quiet as a mouse. Her back pressed against the wall, as her eyesight sharpened. Behind her, Dean clicked on his flashlight, and examined the hallway. "We need to focus on finding Eloise." She added.

"Fair enough." Dean said. "What sort of freaks were the people who lived here?" He asked. Pausing in front of an ancient portrait enshrouded in a gold gilded frame, he brought his flashlight up, and it glinted eerily on the thick oil paint. A beautiful woman with black hair piled atop her head, gazed down at him. Ruby lips pursed in a disagreeable expression, the eyes were straight forward, and oblivious to the world around them. She wore a red dress with puffed sleeves, and scooped low, exposing her bosom and a singular mole. "I really hate paintings." He muttered.

"Merchants are my guess." Kelly said. She glanced back at him, and was nearly blinded by the sharp beam. "Jesus!" She exclaimed. Her gaze dropping to the floor, and she blinked several times to clear the sharp white spots blinking in her gaze. "Watch where you point that thing!"

Dean raised an eyebrow and waggled the beam on the floor in front of her eyes. "Maybe I should go first?" He asked. His lips curling into a smirk as Kelly glared at him.

"You're the idiot who needs the light." She snapped. Rubbing her eyes a second time, she turned and continued to walk down the corridor. "I was doing just fine without you." She muttered. The words soft under her breath as she lifted her gun and tried to see through the blinking stars left by the harsh beam. _It's going to take a few minutes for me to recover. _ She thought. Blandly switching on the safety, she twirled the pistol around her index finger. _I wish Sam was here_. Dean was smart, sure, but he was an action guy. Sam was good at figuring out the mysteries. _And the mystery is what we need to know right now_. She reached the end of the hallway, and a second door. She raised her hand and let her fingertips run across the glossy wood, cleaner and better kept than the rest of the hallway. _Strange._

"Didn't this building come with a floor plan?" Dean complained. He came to a stop behind her. "What?"

Kelly pressed her ear to the door, she heard whimpering behind it. _Eloise? _ She wondered. Right hand falling to the knob, she twisted and leaned into the door. It wouldn't budge. She pushed again, this time with more force, but it was stuck. She twisted the handle again, shoved one more time, but when it wouldn't move again, she let it go. "Stuck." She said. Her translucent eyes turning back to Dean, and she grinned. "Want to help me out muscle man?"

"Move." Dean said. He shook his head, chuckling over being called 'muscle man'. "This is how you open a door." He added, She moved back behind him, and he raised his leg, kicking the door next to the knob, and in the center. There was a bang as it swung open.

Sunlight shone through the moth eaten curtains and Dean switched off his flashlight as they entered the large room. Musty bookshelves stood along the walls, towering up to the ceiling, large leather bound volumes crowded and jammed into each of the long wooden layers. A large wooden desk, with curved legs, and a tall backed chair stood at the center of the room, next to the window. Kelly walked over a red rug, her boots muted against the threadbare cloth. "Congratulations." Kelly said. She hurried to the desk, and slid into the chair. "You found the study." She smirked up at him as she started going through the drawers. Dean sighed, but didn't put away his gun. Kelly searched through the top open, flicking through folder after folder of financial information. But she didn't uncover anything useful. She glanced up at Dean again, and saw him staring past her. "What?" She asked. Dean moved around the desk, and Kelly swung her chair around. Her feet bumped something hard. She glanced down; the body of a young girl lay at her feet. Blonde hair brushed back over her shoulders, and she was curled on one side. Dean knelt, carefully using his fingers to move her hair off her face. "Guess she left the party early." Kelly swallowed. A pit sank down into her stomach.

"Yeah." Dean said. His fingers cleared away the last of her hair, and revealed long purpled finger marks, spread out like a spider around her neck. Kelly slid off her chair, and knelt beside him, her eyes searching the indentations.

"These aren't Tom's fingers." She whispered. Dean stood. "They're too large."

"Body's fresh too." He said. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he tucked his gun away into the back of his pants. "How did this escape your nose?" He asked. Quirking an eyebrow down at her as he did so.

"I told you." Kelly said. Rolling the girl's body onto her back, she stared sadly into the face of Eloise Midgen. "My senses are weaker during the day."

"Well." Dean said. He ignored the rest of what she said, as he looked around the room for the exit. He turned, and saw a door hidden partially behind one of the bookcases to the right of the desk. "There's one thing we do know now."

"We're not alone?" Kelly asked. She stood too and walked to the window. Peering outside she looked around. There was no one around, but she could see the corner of the Impala, still parked outside. She sighed with relief. _At least nothing terrible has happened. _ They still had a chance with Bobby and Sam outside the house. Still, she felt guilty over being unable to save Eloise. She covered her nose, only now picking up the faint stench of rotting flesh. _What's going on?_ She wondered. Glancing over at Dean, she saw him examining the door. Running his fingers around the outlying edges, before he turned the doorknob. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" He asked. The door swung open as he pushed it, revealing a flight of stairs leading down into gloom and shadow. "Found the basement."

"We don't know where that leads." Kelly said. She pushed off the window frame and turned around. Something didn't smell right. This was too easy. "And we don't know what's down there."

"So what?" Dean asked. "You want to wait here while I check it out?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shook her head.

"What if he's leading us down there?" Kelly asked. "He's already killed Eloise, and that's not normal. None of this is." She frowned, as she looked at him. "The way he's acting doesn't fit the pattern Dean."

"It could be a trap." Dean nodded. Kelly crossed the room and stood beside him. Of all the things Kelly was prepared for it wasn't being struck from behind. Her body rocked, as she grabbed Dean's arm. She turned to see the ghostly face of Andrew Blake, her heels rocking on the edge of the first stair. Hurriedly, she swung her pistol up over Dean's shoulder, but before she could fire, Andrew's hand reached out to touch Dean's back. He gave him a good, sharp, shove. The last thing Kelly saw, as she fell, was the rotted face of the man, a smirk on his lips, as he waved. She screamed, as Dean's arms tightened around her, and then there was only darkness.

"Samuel Elkins is the key." Sam said. "I'm sure of it." He flipped through several old newspapers wrested from the library archives. Behind him, Bobby leaned over Sam's shoulder. His eyes narrowed.

"You think it's more than just these spirits acting out their deaths?" He asked. The cogs were obviously working in Sam's brain and working well, but Bobby had no clue over what the younger Winchester had found.

"Yeah." Sam said. "I know what we need to do." He grabbed his jacket off the chair, and tugged it over his shoulders. "Come on." He said. Bobby stood to follow him.

"Where the hell are we going?" He asked. He glanced down at the handsome face in the cowboy hat. There was nothing sinister about it, just something sad. Forlorn even. It gave Bobby the creeps, but he still wasn't sure what the expression on Samuel Elkins dead face had to do with their case.

"The Blake House."

"Ouch." Kelly groaned. She reached out, her fingers feeling soft warm flesh beneath her. She ran her hands over the face, and found that it was Dean. _He broke my fall_. She thought. Trying to remember what had happened, she rolled off of him. _I was falling. I saw Andrew_. But she should have been the one who hit stone, not Dean. _How'd he manage that? _ She wondered, knowing he must have somehow twisted himself around. It wouldn't have been hard, given that he weighed more than she did. Kelly searched his body, trying to feel for broken bones, she reached under his head, trying to smell any blood. When her fingers did pull away they weren't covered in anything hot and sticky. Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. He was unharmed. _For the most part_. She looked around The area was dark, but she re-focused her eyes to examine the small, boxed room. Dried blood ran down the concrete walls, the large blocks jutting out as age compressed them into the hard stone floor. "Not good." She muttered. Standing, and brushing her hands against her knees, she took in the brown table, it had been refinished with the scents of Blake's previous victims. Even her weakened senses could feel that. Her eyes moved up to the chains hanging from the ceiling. She reached behind her, and searched the back of her jeans. The gun was gone, and so was her bag. "Double shit." In the dark, Dean coughed.

"Alright, Bobby." Sam said, as the sun dipped down behind the house. They had returned here, and Sam only hoped that it wasn't too late. "I think I know what we've gotta do."

"Boy, that's a damn fool of a plan." Bobby said as he looked over at the youngest Winchester. "Look I know how you feel about the girl, and Dean was damn stupid to charge in after her."

"He hasn't been himself." Sam said, looking down at his hands. His dark hair fell over his eyes. "And he does care about her Bobby." Sam shook his head. _But I care about her too._ He remembered all the late night conversations they'd had over the past few months, when she'd come to him for advice, for comfort. When she'd been terrified, he was always the first person she called. _And she was so worried… _ A couple days before, when he'd finally managed cell reception he'd opened his inbox to find a dozen text messages asking where he was, if he was doing okay, if Dean was doing okay. _She listens to me_. She really did, and those few times he'd held her in his arms, well, it'd felt like she belonged there. Sam lifted his eyes to stare up at the house, Dean was in there, and Sam knew that he could protect Kelly, but that didn't stop the younger brother from wishing that he'd been quick enough to defy Bobby. That he had rushed in there after her. _But I have to trust her_. He had to believe that she could take care of herself.

"Yeah, but I ain't a psychiatrist." Bobby said. "I'm a hunter, you boys need to figure out your feelings on your own time, cause there's a long road ahead." He shook his head, his trucker cap remaining firm and steady over his reddish brown hair. "And there ain't no room for any damn triangles." He clicked open the drivers side door, and stepped out. His booted heel clicking on the wet pavement.

"I realize that Bobby." Sam said, as he too slid out of the car. _But somehow I just can't help it_. The girl had fallen into Dean's lap, that was true, and Sam knew that they shared some weird sort of chemistry. Still, that… it didn't matter to him. _She's strange, but she makes me feel normal_. So, Dean could, well… _Screw it_. Sam thought, pulling out his gun, and taking the folder that Bobby offered him. "But a triangle is exactly what we need in this situation."

"The ghost of Samuel Elkins possesses you." Bobby nodded. "You really think that's what this house is looking for? The only way to let it rest?"

"Yeah." Sam said. Thinking about what he'd discovered in the library. "I do." _Dean and Kelly's survival is depending on it_.

AN: Love, review, tell me which pairing you like best. I'm honestly torn between Sam and Dean. he he he...


	14. Chapter 14: But Four's a Crowd

Chapter Fourteen: But Four's a Crowd

"The hell happened?" Dean asked. The world was dark around him, but he felt Kelly's hand on his shoulder as she knelt. Obviously she was all right. The last thing he remembered was falling, and tucking her in against him. _Slamming into concrete is probably what did it_. He thought. His head heart like hell itself had opened up into his brain. He rubbed his temples and was surprised when her small arms locked around his body.

"Thank god!" She whispered into his shoulder. Dean couldn't help it, his hand closed behind her neck and held her against him. Relieved that she was okay. "Blake pushed us down the stairs." She explained. Sitting up, she started to pull away from him. "Here." She gestured in the darkness. Dean waited a moment for his eyes to adjust, but they didn't really. He was able to make out her shape, and he could see those reflective eyes glittering back at him, but at the same time, he couldn't see anything else. Nothing except her. But she wasn't hurt.

_And that's all that really matters_. He thought. _That and getting the hell out of here_. "Basement?" He asked. Coughing again, he looked down at his legs, he was covered in dirt, and his fingers were still wound around the escaped tendrils of Kelly's ponytail. His hand pressed against the back of her neck. He let it fall, but she slid her hand into his.

"I think so." She said. Moving into a crouch, she tilted her head, listening for any air filtering into the dusty cement room. She looked back at the stairs, and started to stand, but Dean's hand tightened around hers. She glanced at him, and saw his questioning gaze. "I can see." She said. "You can't." She held up their enjoined hands. "This is so you don't accidentally run into a wall." Dean frowned at that. He could take care of himself perfectly well without assistance. Even so, his fingers closed around her much smaller ones, and she smiled.

"Clever." He said. Pounding his chest with his free hand, he stumbled to his feet. "And I get to hold your hand."

"For several short minutes." She responded. Her voice sweet, but the underlying tone had a harder edge.

"Honestly?" Dean asked. He looked down at her; she was brushing dirt off his shoulders. Her eyes scanning behind him, the walls he assumed. _Trying to find us a way out._ He didn't really like freak chicks for the most part, but, for once… _And I'll die before I ever admit it, even to Sammy_. It was kind of cool. _My own little superhero._ "I saved you from hitting cold hard cement darlin'. That's gotta buy me something better than a few minutes." She laughed, sliding past him as Dean smirked down at her.

"Maybe it does." She said. She pulled him along through the darkness, until he found himself touching a cold metal door. "Maybe it doesn't."

"Iron?" He asked. Dean hoped to God or whoever was listening that they'd gotten a lucky break. But Kelly shook her head.

"Steel." She told him. "Bobby taught me how to identify my metals." She rapped the thick door with her knuckles. "And this sucker? Well, it isn't iron." Dean swore softly.

He searched for the door handle with his free hand, his other hand closed tight around Kelly. He could barely see her, and if the ghost came down at them again, he wanted a firm grip. _I am not letting another ghost repeat Holms' performance. _ No she was staying as close to him as possible. "It doesn't open from this side does it?" He asked.

Kelly let go of his hand as she searched for hinges. "No." She replied. Shaking her head, she put a comforting hand on Dean's arm. "Don't worry, Dean." She said. Looking up at him with those odd shining eyes, a warm smile crossed her features. "Sam will get us out of here."

"Right." Dean said. Now knowing that asking for a kiss was definitely out. "Sammy to the rescue."

"You sure you want to do this boy?" Bobby asked, as Sam loaded up his shotgun and tucked his pistol in the back of his pants. "You got no clue of what might be waiting inside there."

"I know." Sam said. He shut the shotgun with a loud crack, and looked up at the house. _But Kelly is in there. _ He thought. _And Dean_. He'd seen the ways that Andrew Blake had murdered his victims. _I can't let that happen to her_. She'd already had a ghost's hands around her neck once, and Sam wasn't about to let that happen again. _Especially not when the ghost is wearing Dean's face._ His brother already had enough guilt on his plate. He didn't need to go through swallowing another mouthful over Kelly. _He's already got enough over that_. And Sam hadn't even managed to pin all of it down. Sam sighed, and grabbed his bag. He threw it over his shoulder, and then clicked the lock on the gate. "Keep an eye on the old girl, Bobby." He called. Turning around to give the older man a weather worn salute. "I'll be back shortly."

"I'm coming in there if you don't." Bobby said. His hands were on his own gun, as he too looked up at the house. "You get Dean and Kelly out of there." Sam nodded, and then he too walked up towards the house. This time the door refused to swing open to admit him, but he just leveled his shotgun and fired. Then he kicked the door free, and walked inside.

"God have mercy on your soul, boy." Bobby said, as Sam disappeared. "May God have mercy on your soul."

"Exactly." Kelly said. After several minutes of launching her shoulder into the door, it had become clear that it was not about to budge. After she'd tried, Dean had kicked it with his tired legs, but that hadn't helped. Kelly was pretty certain that the door outside was locked. "When has Sam ever let you down?" She glanced at him, from where they sat both leaning against the door. There were no exits or entrances other than this one, though there was a bit of light filtering down through some cracks overhead. But it was miniscule.

Dean smiled. "Well there was this one time in Arkansas…"

"Dean!"

"No." Dean said. "He's never let me down." He looked down at his knees when he said that, afraid to meet her eyes. _If I do I'm a goner._ He could see in her eyes just how much she trusted Sam, just like he did. _They have been all buddy, buddy for the past two months._ On the phone of course but it still counted. "Not once in all these years."

"That must be nice." Kelly said. She glanced at him, her shining translucent eyes returning to their original brown shade. Suddenly, the room around her seemed much darker. "To have that kind of security."

"Yeah." Dean said. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he looked at her. _And you've got that too._ He added silently. _You stupid girl._ Dean knew, better than anyone, that Sammy would always come for Kelly. _Just like I will_. "Hey." He said. He watched her raise her head in the darkness, and look at him. He could barely read her features in the gloom, but he could make out the confusion that was present. "After this, you're welcome to come back on the road with us."

"If we survive you mean?" Kelly asked.

"That's the general drill."

"I have to finish my training with Bobby." Kelly said. She scooted a foot or two closer to him, wrapping her arms around her legs. She shivered, and Dean pulled off his jacket.

"Here." He tossed it to her. As soon as he took it off he felt the biting chill of the air, as the damp cold raised the hairs on his arms. _The hell was she thinking wandering around here in just that top?_ He wondered. "Wear that."

Kelly pulled it on, thankful for something to stand against the cold. Wait, cold, was it getting colder. Kelly sharpened her senses but didn't feel anything. Still she couldn't relax. "Thanks." She said. "That helps."

"Yeah."

She waited for a few moments, and then she finally added. "Okay, Dean." She glanced up at him. "I'll think about it." At the confusion in his eyes, she sighed and added. "On the road with you." She smiled. "I'll think about it."

"Good." Dean said. Then he paused, not sure of what to say next, finally he added. "It would make Sam happy."

"Would it?" Kelly asked. She tilted her head, trying to examine him.

"Yeah." He said. "He'd like that a lot."

"Oh." Kelly rested her chin on her knees, her ears alert and listening to the sounds above her. She felt a flash, and stood. "Andrew's coming!" She shouted, turning around to face Dean. "Dean, what should we…" A hand snapped out and grabbed her by the throat, and Kelly was dragged forward to stare into the eyes of the man she trusted beyond all others, only to see a different man staring down at her out of his eyes.

"Actually." Andrew Blake said, through the mouth of Dean Winchester. "He's already here."

"Samuel Elkins!" Sam roared as he walked through the rooms of the mansion. "I know you're here Samuel!" His soft brown hair fell against his forehead as he lifted his hands. "Andrew's been forcing you to play out your own death for decades! It's time he was stopped!" This was his only hope, his last hope, if Elkins said no…. _Then Kelly could die._ And Sam couldn't let Kelly go. _Especially not at Dean's hands_. "He brings in lovers doesn't he? And then he makes you watch while he murders them, just like he murdered Mary Sue!" There was a whisper through the creaking walls at the mention of that name. Sam, who had brought a book of Latin to summon Elkins in case he couldn't force him to listen, knew that he had the ghost's attention. "He killed Mary Sue didn't he?" He called. "And he's been killing other girls like her. Help me stop him." The whisper vanished. "Help me save her Samuel! There's a girl I love in here too." He paused. "I mean a girl I might love! Someone I could! This is you're chance to help us, to help her, to help Mary Sue. This is your chance to atone!" There was a rush of wind, as Sam felt the world around him grow dark.

"It's always so sweet, isn't it?" Andrew Blake said. He walked around the end of the table, fixing the bonds that held Kelly fast against the old flat boards of the oak. "Wearing a skin like this?" He looked at Dean's arm. "Feeling what he feels when he looks at a girl." He leaned in close, his breath tickling Kelly's ear. "When he looks at you." There was a smile in that rough voice Kelly now knew so well. But it wasn't Dean's. "I know what you _are_." He hissed. Kelly's eyes snapped up. "Oh, don't worry Darlin' he doesn't, and he's not getting the secret from me." The ghost behind Dean's eyes smirked. "After all, possession doesn't mean full disclosure."

"What?" Kelly croaked. _No matter the day, I always end up some ghost's captive._ If her legs could move she would have kicked herself. Her fingers struggled to find some shard or fragment she could use to release herself. _I'm going to have to remember to keep a knife up my sleeve_. Just in case. _Like Jo. _ Kelly smirked, never in a million years would she have thought she'd reference anything to Jo.

"You're sweet." Andrew said, pressing Dean's finger against her lips. "Really, you are, and I don't want to kill you." He paused. Dean's head cocked to one side as Andrew looked down at Kelly. "Well, actually I do. Even more than usual." He pursed his lips. "Never killed one of your kind before, not sure how I should go about it. And I must say, your ruining the fun, since, well, you can see me." He shook Dean's head, paused for a second as if he was listening to something. "Aww, he doesn't want me to, how lovely." He smiled. "He keeps saying, you son of a bitch, you son of a bitch, I'll kill you, you son of a bitch." Blake's grin widened. "There's no better thing really, making a man kill his lover with his own two hands."

"We're not." She snapped, as those hands closed around her throat. She struggled in her bonds, her body wrenching up and down.

"No." He shook his head. "But I know how he feels, maybe it hasn't had time to develop, but being slapped with your death." Dean's face smiled. "Well, that'll just rip ole Deano apart inside." He leaned in close again. "And I love that, it eats me all up inside, it really does. Especially when you're cutting off what might have been." He leaned over Kelly, and pressed Dean's mouth against hers. "And what's been going on with that delightful Sammy boy." Dean smirked, and Kelly glared at Andrew coldly. "Well, this might just be enough to satisfy me for another year." He flicked his finger up her cheek, and Kelly flinched away. "Maybe, with all this heartbreak."

There was a bang as the steel door slammed open. Kelly's head turned, and she saw Sam standing there. Except it wasn't Sam. "Blake!" She heard Samuel Elkins cry, through Sam's voice as one brother charged the other. They met in the center of the room, and Kelly rolled sideways flexing her bonds, as she kicked her legs out. There was a lot of scuffling, and she winced, hearing a Winchester fist connect with a Winchester jaw.

"It's a pity that little trick of hers is all used up." She heard Blake say through Dean's voice. "I don't know how you're going to get me out of this body now."

"You killed Mary Sue." Sam snarled.

"If I recall, you killed her, I just put a gun to your head." Dean replied. "Pity, really, you chose your own skin over your woman. Well my woman. Even if she was a bit of a…." Sam roared and slammed Dean into the wall. The dust settled on their shoulders, and there was another bang. Kelly looked up to see Elkins leaping out of Sam's body and through Dean to drag Andrew out. The brothers stared at each other. Stunned.

"Sam!" She yelled. Sam dropped his brother and yanked a butterfly knife out of his pocket. He walked over to Kelly.

"Where's that son of a bitch's bones?" Dean snarled. He leaned against the wall, his breath pounding. Watching as Sam untied Kelly's bonds. The girl slid off the table, and threw her arms around his brother. Sam looked stunned, but he smiled as he gripped her tightly against his body. _Well, Sammy gets to be the big hero and I get to be the one who nearly kills her_. Oh, well. That was how his luck tended to go. _But I've gotten plenty of chicks. _ Somehow though, seeing Kelly in his brother's arms, well it forced a lump to rise up into the back of his throat. Dean didn't like it. In truth he hadn't liked it the first time he'd walked in on them hugging. _Right after Jo kissed me._ He couldn't be blamed for kissing her back. After all

"Are you okay?" Sam asked. Kelly let go of him slowly, and Sam released his hold on her with regret. She nodded.

"Yeah." She said. "Where's he buried?" With one finger Sam Winchester pointed to the wall behind Dean. "In there." He said. His voice was quiet, as Kelly brushed past him to grab the set of old shovels left outside the door. She picked several up and then tossed them across the room, one to Sam, and then one to Dean. "Let's get digging." She said. "I want to burn this sucker personally." Sam couldn't help it. He hid a grin behind his hand.

_Looks like she's taking this all in stride. _ He thought, as she jammed her elbow into Dean's ribs.

"Move." She snapped. Taking her shovel, she drove it in between the mortar and the cement. "Stupid son of a bitch of a ghost…" She muttered.

"I want this guy just as badly as you do." Dean informed her. He too began to slice apart the wall. "Maybe more."

'You strangled me!" She growled. Yanking out one of the cement blocks, she carefully moved her feet away as she let it fall to one side. "And you think you want his ass more?" She shook her head. "No. Sorry. Dibs." Sam leaned on his shovel with a smile.

"You can't call dibs on a ghost." Dean said, as he pulled another block away. "And it was my body he took that puts me…" He trailed off as the stench of a molded rotting corpse hit them. "Oh, this guy went bad."

"Allow me." Sam said. He walked forward and pulled out a canister of salt and a lighter. "Here." He handed Dean the salt. "You salt him."

"Kerosene?" Dean asked. He took the salt and poured it over the dead man's body.

"I'll do that." Sam said. "For Elkins." He tossed the clear liquid over the bones.

"I can't believe you let a ghost possess you." Dean muttered.

"That was the only way to save Kelly and you know it." Sam replied. Kelly walked past him and held a spare match she always kept hidden in her boot up to the lighter. When it sparked into a small flame she tossed it onto the bones. Far away, she thought she heard screaming.

"Ballsy of you Sam." She said. Kelly clapped him on the shoulder, and turned Sam around. "I'm impressed."

"Oh, now your impressed." Dean snapped. "I save you from cracking your head on cement after falling down a flight of stairs, and you're impressed…"

"He let himself get possessed by a ghost." Kelly said, pressing her lips against Sam's cheek.

"And that's better than taking the impact of my body and yours?" Dean raised his eyebrow. He was annoyed. But he couldn't help but be suggestive. "You weren't complaining when you were sleeping on top of me." Sam stiffened, and Dean smirked.

Kelly shrugged. "How could I?" She asked. "I was out cold. Is that how you like all your women Dean?" She asked as Sam chuckled. "Unconscious?'

"Only in a basement." Dean replied. "Is that all?"

"You tried to strangle me." Then she headed out the steel door and up the steps. "I'm going to find Tom." She announced over her shoulder and disappeared.

"Women." Dean sighed, and followed her. Sam smiled, his fingers pressing against his cheek. Then he too, left the basement. The cold stale air was chilled in the darkness, as the steel door slammed shut with a clang. In the gloom there was the rustle of a breeze through the empty cement cellar, and a pair of golden eyes burned alive against the far right wall. As outside the sound of two engines revving echoed down into the hidden grotto of the Blake House, the Yellow Eyed Demon smiled. He tapped his finger against his skull as he looked at the smoldering bones. Then, he too, vanished.

AN: This chapter's a little shorter than the others, but it was a bitch to write. But I hope y'all enjoyed. Dean/Kelly's in the lead with 3 votes. Sam/Kelly has 2, while one person is still rooting for the shareathon. Let me know what you think.


	15. Chapter 15: Coming to the Crossroads

Chapter Fifteen: Coming to the Crossroads

She ran. Fast and far, her breath beating out in a steady rhythm. Steam rose into the dark night sky, a pale and puffy silver cloud. Brush and needles cut into the pads of her feet. Her eyes focused in on the figure in front of her. It was a woman. She smelled of fresh lavender and roses. It stood out strongly against the brine. Her smell was mixed with that of peroxide as she ran on ahead. Blonde hair flowed out behind her, her jacket flapping in the wind, as she fled down towards the bank of the Mississippi River. She inhaled a deep draft of wind, her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Red and hot, she panted, cutting back and forth through the trees as she ran. Her ears flicking back and forth intently and catching the rhythmic pounding of bare feet against grass and sand, she settled into an easy gait. She had time. The clock had just struck twelve. To the left and right she could feel her brothers, they moved silently between the Red and Florida maples. Disappearing and then reappearing out of the fog like ghosts, their black burnished fur glittering in the diadems of water caught by moonlight. They're paws leaving no trace of their passing as they dashed down a sandy embankment, following their prey. The woman dived into the thick flowing water, it's brown murky depths lightened by the full moon glowing overhead. Clouds filtered across the sky, hiding the woman from view, but not from her eyes. Her lips curled back into a snarl, revealing a set of long white canines, as she slid to a stop at the bank. She barked, madly, pacing back and forth. Water was not a domain she could readily enter, but she was a patient creature. The night was still young, with the glowing moon only half way across the sky. In one smooth motion, in a spring of sinew and tendon, her black brother, his ruff gleaming out of the fog like a black bullet launched himself off of the bank. In the water the woman screamed, as the current dragged her down river, and the black beast splashed down on top of her. She stood on the bank, her head cocked to one side as she paced back and forth. Waiting. Waiting for her brother to drag their prey from the water. The woman screamed and thrashed back and forth, the brown waters of the Mississippi running red as large jaws seized her shoulder, and dragged her backwards. Suddenly they both disappeared beneath the water. She panted, her lips curling into a smile as she paced the bank. She and her other brother disappearing and then reappearing in the thick fog that now swept in to cover the shore. While she would have preferred action for herself, the Hunter realized only the job at hand. Scent, Hunt, Return. It was her mantra. It was all she knew.

Sharp eyes remained honed on the surface of the water. Then there was a splash. The blonde woman gasped as she stumbled up onto the bank, and the Hunters moved in. Spray rose to pepper their noses, but it evaporated as quickly as it came in the muggy air. Drool dribbled down her chin as she advanced on the woman. The woman screamed and tried to run. She lunged. Her teeth sank into the woman's calve. Hot blood bubbled into her mouth as she dragged her down. The taste of iron teased her tongue as she ripped and tore. A blur of motion the other brother was on her arm, tugging the woman sideways. Their leader settled on the blonde's chest. His large talons digging into her chest, as he gazed down into her eyes. The woman lay frozen beneath him. She snarled. The leader's rear claws sank into the soft flesh of the woman's belly. The night air was filled with screaming.

Shady Lakes Motel

Greenwood, Mississippi

Kelly Jones woke drenched in sweat. The sheets slipping off her slim body, and her hair clung to her neck and cheeks as she sat bolt upright. She gasped. Her lungs sucking in heavy muggy air, and her heart pounded in her chest. _I feel like I've just run a marathon._ She thought. Looking down at her sweat drenched arms, she frowned, thick droplets slipped down her elbows and into the covers. Her powder blue spaghetti strap that she used as a sleep shirt was stained midnight blue beneath her breasts and under her arms. She swallowed more air, the thick water greasing her throat as it went down into her lungs.

Kelly really hated Mississippi. It was the most miserable of any job she'd ever worked. And while those were, admittedly, few and far between. But for once she was glad that Sam was a cover hog. Sharing the bed with him was too hot, so they'd kicked off the covers, but they still fought for the sheets. _Last couple of days I've been waking up cool as a cucumber. _ Left exposed in nothing but her spaghetti strap and boxer shorts. _It's just too hot for pajama pants._ She thought. Flicking excess sweat from her brow, she slid her legs over the side of the bed, and pushed the sheets over onto Sam's still form. _It was just a dream._ She thought. The taste of hot blood was still on her tongue. _Just a dream._ She glanced down at Sam, a small smile on her lips. She reached out and slid her hand over his thick mop of brown hair. She loved the feel of his hair between the cracks of her fingers. It was better conditioned than hers. Over the past few weeks, she'd seriously contemplated stealing his shampoo and conditioner. After all, he just left it lying out in the shower, so what was the harm of stealing it once? Well, twice… _I'm not like you._ She thought. Looking down on his peaceful angelic face, her lips tugged into a larger smile. His hair flopped over his forehead stubbornly, giving his features the lonely artist cast, or those of the soulful man, or even that of the sensitive guy. _The nice guy_. She thought. But Sam was more than just a nice guy. At least, he was to her.

Looking up, her heart still hammering in her chest, she glanced across the room to Dean's bed. _I can't fight the urge. _ She thought. He was still the one whose arms she wanted to curl up in after she had a nightmare. Mostly because he would tell a joke, and suddenly everything would seem okay. Sam had a similar calming aspect to him, and he made her feel safe. _But…_ With Dean there was always a certainty. She stood, and walked over to his bed. Running her hands over the sheets of the still made bed, she crawled onto the covers. _It doesn't even look slept in_. She thought. Her body curling into a ball, as she closed her eyes, remembering.

"No Sam." Dean said. Crossing his arms over his chest after tossing a black duffle bag onto the motel bed he'd claimed two days before. "Not even if all the hounds of hell were on my tail."

"_Dean." Sam said. Dean's adamant refusal was seconds after Sam had offered bed to Kelly, so that she would have a place to sleep. "You're being unreasonable." Though, he wasn't a particular fan of sharing a bed with his brother, it was the gentlemanly thing to do. _

"_The hell I am." Dean snapped. "I am not becoming a member of the pickle parade." _

"_Are you suggesting I sleep on the floor, then?" Kelly asked. She suddenly felt exasperated with the entire situation. She was exhausted from dealing with Blake and Elkins; she knew Sam and Dean were both too._ Can't this wait until morning? _She wondered. "Otherwise I have to sleep with somebody." _

"_Share a bed." Sam said. Raising his hands as Dean took a threatening step forwards. "Nobody's suggesting anything else." _

"_Speak for yourself." Dean muttered._

"_What?" Kelly asked. _

"_Nothing. Kelly can sleep with me." Dean said. The way he spoke was as if that decided everything. Kelly frowned at him. _

"_Why you?" Sam asked._

"_Because I'm the oldest." Dean replied. His voice firm. _

"_And that's fair how?" Sam asked. The tension rose in his voice, and he cleared his throat. A faint flush rising to his cheeks as he glanced at Kelly. _

"_You want to share a bed with her?" Dean asked. He wasn't really surprised; he just didn't expect Sam to speak up about his feelings. The boy was the go with the flow type, and he tended to acquiesce to whatever Dean said_. Except this time. _But then his little brother had come charging into a ghost infested house, let himself be possessed, all in the name of saving a girl he didn't love._ He also spent hours on the phone with her while we were supposed to be hunting. _If that didn't scream love, Dean didn't know what did. "Well, too bad, she's staying with me." _

"_I think I have a right…" Kelly began._

"_Just so you can molest her in the middle of the night?" Sam asked. "No way, Dean." _

"_Hey." Kelly snapped._

"_Nobody said anything about molesting." Dean said. "The last time we spent the night together I kept my hands to myself." _

"_And we all saw how that turned out." _

"_Boys!" Kelly growled. She stepped between them, her hands on each of their chests. "I have a way to settle this." _

"_Yeah?" Sam asked._

"_Let's hear it." Dean said._

_Kelly took a deep breath. "Let's just share. I'll stay next to one of you one night and the other the next." They were going to be on the road a while. So something had to be done. "Agreed?" She turned away when they nodded. To fed up to deal with either of their childish behavior. _

"_So who gets her tonight?" Dean asked. He raised a leering eyebrow, a smirk fixed on his lips. He glanced at Kelly who was heading towards the shower. She was muttering something about dust. _ Fucking dust. _He grinned. Dean watched with mild excitement as she stripped off her top before entering the bathroom._ I could watch her all day. _He thought. He was happy to finally have a woman around with no sense of real shame. _ Or body image._ He still got dressed in the bathroom after his showers for Sammy's sake. _ But if it was just me and Kelly…

"_Dunno." Sam said. His gaze followed his brother, but seeing a back of clean skin sent his eyes to the floor. "Have some decency Dean." He muttered. Jamming his elbow into his brother's ribs as she readjusted his gaze. _

"_Sinning is a damn good thing." Dean said. Still taking in the sight. Kelly reached out of the bathroom and flipped him the bird. He laughed. "And I left decency on the side of the road years ago." _

"_I can hear you." Kelly's voice drifted from the bathroom, and Dean listened to the knob twist and the shower start. _

"_You're hot!" He called. Then he turned back to his brother. "Play you for it?" He asked, lifting his fists. Sam nodded, and after a rapid turn of ro-sham-bo, Sam was realized the winner. _

"_Dean." Sam smirked. Shaking his head as he tossed his duffle on the bed next to Kelly's plaid bag. "Always with the scissors." _

"_Two out of three." Dean said. He raised his hands, ready for a second round. They went at it again, and Dean lost. "Oh come on!" Dean growled. Suddenly realizing that he'd used scissors twice against Sammy's rock. _

"_Better luck next time Dean." Sam said. Walking over to his bed, he relaxed onto it, his head behind his hands. Waiting for the girl to get out of the shower._

"_Shit." Dean mumbled. Listening to the hot water with irrepressible jealousy_.

_And I told Sam the same thing I told Dean_. Kelly thought. Breathing in the lingering scent left on the pillows. _I have shared a bed with a man before. A man who wasn't either of them._ It was calming. Somewhat. _It was just a dream_. She repeated. It was like a mantra in her brain. _I'm not Sam, I don't have visions_. She just smelled ghosts, and burned them out of people's bodies. What was so strange about that? _I'm just skipping the part with the long Latin incantation_. She sighed. _Maybe that makes me a cheater_. But it kept her alive. _Mostly. _ She closed her eyes. Remembering.

"_We'll be good as long as you don't grope me." Kelly said as she sank down onto the bed next to Sam. From the look in those soulful brown eyes, she was glad she'd had the decency to put on her pajamas._ Though I won't be able to save him from the lotion. _She'd bought a bottle of Jergen's at the local Wal-mart for six ninety-nine and she intended to use it._ Though if it were Dean. _ She probably would have tempted him._ Just because I can. _She thought. She began to rub lotion up her legs. Not in a sultry way, but she was utterly of aware of the fact that Dean's eyes weren't leaving her body. _ The last thing I want is to give him a free show._ She thought. But she continued anyway._

"_Yeah. Keep your pecker in your pouch Sammy." Dean said. He leaned forward on his bed, while Sam stared determinedly at his computer files. "I'm sure she doesn't want a rack of ham slapping her in the middle of the night." _

"_Must you be so crude Dean?" Sam asked. He was flipping through reports, and trying to keep his mind focused on his computer. But Dean knew that the smell of a fresh young girl was probably getting a little much for him to take._

Hell it's getting a little much for me to take. _ He opened his mouth to respond to Sammy, but Kelly beat him to it. _

"_Naturally." Kelly said. "It's part of his genetic makeup." _

"_Oh, and you'd know?" Dean asked. Kelly stuck out her tongue at him, and she moved on to her left leg. Making sure to cover each and every part of her skin. Expertly. "Yeah, you would." He muttered. Then he rolled onto his back. "Find anything interesting Sammy?" _

"_They're have been a couple reports of black dogs appearing in a small town called Greenwood. And an architect died by falling off the top story of his apartment building. They're saying it was a suicide." Sam said. _

"_So we should check that out." Dean said. He rolled onto his side. Trying not to look at Kelly. When he risked a glance over his shoulder he found that she'd moved onto her arms and her chest. _ Damn it! _He thought._ I'm glad she's not in my bed. And yet somehow, he couldn't deny the wish that she was. Who am I kidding? _He thought, rolling over._ The last night we spent together was pure torture. _ And it had been the best sleep of his life._

"_Right or left?" Sam asked Kelly. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back. Dean threw his pillow over his ear, trapped in complete misery._

That was how it went, every night since. When it was Kelly's turn to sleep with Sam, Dean always made it his business to be elsewhere. Kelly wondered if he was trying to help his brother. _Or maybe he doesn't want to be around, if by a miracle Sam does get laid._ That of course would require Kelly to make up her mind. _And I love them both so much_. She didn't really have the heart to. Things were fine as they were. _Then Dean talks about black dogs, and I start dreaming. _ She slid off of Dean's bed and walked to the bathroom sink. _He only ever leaves after I'm asleep though._ She thought, turning on the faucet and splashing her sweat soaked face with cold water. As the water ran, she lifted her eyes to stare at her reflection. A face made alien by two glowing orbs met her own. She lifted her fingers to touch her cheek, as she stared into a set of molten gold eyes. _Oh, no, no, no, no… _ They burned brightly out of her face, hot like the sun around her pupil, and contained in her iris only by a slim circle of umber. It was only a shade darker than the brilliant color encompassing her once brown eyes. But a hairsbreadth was enough of a distinction. _No, no, no… _ She raked her fingers through the roots of her hair. Terror swimming through those alien eyes, as she stared at her reflection. _Not now. _ She was freaky enough as it was, and she didn't want to have to explain this new development to either of the boys. _They have enough on their plates._ And the yellow-eyed man's words still hammered in her head. _I'd rather not find Dean strung up on a tree with crows pecking at his entrails._ But that was just her. _And if Sam knew he'd feel the same way._ But Sam didn't know. This was her secret. One she intended to keep on pain of death. Her nails dug into her palms as she squeezed her eyes shut. Taking deep steady breaths, she forced the unpleasant memories, tastes, and sensations back into the carefully guarded boxes in her brain. When at last she opened her eyes, they'd returned to their normal muddy brown shade. She exhaled with relief, crossing the room to perch on the uncomfortable comfy chair that managed to find it's way into the corner of every motel room. She picked up her cell phone off the nightstand, and flipped it open. The silver Motorola Razor felt good between her fingers as she selected her contacts list. 'D' brought Dean to the top of the list, and she hovered over the button for a long minute. Then she pressed send.

The Cara-la-Boo-Boo Bar

Greenwood, Mississippi

Dean Winchester was in a very uncomfortable place to be receiving a call. The Caralaboo-boo Bar, fifteen minutes away from the Shady Lakes Motel, was hopping as he made his way off the dance floor. Parched and in search of refreshment, he headed towards the bar. It was Sam's night with Kelly, and that meant Dean was burying himself in work. _Share and share alike. _ Was the old saying. Dean didn't really agree with it. _But then I am a selfish bastard_. A cowardly one too, since he could never come out and straight up say what he felt. _But then, I did try to kill her_. She had a right to be angry with him about that. Except she's not. Dean had found over the past few weeks that he was more angry with himself. More than anything else or anyone else. _I'm angry at me. _ He motioned for the bartender to get him another beer, and he downed it. He was a fan of the darker beers himself, even if Sammy liked the lighter kind. It had more taste, more texture, more everything. It's not that I think Sammy will sleep with her. Sammy was a stiff half the time who couldn't make conversation, and the rest he was too awkward and gentlemanly to even contemplate trying to make a move. _On the girl sleeping peacefully next to him_. And out of respect for his brother. _Who is obviously carrying a major jones for her._ Dean couldn't either. As much as he wanted too.

Dean contemplated the file in front of him. It was hard to keep his mind on business with hot ladies all around. _But work comes first. _ Kelly as the kind of girl who understood that. _She's a fine hunter. _ Though he'd never tell her that. _Sammy'll just ruin her_. If they got together it would be white picket fences and a life of normal. _If Kelly can ever be normal_. He thought, taking another swig of his beer. He looked over the reports of people who had been hearing strange noises, barking, and reporting black dogs. _It's probably worth running down to the local Animal Control to find out who and what._ He thought. That was a journey for the next day. _If I manage to get any sleep. _ If he did it would probably be from curling up in the back seat of the Impala. Cause there was no way in hell he'd go into the motel room. _Not if I find Sammy and Kelly spooning. _He could function without sleep. Especially if it meant missing that kind of mind searing sight. _It's just nice to get a few winks of shut eye_. But the only nights he managed that, were the ones when Kelly was in his bed. _Though I swear Sam stays up half the time watching me_. That was good ole' Sammy, ready to strike if a single nasty thought even crossed is brother's mind. _I think he did last night._ Dean thought. He'd woken up with a swollen jaw. _Though that might have been Kelly._

Across the bar a pretty brunette smiled at him. Dean smiled back, and gave her his infamous nod. She was in the middle of standing up to approach him when his cell phone went off. Dean checked the time. It was one in the morning. _Who the hell would be calling me now?_ He wondered looking down at the caller ID. The listing was 'Girl, My'. _Kelly_. He thought. Flicking it open he put it to his ear. _She must have had a nightmare._ "Hey honey." He said.

"Hi dear." Came the sweet response. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Darlin' I told you never to bother me at work." He raised a hand to the brunette. She pursed her lips, and looked bored. Dean took it that she wasn't the type to be kept waiting. _Probably means she's fun in the sack._ That or she was everyman's merry-go-round. _Use the glove you get less love, but it'll scratch_. Okay, so he sucked at rhyming. He turned his attention back to the phone. "Did you want to know when Daddy's coming home?"

"Oh please baby." Came the sarcastic response. "I want to know. I'm so lonely here without you." _Oh, how I really wish you meant that. _ Dean thought, as he smiled at the brunette. He chuckled as she added melodramatically. "I want you. I need you. Oh baby, oh baby." _Somebody needs to tell her to lay off Ten Things I Hate About You._ He thought with a smirk. But he appreciated nineties references every now and again.

"Well you do owe me for saving your ass." He told her. Leaning across the table he fixed his eyes on the brunette. The girl was getting up and heading towards him. _Oh, I wish I could pretend she was you_. He thought. Brushing away dried peanut shells and left over napkins off the clear golden surface, he leaned back into his chair. His fingernails cutting into the dents in the hardwood. He and Kelly had started the tradition of calling each other pet names out of one of their tiny spats shortly after Sammy and Kelly started sharing a bed every other night. _In her own way, she's telling me she's worried_. Plus it was a great way to make her jealous and get rid of unwanted attention. _Like right now_. He thought as the brunette slid into the bar seat across from him.

"Hey." The girl said. She offered her hand, palm down, French tipped fingernails extended. "I'm Jill."

"You tried to strangle me." Kelly replied. Oblivious to anything happening on Dean's side of the conversation. "Wait, where are you?"

"Nosey girlfriend?" Jill asked. She tossed her freshly iron sheet of dark brown hair over one beautifully tanned shoulder.

"Wife, actually." Dean said. He was happily lying through his teeth. Though the idea of being married appalled him. He set down the phone and took her hand.

"I don't see a ring tan." She said, her fingers sidling over the back of his hand.

"Don't wear it often." He shrugged. _So she's not scared off by the fact that I'm supposedly married._ He had to admit, he liked that in a girl. _Everyone should cheat at least once in their life._ He thought. Lips tugging as he pulled his hand back out of her grasp.

"Oh." Jill said. She tilted her head to the side, examining him with slanted black eyes. "Unhappy marriage?" Then she leaned across the table. "I can give you a night you'll never forget." She whispered and Dean felt a chill race up his spine. _Oh, someone's happy._ He thought.

"Dean?" It was Kelly's voice on the other end of the line. She sounded impatient.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Any leads?" Dean coughed at her question, a very dirty joke coming to mind. How long had it been since he'd gotten any?

"Oh yeah." He said, staring into Jill's eyes. She dipped her finger into her drink, then lifted it to her mouth and suckled, her tongue flicking back and forth over the tip. Dean shuddered, this sort of thing had never been a problem for him before.

"Really?" She didn't sound convinced. "You seem distracted.'

"Not at all." Dean said. "I turned up some big leads, real big." He still couldn't help but smile over the fact that since she was talking to him, that meant she was snuggling on the comfy chair, and Sam was in bed. Alone. Unfortunately, Jill seemed to think his smile was meant for her.

"You're with someone aren't you?" Kelly said.

"No." Dean said. "I'm not with anyone."

"Why don't you hang up the phone?" Jill said. She scooted her chair around until she was sitting next to him, one hand sliding up his arm, the other across his chest. "Three's company."

"And four's a crowd." That was Sammy. When had he woken up? "Say goodnight Dean."

"Sammy?" Dean began, but there was a click as the phone turned off. He stared at it. Damn it Sam. But Jill was now practically in his lap, and Dean realized he suddenly had much bigger fish to fry. _Starting with the problem rising below_.

"You alright?" Sam asked. He had pried the phone loose from Kelly's fingers when she'd heard the voice of the other woman. He didn't like the shock that was mixed together with mild anger. He worried the most when she affected stunned silence.

"I'm fine." She smiled up at him. But he didn't believe it for one second. "It was just Dean being Dean." She shook her head and slid to her feet. "Let's go back to bed."

"You know you can always wake me up when you have nightmares." Sam said. He caught her by the arm, and she met his eyes with her wide brown ones. "Or for anything."

"I know." She said, running her hand over his cheek. "But you're so cute when you sleep." Sam chuckled as he followed her back towards the bed. They slid back in together, and he rolled over to prepare to go back to sleep. But before he could, he heard her soft voice. "Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Could, you, you know maybe just…" She trailed off, and rolled over. "Hold me tonight?"

Sam swallowed. "Sure." He said, carefully sliding his arms around her thin frame. _This is what you get for going to bars Dean. _ He thought, resting his chin on the pillow above her head, as he held her against him. Then he closed his eyes. Neither of them woke until morning.

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	16. Chapter 16: Shadows of the Truth

Chapter Sixteen: Shadows of the Truth

Joe's Diner

Greenwood, Mississippi

"How long are you going to hold this against me?" Dean asked, for what felt like the fifth time. He and Sam were sitting a corner booth of the local diner. It was three blocks from the motel, which was why they'd elected to come here for lunch, and run by a very large balding man named Joe. From what Dean could gather Joe only ever worked on Sunday's, and that meant the food was probably only good on Sundays. _Hey, beggars can't be choosers._ The place was furnished like an old relic from the fifties with rocket red padding on the booths and a jukebox in the corner. He had already been sitting here for a half an hour, but the waitress had yet to bring either him or Sam food. _But I'm never choosing this place again. I tell you._ He thought. Rapping his knuckles against the table, as he stared at his brother.

"How long do you plan to be a jackass?" Sam responded, crossing his hands over his keyboard. Dean was willing to admit he was a little hung over from the previous night. _Very…_ It had taken three bottles of water and four Advil to make the room stop spinning long enough to find his way into bed. Of course his rough night at the bar after ditching the scantily clad hottie hadn't helped his temper, nor had walking into the motel room to find his brother spooning with 'his' girl. Well, it hadn't gone well from there. He'd managed to find the balance to wake Sam up and strike him good and hard across the face. _Except Kelly repaid me in kind_. The girl was horribly evil when woken up out of a peaceful slumber. _She's evil most days_. But Dean was never going to shock her awake ever again. _That can be Sam's job_. So this afternoon both boys were sporting one lopsided puffy red cheek. _Except Sammy has a black eye, so I win._ But then again, Kelly had punched him, growled something unintelligible at both of them and climbed back into bed. Then Dean had passed out. He didn't know what had happened with Sammy after that.

"Can't help that." Dean said. He pressed a set of cool fingers against the lump on his cheek. _But since I upended him out of a very comfortable position, it's no surprise that Sammy is angry with me_. Again.

"Dean," Sam said. "You were on the phone with Kelly." The way the words came out of it, Dean interpreted that it was supposed to mean something.

_Look out, here comes Sammy the moral champion. _ "Yeah?" Dean asked. He was fairly certain he knew where this was leading, but sticking a hornet up Sammy's righteous bonnet was always a good time. _If only Kelly were around to see it_. Where was she anyway? It made him nervous when she was out of his line of sight. Trouble chased her like a bloodhound intent on a scent, and it always caught up at the most inopportune moment.

"And you were letting yourself be propositioned by a girl." Sam said. He was speaking very slowly, as if he was trying to convey how horrendous Dean's crime was. And why he'd been deserving of a solid punch to his right cheek.

"Yeah.' Dean raised his eyebrows challengingly.

"After she called you, _you_ specifically Dean, to comfort her after a nightmare." Sam said. "And you ignored her for some sleazy tramp you could pick up in any bar along the East Coast!" _Sammy's getting on his soap box_. Dean thought, perfectly amused. His brother's hands were raised, and he was gesturing wildly.

"Here's your problem." Dean said. He leaned forward across the table and poked his brother in the chest. "You're jealous." He smirked and nodded.

"No I'm not, Dean." Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah, you are." Dean said. Wiping his hands on one of the napkins, he peered into the back, looking for his food. "You're jealous that she called me instead of waking you."

"I'm asking that you treat the girl with a little respect, Dean." Sam snapped, waving his arm. "You hurt her feelings last night. She was relying on you and you slapped her across the face."

"I didn't sleep with that girl Sam." Dean said. His voice hard. "I haven't had sex since Kelly fell into my lap." His voice was low. "That's two long months Sammy that I've been celibate, so don't bitch at me about treating her with respect."

"You need to apologize to her." Sam said. Dean sighed.

"She hit me in the face Sam." He shrugged. "She can deal." He glanced around. "Where is she anyway?"

"She took off this morning." Sam said. He'd returned to his computer, still fuming, but having realized he wasn't going to make any headway with his brother, he'd decided to focus his efforts in a more productive direction.

"Took off?" Dean asked. "Where was I?"

"Sleeping." Dean sighed very loudly at Sammy's perfunctory response.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Dean leaned forward. "Did you ever think I might've wanted to know where she was going Sammy?" Even if he'd been going out to bars nearly every night, he never went back to anyone's place, and never brought them back to his. No, instead he moped around and took out his sexual energies by making cracks at the girl who was quickly becoming the object of his affections. Even if he, Dean Winchester, was not yet ready to admit it. _Not that I could_. Any bed he shared with her would be crowded by three people. _Kelly, myself, and Sammy_. With Sam in the mix Dean found himself going back and forth over the issue. _I want Sammy to be happy_. But at the same time… _I want to be happy_.

"Honestly?" Sam frowned at his brother. "She wasn't really all that happy with you this morning." He glanced up from his computer. "It was safer to let you sleep."

"Yeah? For who?"

"Look, Dean. She's confused, angry, and probably a little scared." Sam crossed his arms and leaned back into the rocket red padding of the booth. He surveyed his brother. "And I don't blame her, you've been blowing hot and cold all week." Dean opened his mouth to argue. "Add to that the fact that her sleeping pattern has been growing more restless than usual…"

"What she's psychic like you now?" Dean asked. Disbelief colored his voice. He tilted his head to look up at his little brother. Challenge was written all over his expression.

"That's not it." Sam said. "Never mind." He shook his head.

"So where is she?" Dean asked. _Damn it's just like her to take off when she's frightened or afraid and try to find all the solutions on her own_. He hated that about her.

"I figured it would be better if we went over this by ourselves." Sam said. "She's more than a little distressed."

"You don't know where she is." Dean said. Staring at his brother, slack jawed as the waitress put a large cheeseburger melt in front of him. For once, he wasn't even tempted by the aroma. "Some shining knight you are."

"She sends me a text message every two hours." Sam said, as his cell phone went off. "She's alive and breathing."

"I can't believe you let her wander off on her own." Dean sighed.

"What was I supposed to do Dean?" Sam asked. "Tie her to the bed?"

_Dear god, yes that would be so hot._ "Yes!" Dean snapped. "If it kept her safe, then yes Sammy, that's what you do."

"She'll be fine Dean." Sam said.

"The hell she will." Dean snarled. "Every time, every time we've split up she's gotten herself in trouble. Kelly doesn't have a good track record with keeping out of danger, and she's talented at dragging everyone else into it with her."

"Now you sound like Jo." Sam laughed.

"I just don't like being caught with my pants down." Dean said. He took a big bite of his cheeseburger. Dipping his fries in the ketchup, he stuck it in his mouth, and downed them with a gulp of coke. "And Kelly has a habit of finding her way into…" He decided not to mention what had happened the last time she'd opened the bathroom door without knocking. "Awkward situations."

"She'll be fine." Sam repeated. "She's more experienced now, and she can take care of herself. Bobby saw to that." He tossed his brother his phone. "Check for yourself."

"We're going to Graves and Ash." Dean said. He stood quickly and started heading towards the door. Sam sighed.

"We have more important things to do." He said. He was unable to admit that he had no idea where Kelly really was, especially to Dean. _Since Graves and Ash run through the whole of this city._ And she'd most likely be gone from by the time they got there. _She's on foot though_. Normally he'd say she wouldn't get far, but the girl had made it into downtown Greenwood in three hours. Sam had discovered over the time that they'd spent together that he could never really predict what Kelly would do. He covered his mouth to hide a smile at the memory of her landing a solid punch on Dean's cheek. Her hand was probably swollen by now, but still, he would cherish that image. _She promised to be on hand if we needed her. _ But she'd said that there were some things she needed to investigate on her own. Sam wasn't about to stand in her way, he just wished she'd let him come with her. _She looked spooked last night_. More than usual, and he was certain that it had nothing to do with Dean's fraternization. _She's been having more nightmares to. _ "Here." He said, as Dean sat back down. He handed him a packet. "There's lore about black dogs in every culture in the world. Some people say they're animal spirits." He shook his head. "But they're mostly seen as Death Omens. No ones really sure, everything about them is pretty vague." He pulled out a sheaf of pictures and handed it to his brother. Dean put aside the packet and began flipping through the images.

"Woo." Dean said. "Wouldn't want this guy humping your leg." He showed Sam a picture of a tall thick furred black dog with huge claws on its front paws and smaller ones on its hind legs. The long sleek tail lashed sideways in the drawing. Sam stared down at its golden eyes. They're shape was frighteningly familiar. "Ugly monsters."

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Okay, so let's go talk to Sean Boyden's partner and then check out Animal control." Dean said. "Maybe there are more reports of invisible black dogs roaming the city, we should know who's seeing them." Dean glanced at Sam, handing back the pictures. "Let's go to work." He stretched, and then strode off. Sam looked down at the huge streamlined animal on the page. He shook his head, then he followed his brother.

Kelly walked down the bustling Twelfth Street in downtown Greenwood, the Mississippi sun burning high in the sky above her. She'd liberally applied sunscreen to her arms, cheeks, nose, and ears. _And I can still feel the UV scorching my face_. She sighed. _I really hate Mississippi_. Just walking down the street was hazardous here, with old men leering from their corners, and the homeless grabbing at her arms, begging for a crust of bread. _Or to be taken on_. She shuddered. _Why do they do that?_ She wondered. Slipping in between the milling crowds that moved in a slow current down the street, away from the cars, her mind focused on what she'd dreamed of the night before. _I found the blonde._ A quick visit to the morgue in the Police Department had confirmed that. It had been terribly easy to slip past them. She just cried a lot about her sister and how her sister hadn't come home the night before. _Officer Murray asked me what she looked like and I described the woman in my dreams. _ Perfect match. _Which is frightening on it's own. _ And definitely not something she could admit to Sam or Dean. She stopped and sniffed the air. The scent of the black dogs was surprisingly traceable. _Even when my senses are at their weakest_. It was troubling. She ran her fingers through her hair, and found an empty stoop. She collapsed onto it, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her eyes lifted to watch the people pass by. _Do I really want to know what they were?_ She wondered.

"What are ye doin' ya silly creature?" Came a voice from above her. An old black woman with grizzled white hair was standing on the top of the stairs, broom in hand. She shook it menacingly at Kelly. "I won't have no strays sittin' on my stairs." She brushed it at Kelly.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry." Kelly said. She hurriedly stumbled to her feet. "I was just looking for a place to rest. I didn't…."

"Shoo, shoo." The woman said. She poked the handle of the broom at Kelly. "Don't you bark at me, move along now."

"Hey." Kelly started, as a young woman appeared on the staircase.

"Nanny what are you doing?" Came the cry. The girl dashed down the stairs to her grandmother's side.

"I'm getting' rid of them damn strays." The old woman said. Kelly dodged the second poke of the broom handle.

"That's not a stray!" The girl exclaimed. "That's a girl!" She grabbed the broom handle and wrenched it out of her grandmother's grip. "Can't you see?"

"Don't see no girl." The old woman muttered. "Just a big ugly black dog." She looked at her granddaughter. "You get rid of it." She patted the girl on her shoulder. "I can't see too good these days, and I can't find my spectacles." She climbed the steps with a hitched gate, favoring her hips. But she made it all the same, and disappeared into the house.

"I'm sorry about that." The girl said. "I'm Kayla." She held out her hand and Kelly took it. Giving her a good hard shake. "She's not really in her right mind, you know, ever since Pawpaw passed." A sob came out of Kayla's throat. "The doctors say she has liver cancer, so she doesn't have long. I hope she didn't offend you. She's been seeing mongrels all over the place. But there not really there." Kayla blinked, and tried to smile. "This is the first time she's ever mistaken one for a person though." She broke down again. Sobs rocking her body. "I guess she doesn't have much time left."

Kelly lifted her hands awkwardly, not sure what to say. _She saw me as a dog?_ What could have caused that? "It's no problem." Kelly said.

"Well, you better go." Kayla said. "She'll be mad if she comes out here and sees you on her porch."

"Right, no mongrels allowed." Kelly said. She waved her hands in front her face and stepped back into the street. "I'll keep moving."

"I didn't mean it like…" Kayla called after her, but Kelly was already disappearing into the crowd of people, and as if carried by a current, she vanished from sight.

"So you and Sean Boyden were business partners for over ten years." Sam said, as he examined the condominium. Dean leaned against the marble counter in the kitchen, his eyes focused on the man they were interviewing. Sam didn't have much to say on the subject, but he felt it was best to find out the most he could about Sean Boyden and the black dog supposedly haunting them days before he jumped.

"That's right." David Camwell said. He crossed his arms defensively over his chest, decidedly unhappy to be in their company. He looked like a man who had been cheated out of his dream in life, and the tone of his voice held no love for the man who had committed suicide here. "What was this for again?" He asked. He was a suspicious person, Sam had pegged that about him right away. He and Dean had needed to come up with something unquestionable.

"The Tribute." Dean said. His voice was short, and he kept glancing towards the door. Sam could tell that he wanted to be out searching for Kelly. But that wasn't the first order of business. "For Mr. Boyden, Architectural Digest." _Besides, he has to learn to trust her sometime_. Sam thought. He watched his brother work. Mr. Camwell chuckled, rubbing his forehead in disbelief. "Something funny?"

"The Tribute." Camwell said. "See he kills himself, leaving me and his family behind, and he gets another tribute." Sam frowned. He sensed a spark of resentment underlying Camwell's voice. "He always got the tributes."

"Right." He said, checking his watch. It was just past one, and Kelly was due to check in. _If she doesn't call soon. _ He'd have to call her, and he didn't want to leave this information gathering session just because he was worried she might be in trouble. _Might being the keyword here_. "Any reason why he might do such a thing?"

"I… I don't know." Camwell said. "He lived a charmed life."

Sam raised an eyebrow, as his curiosity peaked. "How so?"

"He was a genius." Camwell said. "Flat out, and straight up. I mean I'm capable, but next to him…" He trailed off looking from Dean to Sam and then back at Sam. Dean glanced at his brother, then at his own watch, then at the door. "Well, he wasn't always that way." Camwell raised his hands. "You wouldn't believe me, but there was a time when he couldn't design a pup tent."

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Ten years ago he was working as a bartender at this place called Lloyd's, a real dive if you know what I'm saying. And overnight he gets this commission and starts designing the most amazing buildings you'd ever seen." Camwell shook his head. "I guess that's the way it is with all great geniuses. Van Gogh, Mozart. They all died young." He paused, pressing his hand against his mouth. "That's funny, they were all true geniuses too. But to have all that talent…." He glanced at them. "Why would you throw that away?"

_I wonder if there's a connection there_./I Sam glanced at Dean, and saw the same cogs working behind his brother's eyes, coming to the same conclusions. "Thank you for your time." Sam said. He walked out the door and down a flight of stairs before fishing his cell phone out of his pocket. He kept Kelly on his fourth speed dial, he hit the button and let it ring.

"NO!" The man across the street yelled, as he pointed at her. "No! It's come to get me! It's come to take me!" People were whispering around her as the crowd moved back to create a small circle. "You can't, I have time! I still have time!"

Kelly raised her hands into a non-threatening position. "Sir, I mean you no harm." She said. _He must have lost his marbles, what's with people today? _ The man's hair hung limply over his brow, the thinning center of his crown no longer hidden by his carefully measured come over. His blue tie, one with a checkered pattern of light blues and soft reds, hung loosely around his collar. His white linen shirt clung to his chest, as sweat poured off his brow. The top button had come undone, exposing his chest and a few pale hairs. She took a step forward.

"Stop!" He cried. He held his briefcase up in front of him like a shield and shook it in her face. "Don't come anywhere near me you beast!" The black dog scent clung to him strongly like a perfume. _Like poppies. _

"I just wanted to ask a couple questions." She said. Trying to sound reasonable, Kelly felt like she failed utterly. As the people milling around them whispered about crazies and the police.

"Can't you see it?" The man asked. "Can't you see it right there? Sitting there? It's mongrel mouth open with gaping jaws." He shivered as he stared at her, a look of absolute terror on his face. "Are you blind?" He shouted turning to the people. "Are you blind?" He turned back to her. "You won't take me." He yelled, the whites of his eyes bulging out, as the knuckles that clenched around his briefcase turned a deathly shade. "You won't take me!" Then he turned and fled into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

"Don't worry about it kid." Said a man. Kelly looked up to see him standing next to her. "There are all manner of crazies in this town."

"I noticed." She sighed. _What is it with people? _ None of them had seen her as a girl. _Just some huge black mongrel dog_.

"You just stay out of their way and you'll be fine." He smiled down at her and she smiled back. He tipped his hat forward over his eyes. "You stay clear of trouble now." Then he disappeared into the crowd too, she was able to make out a young man with a squarish jaw and red shirt following him. _Like an underfed cowboy._ But then they both were gone. Kelly sighed loudly. Then she walked forward to see what had fallen on the ground. It was a coaster. _Lloyd's Bar. _ She read, and tucked it into her pocket as her cell phone went off. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Hey, where are you?" It was Sam.

"I'm on the corner of…" She trailed off looking for a street sign. " Where are you headed?" She nodded "The Animal Shelter? Yeah I can meet you there. Okay." She paused. "I will Sam." She sighed. "See you soon." She hung up, and a few moments afterward a realization struck her. She flipped out her silver Motorola Razor and pressed redial. "Sam? Hey, yeah, where's the Animal Shelter?" On the other end of the line she heard him erupt into laughter. She smiled, it was good to hear Sam laugh. He could always brighten a shitty day. Which is what this is turning into. She thought.

"Kelly, tell me, where are you?" Sam asked. He managed to sound serious, even though Kelly was fairly sure he was still snickering. Between chuckles she could hear Dean breathing. The thought of the older Winchester pressed up against his brother's ear listening to her conversation made her giggle.

"Not sure." She said. "Let me look."

"I'm going to implant her with a chip that has a GPS tracking system." She heard Dean mutter in the background.

"I have an excellent sense of direction, thank you." She said.

"So says she who can't tell left from right." That was Sam and she rolled her eyes at his comment. He'd always liked teasing her about her inability to properly describe directions. _So I have a hard time saying the right word for the right direction. Big stinking deal. _ That didn't mean she was utterly lost.

"I'm at the intersection between Twelfth Street and Gerald." She snapped, finally finding a signpost. In the background she could hear Dean spreading out a map. _So he's not driving? Interesting. _ Impatiently, she grabbed her right shoulder with her left arm and pressed the phone against her ear. "I'm just off main street, Dean." She sighed.

"How the hell did you get that far downtown?" She heard him ask.

"Stop breathing into the phone Dean." Sam said. Kelly could feel the irritation rising in his voice. _What have those two been doing? _ She wondered. There was a minor scuffle in the background. Kelly waited a beat. Then Dean spoke.

"Sam's looking it up, we'll be there soon."

"Take your time." She said. It was already a bad day, so what was a little more sniping between the brothers? _It's hilarious to watch. _ "You sound like you're having fun."

"We're on our way." Sam assured her. Apparently he'd managed to wrestle back his cell phone. She heard him cover the mouthpiece with his hand, and a muffled "Shut up Dean." Echoed through the phone. "Dean wants to know what kind of pie you want?"

"Why?" She asked.

"We're bringing you pie." Sam sighed. "What kind do you want? Apple? Cherry? Lemon?"

"Apple?" She said, not quite sure what was going on.

"Got it." Sam said.

"Good choice." Dean muttered.

"Okay… now can you come get me?"

"Sure." Sam said.

"Sam?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could you put Dean in a headlock for me?"

"Sure Kel." Sam said. "Anything for you." Kelly couldn't help it. She smiled.

A Few Hours Later,

Kelly wrapped her hands around the headrests, and leaned forward. She'd already finished her pie. And now she and Sam were quietly waiting for Dean to come out of Animal Control. She'd neglected to mention any of the things that had happened to her that day regarding the black dogs. Except that she mentioned she'd run into a few people who had seen one. _I just left out the part where they were seeing me_. "So?" She asked, on hand resting on Sam's shoulder. He was still cutting away pieces of his cherry pie with a plastic fork. "Good day?"

"It's fine." Sam said. "Is something wrong?" He peered into her face, contemplatively.

"No." She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, not really, I just had a rough day on the streets."

Sam reached up and brushed some pie crumbs off her mouth with his thumb. "That tends to be why we work in teams." He said. A tiny smile played on his lips as he watched her. "Easier to deflect, and you've always got back up."

"Yeah." She said. Resting her head against the back of his seat, she sighed. Sam ran his fingers over the top of her head.

"Tired?" He asked. There was concern in his voice, and that made Kelly smile. _He's always so considerate. _ "We could drop you off at the motel? While we check out these next few places."

"No." She said. "No, I want to hunt Sam." _Even if it is black dogs…_ She felt like there was some piece of information she was missing. Something important. The driver's side door swung open and Dean slid in.

"So, she gave me a list of names. People who've been complaining about mangy wild mongrel black dogs over the past few days." Behind him, Kelly stiffened slightly, flinching back into her seat, a reaction that did not go unnoticed.

_What's that about? _ Sam wondered. Kelly was a rather private and secretive person, true. And while she was occasionally loud and boisterous, he was forced to admit that she was nearly as skilled as Dean at avoiding subjects she didn't want to talk about. _But what does that have to do with black dogs? _ He wondered as he looked back at her. _It's a good thing she's a terrible liar._ He didn't need her turning into a mini-Dean. _Even if she's not the biggest fan of cars_. They had a similar kind of stubbornness and iron will that he admired. _Probably why they're always butting heads._ "Where do you think we should start?" Sam asked. He glanced at Kelly. "You said some people you met had seen black dogs, maybe they could help…"

"No." Kelly cut him off. "Most of those people were either close to death or out of their wits."

"Well, black dogs are supposed to be Death Omens." Sam said. He tried to hide his confusion. _Why's she acting so closed off? _ "Maybe that's what's going on."

"A whole bunch of people are seeing ugly dogs before they die?" Dean asked. "Man that's not how I'd choose how to go."

"I'd rather not go at all." Kelly said. Her voice was soft. "Who's the first person on the list?" She asked.

"Oh, Kelly, the girl inside, she gave me this." Dean handed her a card. Kelly read it.

"She gave you her MySpace address?" Kelly raised an eyebrow and glanced at Sam. "Girls these days."

"MySpace?" Dean asked. "What's that?" Kelly and Sam both glanced at him in surprise and with mixed disbelief. "Seriously? Is it a porn site?"

AN: the Myspace joke comes from Supernatural Crossroads Blues, too funny not to use, but I can't take credit for coming up with it.

Shout out thanks goes to WinchesterxGirl and Guardian Music Angel for being my most constant reviewers on this site. Love you guys!

As always, I love reviews, leave them and earn yourself a cookie and a chapter.

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	17. Chapter 17: The Shape Beneath Her Skin

Chapter Seventeen: The Shape Beneath Her Skin

Lloyd's Bar

Greenwood, Mississippi

The 67 Chevy Impala pulled to a stop outside of Lloyd's bar, a few miles outside of Greenwood. Dean and Sam hadn't needed Kelly's help to figure out that this was the place where all the troubles had begun to occur. Kelly's fingers tightened around the coaster in her pocket as she slid out of the car. Her brown leather boots hit the gravel with a loud clunk as she watched the Winchester brothers examined the intersection of the two roads outside of Lloyd's. There was a strange scent in the air, similar to the sweet one she'd smelled in her dreams. But it carried a twist of something else. _Rotten eggs. _ Sulfur. Something had come this way recently, and she doubted it was friendly. _Just the kind of trouble I wanted to find. _ She thought, as she headed down the road towards the Winchesters. Making her way across the dirt and gravel she came to a stop at Dean's side. "A crossroads." She said.

"Did you feel the need to state the obvious?" Dean said. He looked down at her. A smug smile teasing the corners of his mouth.

She shrugged. "I thought you might have missed it." She reached up and tapped him on the head. "You do tend to be a little slow up top." Sniffing the air again, she looked around. There were yellow flowers planted on all four sides. _What are they?_ They looked similar to plants she'd seen in her studies with Bobby. _But…_

"Anything?" Sam asked. Kelly could hear the hopefulness in his voice. But she shook her head.

"Nothing." She lied. Fishing her cap out of the pocket of her dark brown leather jacket, she pulled it over her skull. _It smells similar to what I found on my walk. _ But those had been people, not an empty crossroads outside an old bar. Tucking her overgrown bangs back behind her ears, she let the jagged grown out layers of her dark brown hair flow down around her shoulders. The tips of her hair now hung a few inches lower than her shoulders. _I need a hair cut_. She thought grimly.

"What you suddenly lose your super senses?" Dean asked. Kelly could feel the sarcasm in his voice as his blue eyes turned on her. There was suspicion there too. There hadn't been any before. Kelly's eyes narrowed.

"You know that only works with spirits, Dean." She snapped. She stuffed her hands into her long coat and sniffed the air again. Trying to trace the source of the smell. "I'm a normal human if you don't stick me around ghosts."

"I don't think any power on earth could make you normal." Dean muttered. "With ghosts or not."

"How can you…" Kelly started. All the hurt feelings she'd had the night before rushed back, and she frowned at him.

"Well, look at that." Dean said. He ignored her as he nodded towards the yellow flowers sprouting up between the weeds. He walked over to the nearest patch. "Who do you think planted these?" He cleared away the rough grass and tall, thick, gray weeds. "And they're growing all around here too." He motioned to the surrounding area, as Sam nodded.

"Interesting." He said. Walking up to join his brother, Sam knelt to get a better look at the flower. "Isn't that yarrow?" He asked. He held one of the buds gently between his forefinger and his thumb.

"Yeah." Dean said.

Kelly swallowed. She didn't like where this was heading. "They use that in summoning rituals don't they?" Sam stood and stepped away from the strange yellow blossoms. It was odd how the flowers only grew in this particular section, but nowhere else. She gazed out at the surrounding landscape trying to find another hint of yellow. But Lloyd's was the only building for miles around, and while low hanging trees dotted the horizon, all she could see was gray-green grass.

"Exactly." Sam smiled at her. Glowing like he'd just lead a pupil to the proper answer. Kelly grinned back. She found her way to his side and breathed in the scent of the flowers. _It's not the same. _ She thought with surprise. It was different than the sweet scent she'd smelled the entire morning.

"Do you smell them?" Dean asked. He sounded more than a little belligerent. Kelly felt that it was a little uncalled for.

"Yeah." Kelly said.

"But you can't tell if anything's been through this way?" Dean raised a challenging eyebrow at her, and Kelly met his gaze.

"What do you want me to say, Dean?" She asked. Wrapping her arms around her knees she fell backwards in a puff of dust. She glanced at Sam helplessly. "Do you think I'm lying to you?"

"No." Dean said. He looked at her and then at Sammy. _But you've been acting weird. _ "You sure you didn't find anything during your three hours of wandering?"

"I've already told you." Kelly said. "No." She sighed. Any time she went wandering on her own, he seemed to take it personally. _Is it so terrible to want to get away from both of them for a little while? _ She wondered. _To not be tugged around like a toy, or treated like a freak in some lab experiment._ Why couldn't Dean just trust her? _Maybe because you're lying to him? _ A traitorous voice in the back of her head whispered. It was insinuous, and challenging. _I made a promise in that cell_. She thought angrily at the traitorous voice. _I said that I would survive no matter what, and that's what I'm going to do._

"You're sure?" Dean asked.

"Dean." There was a warning note in Sam's tone. Dean felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He looked over at his brother. Sammy was just a little taller than he was, and that made it hard to look imposing.

"What's the matter honey?" Kelly asked. Her voice was sweet and so was her smile. But the corners of her eyes tightened. "Don't trust me?"

"It's not that." Dean replied. But he frowned even as he said the words. _What's she done? _ He asked his instincts. _Why are there alarm bells going off in my head when I look at her?_ Samm was the sentimental type and he might be blind to the way Kelly was acting. _But not to me._ "There's just still stuff about you that I don't get."

"I'd explain it if I could." She said. Dean watched her shoulders fall up and down in a shrug, and he felt Sammy's hand tighten on his shoulder. "But I'm in the dark like you."

"And your powers?" He asked. Raising an eyebrow he focused on her face, and watched her lips twinge with annoyance. _It's still cute when she does that._ Kelly might be good at hiding things or avoiding the subject, but she wasn't a very good liar. Dean knew Sam was thankful for that, and he had to admit he was too. _But that doesn't mean we can underestimate her. _ He was sure she was on their side. _After all who else's could she be on?_ But still. _Something's been off with her since last night_. She only ever headed out on her own when she was worried or scared. _And she never comes to either me or Sammy to talk about it_. He didn't doubt that she was hiding secrets, but Dean Winchester wasn't about to pry her apart and find out. _I want her to be able to trust me._ Someday anyway.

"Bobby already established that they're spirit sensitive." She told him. There was aggravation in her voice, and as Dean met her eyes he could feel the anger slowly building behind them. "When he hid occult objects all around his house and made me find them." She glanced at Sam. "Blindfolded."

"And you found them?" Dean's eyebrows rose, and he was impressed in spite of himself.

"Everything except Bobby." She replied.

Sam laughed. "Well it's good to know you're not a bloodhound." Kelly stiffened again at the mention of 'hound', something that didn't go completely unnoticed by Dean. Sam saw it too, and he frowned. "I meant that we can't count on you to find us when we're in trouble." He said. He met Kelly's eyes. "Did you think I meant something else?" He asked. His voice was careful. _Pushing her never helps._ She was like a mule that way, stubbornly balking at any attempt to guide her. _Or a cat._ Maybe she clammed up just to be difficult. _She doesn't fully trust us. _

"No." She said. Giving a quick shake of her head.

"You think this is roughly the center?" Dean asked. Both Kelly and Sam looked over at him, and Kelly was grateful for the distraction.

"Sure." Sam said. He sounded mildly confused.

"Good, get a shovel out of the trunk." He said. Looking around at the gravel beneath him, he moved the rocks away with his foot.

"Okay." Sam said. "What's this about Dean?" Sam opened the driver's side of the Impala and popped the trunk. He fished out one of the long wooden handled shovels that they always kept stored away, and tossed it to his older brother. Dean dug the metal head of the shovel into the dirt. The older Winchester kept digging, until metal struck metal.

"Eureka." He said, as Kelly and Sam came up beside him. "Look at this." He fished a small iron box out of the hole. Kelly took it from him, her fingers brushing against his for a moment, and a spark of electricity leapt between them. She looked up at him.

"May I?" She asked.

"Go ahead." Dean said. Sam moved around to Kelly's other side, and he watched carefully as she undid the latch and flicked open the lid. The smell of old earth hit Kelly's nose.

"This is grave yard dirt." She said. Her voice was soft. Sam reached past her and pulled out a tiny bone. He rolled it between his fingers carefully.

"And a black cat bone." Sam shook his head.

"Yeah it's some serious spellwork." Dean said. Sam put the bone back into the box. Kelly started to shut it, but Dean took it out of her hands. "This is deep south hoodoo used to summon a demon."

Kelly's eyes widened. "Crossroads." She remembered a line from the Oedipus. "That's where pacts are made."

"Yeah." Dean said. He stood, and wiped his hands on his jeans. "These folks aren't just summoning demons. They're making deals with it."

"Cause that works out well." Kelly said, her arms around her knees.

"Makes sense, two overnight successes that mysteriously disappear two years later." Dean said. "Fits the bill."

"Then these people aren't seeing black dogs." Sam said. He wasn't normally slow to realize something, but this was a special case. Kelly stiffened again at the mention of 'black dog'. "They're seeing hellhounds. The devil's pit bulls."

"I tell you one thing, it's come back to collect." Dean said, looking over at Sam and then down at Kelly. "That doctor lady, wherever she's running, she ain't running fast enough."

_Was that what I dreamt about? _ Kelly wondered, as she stared at the hole in the middle of the crossroads. Her own experiences that day frightened Kelly, and as she crouched on the ground, holding her knees, she squeezed her eyes shut. At the suggestion of hellhounds, the cogs in her brain had begun to spin wildly. _I'm not a hellhound_. She thought. _I'm not_. It didn't make any sort of sense. If she was, then why would she be here? _But I'm not a werewolf either_. If what the yellow-eyed man said was true. _Am I evil? _ It would explain his interest in her. _But not what I'm doing with the boys._ So, what should she do? She glanced at Sam and then at Dean, wishing to the stars that she could tell them.

"Kelly." Dean said. She looked up at him and rose to her feet, sticking her already warm hands in her pockets, and balling them into fists.

"Yeah?" She asked. Trying to keep her voice normal. But it trembled a little bit. Dean seemed to ignore that, but Sam's eyes remained on her back. _What would he want with me? _

_"I need you to be a surprise." He said. "The surprise of my big finish."_

Kelly swallowed. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned around to stare up into Sam's eyes. Those brown orbs rested on her face, intent and worried. She could feel the warmth emanating from them. "What's wrong?" He asked. His fingers rose to brush away strands of hair from her face. He didn't miss anything, the tremble in her lip, or the wideness of her eyes. _What does this have to do with hellhounds? _ He wondered. She'd been funny about black dogs all day. "Hey." He said, as she broke eye contact and stared down at her shoes. "You know you can tell me anything." His voice was gentle, and his concern sent butterflies flittering through her stomach.

She smiled a tight smile and shook her head. "It's nothing." She said.

"Well, if we're done with the touchy feely moment." Dean said. His voice gruff, he preferred to stay out of emotional moments. But it bothered him that Sam was getting all the attention. _And that she's looking at him with those wide eyed brown eyes_. No man could resist those.

"So this is like the Robert Johnson legend." Sam said. He tore his eyes away from Kelly's face to look over at his brother.

Kelly looked around, and with a feeling of certainty said. "I don't think it's just a legend Sam." She glanced around the crossroads. "I don't know much about Robert Johnson, but…"

"Story goes he died choking on his own blood." Dean said. He was staring straight at Kelly, watching for a reaction. "Muttering about big evil dogs." He wasn't surprised when Kelly stiffened again. _What has got her so spooked? _

"Now it's happening all over again." Sam said. Not wholly certain what was going on.

"Obviously." Kelly said. "With the way these people are dying." She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and suppressed a shiver. Even in a jacket and the sweltering heat she was still cold. _Why do I feel like this has something to do with me? _ She wasn't the one killing people right? _I'm not that black dog._

"Okay, so we find out who else made deals." Sam said. "And we stop it." Kelly glanced up at him.

"You can't stop it." She said flatly. Sam glanced at her with his eyebrows up, his soulful brown eyes a light with surprise. _Did he expect me to side with him on this?_ But then, he didn't have crazy people shaking broomsticks at him and calling him a black mongrel dog.

"Sam if a person jumps down the Niagara Falls in a rubber tube are you going to save them?" Dean asked. "I'm with her. We can't stop this. Those people sold their souls. They deserve what's coming to them." Kelly wiped the dirt and sweat off her palms, as she looked over at Sam. He had an intrinsic need to save people, and that was great.

_But some people can't be saved._ Kelly didn't want them tangling with the dogs in her dream. _If they were hellhounds_. She reached up to the brim of her hat and pulled it down more firmly over her skull. _One desire. _ She thought. _To hunt_. The feeling still raced through her like a bloodthirsty howl. _Kill._ She didn't want to become that kind of animal. "Sam." She said.

"We have to try." Sam said. "I thought at least you'd understand." He looked at her and she felt the weight of his judgment. "Even if Dean doesn't."

"Hey." Dean snapped. "She's right. Nobody put a gun to their heads and forced them to make this deal." He glanced at Kelly. She was white as a sheet. _I've never seen her like this._ He thought. _Not even against Holms._ All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her it would be all right. _You'd think she'd be less worried_. It wasn't like the hellhounds were going to come after her. _She hasn't been making any deals._ Had she?

_ I want answers more than anything. _ Kelly thought. "I'm going back to the car." She said. Her voice very soft. _But I don't want to find them with Sam and Dean looking over my shoulder._ Dean had a deep hatred for anything inhuman, and while he could deal with whatever was going on with Sam… _His mind might snap if I put him under more pressure_. She swallowed. _Dean's double standard gets Sam off the hook. _ But her? She wasn't so sure. _And that man said he'd kill Dean if he found out. _ She walked towards the Impala, her eyes closed. _What's so bad about Sam again?_ She pressed her hands against the glass, and rested her head on the top of the car. She wished that she could remember. _Where was I born? Who are my parents? Did I have siblings?_ She stared up at the clear blue sky. All these things eluded her. _And every day I'm here it gets worse. _ Like someone had taken a hammer and a chisel, filing away everything that had once reminded her of who she was. _Who am I?_ Her fingers clenched against the metal. _There was a car drive, and I fought with my mothere… but where did I go? What did I do? _ She couldn't come up with anything. _Is Kelly even my real name?_ She shook her head.

"Well she's spooked." Dean said, as he watched Kelly lean against the car. "Any idea what that was about?"

"Her nightmares I guess." Sam said. "I'm not really sure."

"So she hasn't mentioned anything to you?" Dean asked. "You know gotten buddy buddy? Shared some deep intimate secrets?"

"Stop it." Sam said. He stared at that small body, hunched over the Impala. She looked like she was in some kind of pain. "I just know this has something to do with the case."

"When hasn't it?" Dean asked. "Kid gets closer to knowledge." He shook his head. "At least I'm assuming she is. She won't tell me."

"Yeah." Sam said. "Well, she won't tell me either."

"Maybe we should get her drunk." Dean said. He crossed his arms. "That might work, loosen up that iron tongue of hers."

"We can't do that Dean." Sam said.

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"Because it would be wrong." Sam said. He crossed his arms, but the worried frown stayed fixed on his face as he stared at Kelly. _What's going on Kel? _

"Don't tell me you're not at least a little curious." Dean said. "Cause I know I am."

"I'm trusting that she'll tell me when she's ready." Sam said.

_You're a better man than I am Sammy. _ Dean thought. His gaze followed Sam's over to the car. Kelly was staring up at the sky with such a forlorn expression that it nearly broke his heart. _If I had a heart to break_. "So do you want to go over there? Or should I?"

"We should get back on the case, Dean." Sam said. "We'll worry about her later." _That's not true. _ He thought. _But saving people from these creatures is the only thing stopping me from running over there to ask her what's wrong._ Sam wanted to respect her privacy. _But… _ He wanted her to trust him. He wanted her to believe him when he said that she could tell him anything. _She doesn't though_. Sometimes, Sam had no idea what was going on in her head. _And it's not a comfortable place to be._ He thought.

"Whatever." Dean said. "Maybe if we figure this thing out, we'll get closer to solving the mystery."

"I honestly think she knows about as much as we do." Sam said. He was trying to be reassuring but failing miserably.

"Yeah, well, if she knows anything more she's not sharing." Dean said. "Fine. For something like this you have to put your picture in the mix right?" Sam nodded. Dean fished out a picture of a young black man. "This must be the guy." Dean said. "You go over than and do your comforting thing, and I'll see if anybody knows him." He glanced at Sammy one more time. "If he's still alive." He added. Then he strode off towards Lloyd's Bar. It killed him to send Sammy into the fire pit, and score extra points with Kelly. _But if I tried I'd just screw it all to hell_. The girl would probably end up feeling worse than when she went in, and he really didn't want to be responsible for that. He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder to see what was happening.

Sam walked up to Kelly. "Are you ready to tell me what's going on?" He asked. He looked over his shoulder and saw Dean heading into the bar. Once his brother was inside, Sam pulled her into a tight hug. Kelly's eyes closed as Sam held her. "You've been on edge ever since we started talking about black dogs."

Kelly put her hand on his chest and stared up at him. "Sam." She said. "I meant what I said." She reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek. "Some people can't be saved."

"And you think you're one of those people?" Sam asked. "Why?" Kelly looked away, but she leaned into his arms. Her head resting on his chest. He smelled her conditioner, and his arms tightened around her. She was shaking.

"Just think about that okay." Kelly said. "I don't know what I am, but every time I get a step closer things go from bad to worse." She looked up at him. "So…" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Let me figure this out." She gazed up at him. "I don't you and Dean in danger because of me."

"We'll always be there to save you." Sam said. "What's so scary about the hellhounds. Tell me Kelly, and we'll figure this out together."

_That's the problem Sam_. She thought. _I'm not a team player._ "I've just been having dreams about black dogs." She said. "That's it."

"They started when we came to Mississippi?" Sam asked, searching her face.

"Yeah." She said. "So can we just let it go. These bad boys scare me, I'm just scared."

"Okay." Sam said. He saw that she didn't want to keep talking about it, and while he wasn't particularly inclined to let it go. _Because it feels exactly the same as it does with Dean when he's hiding something. _ "If that's it."

"That's it." Kelly said with a smile. Then she hugged him. "I don't know what I'd do without you Sam." She whispered. Her body pressed against his. And Sam held her close. Then she let go of him. Dean was coming out of the bar, his hands in his pockets.

"Is the emo moment over?" He asked. Then Kelly threw her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. "What'd I miss?"

"I'm just glad you're with me, Dean." Kelly said. She planted a kiss on his cheek. "So where are we going next?"

_ I've got to hand it to her. _ He thought looking down at her. She recovers quickly. Almost too quickly. He glanced at Sam and his brother motioned that they would talk later. _Not a good sign. _ "We're going to see a man named George Darrow." Dean told her. "Apparently he's quite the regular." He glanced from Sam to Kelly. "Now, can I get into my car?"

An hour later, Kelly found herself following Sam and Dean up the stairs. Everything had calmed down for the most part after her emotional moment. It sort of embarrassed her. _How did I let myself get carried away?_ Now Sam and Dean were more suspicious than ever. _Now we're hunting for a man we can't save. _ She had to agree with Dean. _We can't save everyone. _

"What do you think this guy wished for?" Dean asked, as they climbed the stairs. The apartment building was practically abandoned. The linoleum tiling was curling off the floor, and builder hadn't bothered to cover the cement that made up the staircase. It was run down. The purple iris wallpaper was peeling of the walls to expose harsh gray cement.

"Well, it wasn't money that's for sure." Sam said. He gazed around at the sparse, empty hallways.

"Yeah, you won't find this place on MTV cribs." Dean said. He glanced over his shoulder and back at Kelly.

"So, what sort of thing could you sell your soul for?" Sam asked. He glanced back over his shoulder at Kelly.

"Maybe a whole apartment filled with babes in Princess Leia bikinis." Dean said. He winked at her. "Think you could pull that off Kelly?" He asked, with a little smirk.

"Only for you Dean." Kelly said. She smirked at him. She pushed up the brim of her messenger cap. Dean glanced at his brother. Sam looked like he'd been hit over the head with a hammer.

"I'll pick you up one at a costume shop." Sam's eyes snapped to Dean, and the older Winchester almost swore that drool was starting to dribble out the side of Sam's mouth. Sam's eyes snapped to Kelly's body, and Dean could see the mixture of arousal, anticipation, and embarrassment flickering in them. _Sammy can pretend to be straight laced._ But Dean knew exactly what he was thinking. He'd seen the way that Sam watched Kelly's backside when she walked away. _Add a dash of competition and…_ Dean got to imagine Kelly Jones in a Princess Leia bikini and make his brother exceedingly uncomfortable at the same time. _If she hasn't been so strange lately_. But she was clearly rattled. Even more so, though she'd calmed down a little bit since her chat with Sam. But Sam hadn't told him what they'd talked about.

"Maybe for Halloween." She laughed. They reached the landing, her boots clicking on the linoleum tile. This building was too cheap to afford a rug.

"That'd be a sight to see." Sam said. "How long is it until then?" Dean raised an eyebrow at his brother, surprised to see him getting into the game.

Kelly laughed. "Maybe if you're lucky?" She said.

"You'll be waiting another year on that." Dean said. He elbowed his brother. "Maybe we can convince her though."

"Again I say maybe." Kelly smirked. She put her arms around both their shoulders. "If you're lucky." She repeated into both their ears. Sam and Dean both shivered a little bit.

_It's good to see her happy again. _ Sam thought. His arm slid around her waist, but at Dean's frown he gave her a quick squeeze and let go. She was a confusing person, and he was often left wondering about whether or not she was truly human. But he was quite certain that she wasn't a bad person. _Then again, I'm not entirely human either._ With the Yellow-Eyed Demon's influence, he knew what it was like to be different. _It's scary_. And he wanted to be there for her while she found her way into this new world. _She can't ever sleep with Dean_. He thought. Or else she'll go home. That was how it was supposed to work. _She's frightened, she's scared, and she doesn't know who to trust._ She clung to them because they were all she knew. _So why doesn't she feel like she can be saved?_ She had already let Dean go and he was moving on ahead of them. "I hope so." Sam whispered into her ear. She glanced at him and giggled.

"You two ready?" Dean asked. They'd come to a stop in front of Apartment 4C. Kelly paused. There was a strange smell in the air mixed in with that sweet scent. _Do all people who make contracts with demons smell like this?_ She wondered. Her eyes darted to the crack beneath the door. A long line of black-blue powder lay there like a marker. She shivered. _This man obviously knew what he was doing_. She thought.

"What's that?" Sam asked. Dean knelt and dipped his fingers into it. He lifted it back to his nose and sniffed.

"Smells like pepper." Dean said. His eyebrows rising up his forehead.

_So if George Darrow made a deal with a demon… _ She thought. Would he see her as a black dog too? She bit her lip, not having much time to contemplate it as the door swung open and the head of a grizzled old black man in his late forties peered out at them.

"What do you want?" He asked. He sounded grouchy. She felt his eyes pass over the two boys standing in front of her. "I'm not buying anything." He said. But those dark brown eyes moved past them to fall on her. A flicker of fear shot through them. She stiffened. "What are you doing here you damned beast?" He asked. "It ain't my time yet." He was frightened, and she couldn't blame him. _I must look very scary._

"Sorry, sir?" Sam asked.

"You wouldn't see her." George Darrow muttered. "They ain't exactly visible to the naked eye."

"He's off his rocker." Dean hissed to Sam out of the corner of his mouth.

"Or maybe he's just seen a hellhound." Sam whispered back.

"If you don't mind." Darrow said, as he started to shut the door. "I've got work to do."

"That's funny." Dean said. He was trying to catch George Darrow's attention again. Kelly watched him silently. "Usually when you're trying to keep something evil out you go for the salt." Darrow turned around after a beat, and his eyes fixed again on Kelly. Sam followed that gaze, and raised his eyebrow questioningly as he looked back and forth between them. Suddenly Darrow's face relaxed. His jowl loosening as he stared at her, recognition in his eyes. _What? _ Kelly wondered. Wishing that she could pick at his brain, she crossed her arms. _What does he know?_ "Tell me, you seen that hellhound yet."

"I thought I just did." Darrow's said. "But I was mistaken."

AN: Yeah, this chapter was a bitch to write, tell me if you've figured it out yet. Again a shout out to winchesterxgirl, guardian music angel, Jord-El, and Haley's Happening. They leave me such lovely reviews. Makes me happy. We're getting into it now, and the next few chapters are a ride on the freight train express. Hope you're looking forward to it.

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	18. Chapter 18: A Dog Always Knows

Chapter Eighteen: A Dog Always Knows

Kelly swallowed again as Darrow frowned. He glanced to her then to each of the boys and then back. "Please." Sam said. _Forever the kind and comforting one_. Kelly thought. Sam could probably pierce any heart with his sincerity. She could see Darrow softening even as he stared at him. "We want to help." He watched Darrow carefully, and found himself consistently following the old man's gaze back to Kelly. "It'll only take five minutes."

_Did he think…_ Sam glanced at Kelly and then back at Darrow. _Did he mean he thought she was…_ That was impossible. "That'll be more than enough." Kelly said. She had finally found her voice. "We won't keep you long." Confusion passed across George Darrow's face, and he looked as if he didn't understand her.

"Quit your yapping and come inside." He said. The door opened wider, but even as Sam and Dean walked in. Darrow's eyes were on her. She headed forward, suddenly self-conscious. She stopped just short of the door. The tips of her boots touching the black and blue dust as the scent stung her nose. She moved to take a step forward. She couldn't. She looked up at Darrow's face and she saw a triumphant light in his eyes. _You bastard!_ She thought. _You knew this was going to happen!_

"Come on, Kelly." Dean said. He waved for her to come through to door. Darrow's eyes slid to the older Winchester and then back at her.

"So you boys can see her." He said. He crossed his arms over his chest. Then he looked at Kelly expectantly.

She pressed her hands forward, but it was like hitting an invisible wall. She couldn't get past the line of dust. _What's going on?_ She wondered. _I have no problem with salt._ She couldn't enter. _I guess this is how a demon feels._ She thought. Her lips curling back to emit a soft growl. "I think I'll stay here, Dean." She said. Darrow snorted.

"What?" Dean asked. "You're staying there? After refusing to go back to the motel? You're staying out there?"

Kelly swallowed. "That's right." She said.

"You're not the least bit curious to hear what he has to say?" Dean questioned. "About the hellhounds? The things that have been freaking you out?" He raised an eyebrow. "You honestly expect me to believe that."

"I do." Kelly said.

"Bullshit." Dean snapped. "You want answers so bad you've been running around and looking for them on your own." Kelly opened her mouth to object. "Don't think I haven't noticed." Dean snarled. "I'm not stupid Kelly."

"I know." She said.

"Then get your ass in here."

"I said I'm fine here." Kelly said. "And I meant it. I Am Fine Here." She stamped her foot on the linoleum tile for emphasis. She glanced at George Darrow. He was watching her with quiet eyes. And it bothered her.

"She means she can't boy." George Darrow said, and he smiled at her.

"What?" Dean asked.

"He's right." Kelly said. She crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "I can't go in." She moved her boot to touch the line of powder.

"You're kidding." Dean said.

George Darrow shook his head. He was surprised that the boys hadn't realized any of this sooner. "Close that door and stop lettin' the draft in." He said, turning around and retreating further into the apartment.

"We can't just leave her out there." Sam said. Darrow raised his eyebrows.

"Got a nose for trouble eh?" George Darrow snorted. Kelly frowned at him, but the old man simply lifted a glass to his lips and took a long swig of brandy. "That's a damn shame. Shut the door."

"But…"

"You got four more minutes to get me to start talking." Darrow said. "So stop wasting my time."

Dean shook his head. "Shut the door, Sam." Kelly looked into his eyes, and she found distance there. She winced. _I'm out of the human club now._ She thought. She closed her eyes.

"Dean…" Sam started.

"Just shut the damn door, Sam!" Kelly yelled. At the stunned expression on Sam's face for her outburst, she added quietly. "I'll wait here." She stuck her hands into her pockets. "I'll be fine." Sam frowned apologetically, but he did as he was bid. Kelly watched the worn door of apartment 4C slam in her face, and she felt like another wedge had been shoved between them. _Maybe Yellow Eyes was right. _ She thought. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the wall. _Maybe he was right_.

The inside of George Darrow's apartment was cluttered with jars, shrunken heads, and all manner of occult items. Paint was splattered across the lone long table, and on the fraying gray-green couch. Paintings covered every single inch of all four walls, and those that couldn't be hung were resting on the floor, propped up beneath windows and by the door. One lone unfinished piece stood in the center of the room on the easel. Blues music rolled out of the paint covered Sony radio. It was Hellhound on My Trail by Robert Johnson. Dean smirked at the irony. He glanced at his brother. But Sam's attention was focused on the person they'd left outside the door. _What is it about Kelly?_ He wondered. He could see the shadow of her feet beneath the crack in the door, and it amused him that she might be pressed up against it. Listening in on the conversation. _There are plenty of questions to ask. _ He thought. _But we don't have the time._

"So what is that stuff out front?" Sam asked. He sounded genuinely curious.

"Goofa dust." George Darrow said. He took another sip of brandy. Walking across the room, he slumped into the ratty old love seat. He threw one leg over the other and stared up at the boys. When Sam and Dean glanced at each other in confusion, he snorted. "You boys think you know something about this shit? But don't know goofa dust?" He took another sip of brandy as he examined them. "No wonder you're blind when it comes to seeing that girl." He chucked. Shaking his head, he downed the rest of the brandy in his glass. "You actually think she's human."

"We know a little about a lot of things." Dean said. He was trying to regain his footing. _What does this poor bastard know about Kelly? _ He and Sam met each other's eyes. He didn't know why she couldn't cross the goofa dust, but it raised his suspicions about what might have happened in the downtown. "Enough to make us dangerous."

"But not enough to know about your friend." Darrow said. He watched them, very carefully. Curious to see where this would lead. Though he mostly just wanted them out of his hair. _Taking that bad omen with them. _ He didn't want to see her around any longer than he had too.

"Yeah." Dean shrugged. "Don't have a clue about her."

"But we didn't come to talk about that." Sam said. "What we want to do is help you."

"Too bad." He stood and crossed the room again. Refilling his glass, he reached across the rickety table, and tossed Dean a bag. Quick reflexes aided the oldest Winchester in catching it.

"What is that?" Sam asked.

"Hoodoo." Darrow said. "Keeps out demons."

"Ha." Dean laughed. "Those things we know." At the raise of Dean's eyebrow, and his quick glance to the door, Darrow added.

"And other monsters." He shrugged. "Keeps out your friend and that's good enough for me."

"Why her?" Dean asked. His eyes returning to the door, and he looked at the bag in his hand. "Why her?" He repeated.

"It has to be her." Darrow said. "Else she wouldn't be traveling with you." He shook his head, and downed another long swig. "Keep it anyway." He added. "That bag. Might do you some good, protect you from that friend of yours."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"What about Kelly?" Dean asked at the same time. He glared at his brother for a moment.

"Three minutes." Darrow said. "You sure that blasted animal is what you want to talk about?"

_Blasted animal? _ Dean wondered. He'd known for a while that Kelly was more than human. _But when did she become the kind of creature that we hunt?_ He wondered. That hit him hard. _She can't cross goofa dust. _ So what was she? _A demon? _ Had she been lying to him all along? _No. I refuse to believe that_. He shook his head. _Not her_. But he needed to keep his mind on the job. Figure out how to stop the hellhounds. _For Sammy._ Dean glanced at Sam, and he heard his brother sigh. "Look, we know you're in trouble."

"Trouble you got yourself into." Dean muttered. He glanced at the door again, there was a rustle outside, and a part of him wanted to lunge out and see if she was okay. _Can't leave her alone for five minutes_. But if she was evil then why did everything evil want to kill her? _Doesn't make any sense._ But she wasn't human. _And I'm not sure how I feel about that. _ He gazed at Darrow. _What do you know you poor bastard? _ He asked. His mind turned over the problem, more than willing to let Sam get the answers. He already had a feeling that Darrow didn't want help. _And if he doesn't want to be saved then there's nothing we can do. _ He scratched his head. Once again his eyes went to the door.

"We want to help." Sam said. He was completely sincere. _What did he see when he looked at Kelly? _ A hellhound? _But he said he was mistaken about that._ So then what? Nothing made sense in his brain.

"Look." Darrow sighed. "A person makes his bed, and sometimes he's just got to lie down in it."

"Dust." Kelly muttered, clutching her arms. "I can't cross dust." Whatever that mixture was it kept her out well and good. _And I'd bet my life on the fact that it's made for hellhounds._ She shivered. Resting her head against the back of the wall, she stared up at the ceiling. _Somebody save me_. She squeezed her eyes shut. _He's the third person today who's seen me as a dog._ A big black mangy hound. _Like what I dreamt._ Her fingernails clawed at the wallpaper, and her knees gave out. She sank to the floor. "What am I?" She asked. But there was no one to answer her. She glanced down the hall, to the window and gazed out into the hot Mississippi night. The moon was already rising into the night. _We're almost out of time._ She thought.

At the end of the hall she heard a growl, low and throaty. _So familiar. _ As a sweet scent filled the air like a blossoming flower. Her head turned towards the stairs. Three long black shadows stretched out across the landing, and she heard the sound of claws scratching their way up the stairs. She flinched. _They've come for Darrow_. She realized. Her gaze snapped to the door. Then she looked to the stairs, and a feral light came into her eyes. Her lips curled back into a snarl, and an inhuman growl rumbled deep in her chest. Instinctually she moved into a crouch. _My people are in there_. She thought. Her arms spread wide, as overhead the lights flickered. She heard three noses sniffling the air, and then Kelly saw three large snouts come around the corner of the hall. Large scars cut across their faces, huge chunks were bitten out of their tall pointed ears, and red glowing eyes met hers. They saw her. They snarled. Large barrel chests issued terrible rumbles echoing through her ears like thunder, and long sharp claws cut into the floor, leaving long trails cut into the linoleum. Tails, streamlined and thick with fur lashed from side to side. Then the big male to the right grinned.

_Well, well._ He chuckled. It was a malevolent ringing in her skull. Kelly gasped. _What have we found tonight?_

_This can't be happening._ Kelly thought. But her lips curled back further, widening her snarl. She crouched, and moved in front of the door. "What's going on?" She asked.

_Fresh meat, Gabriel. _ The black female, the smallest one, who stood to the left of the large male, barked. She turned her scarred head and nipped at the male playfully. _Just as I told you._ She turned her startling red gaze on Kelly. _I knew I'd smelled one of them at Lloyd's._

_And on the hunt. _ The large male to the right of the center hound added. _I scented this one then too._ His tongue lolled out of the side of his head. He shifted on his paws, and whined. _We should take her now, Natasha.._ But his gaze turned to the leader in the center. _Gabriel, he's the one_. Kelly thought as the large male licked his leader's cheek. Her fate rested in his hands. _Jaws. _ She thought with a smirk on her lips. It was a frightened smirk, as her heart hammered in her chest. She swung her gaze to the door. Then back. _They can kill me._ She realized. Not sure how she knew that. _But whatever laws apply to humans, they don't rule me._ She shivered. _Ghosts have always called me puppy, pup, dog_. Maybe they knew what they were talking about.

_"You are the enemy of all things that go bump in the night."_

The central male, Gabriel, cocked his head to the right. _Now, now, Natasha._ He growled. Walking forward until his nose was centimeters from Kelly's own, and he stared into her eyes. _We don't kill puppies._

_But she'll grow. _ Natasha snarled. Her voice rippled through Kelly's mind, and she moved forward swiftly past her leader and knocked Kelly to the ground. She stood over her, lips curled back to reveal long canines, drool dripping from her mouth to splash across Kelly's face. Her ebony fur glittered with a bluish tint beneath the florescent lights. _Her human is probably inside._

_This one is still unpartnered._ Gabriel said. He flicked his tail, as his horrible red gaze burrowed into Kelly's forehead. His voice a horrible thunder clap in her mind. Kelly shut her eyes, but his face did not leave her mind. She could feel Natasha's drool slipping down her cheek. Still, she couldn't find the strength to lift her hand and wipe it away. _Come, she is not our target._ He raised his head and sniffed the air. _This one knew we were coming._

_Goofa dust.. _ Snarling, the big male's tail stiffened like a bottlebrush. His flaming red eyes fixed on the crack beneath the door and the line of purple dust. Kelly shivered. _Hoodoo. _ Gooseflesh broke out over her arms as she stared at the tall burly dog, then her eyes flickered back to Gabriel and the saliva dripping off his long curved canines and down his jaw, out of his ruby maw.

_Calm yourself, Nathan. _ His jaws clicked over Nathan's head. _It only lasts so long._

_Shall we hunt the other? _ The small female asked. Natasha turned, taking her paws off Kelly's chest. The girl scrambled back to the wall, staring at the two male hellhounds. They're reddened gaze left her and the door, but Kelly glanced up at Apartment 4C wondering if she should scream. _Can I scream?_ Dean was inside, and so was Sam. _But… _ Should she?

"What?" Kelly asked.

_Yes. _ Gabriel said. He turned and gave the air one more sniff. _Come. _ He glanced back at Kelly with piercing red eyes. _Grow strong, puppy._ He said, and the sound of his voice in her mind was pleasant. Friendly even. But Kelly could hear the dangerous undercurrent cutting into his tone. _If you wish to survive meeting with us again._ Then they vanished into the dark. The room brightened and Kelly slumped. Her legs and arms felt like jelly, and she shook.

_This isn't happening. _ She thought. _This can't be happening._ It couldn't be. "What am I?" She asked again. Her voice soft. She glanced up at the door of apartment 4C. _They're hunting._ But not for George Darrow. _What about the man I met earlier? _ She wondered. Standing on shakey legs. _I might not be able to save him but…_ Maybe she could help him. _I don't want too_. She didn't want to meet with those creatures again. But she couldn't let that men go to hell. She looked at the door. Kelly swallowed.

"You don't really want to die." Sam sad. Darrow glanced at the door, he heard the growls outside the door, and he stiffened.

"I don't." He agreed. He breathed a sigh of relief as he heard them go. _I've bought myself a little time._ The girl pup had proven that the hell hounds couldn't cross the dust. _They'll come eventually._ But for now, he still had time. _Not enough to make a difference_. Just enough to finish his last painting.

"But…" Sam started.

"Get out!" Darrow roared. "I'm tired."

"Sammy." Dean said. His eyes moved back to the door and he was anxious to see if Kelly had managed to survive being left alone on her own again. "Come on." _We need to find a man named Evan Hudson_. If he was still alive. _Maybe Sammy's conscience will be soothed if we manage to save him_. Maybe. Or maybe Kelly was right. _Dad. _ Dean shook his head. He'd been on edge since he'd found out about the deals, and the stuff with Kelly just made him that much more aware.

"Take care of that girl of yours." Darrow said. Dean had started walking towards the door, but at Darrow's comment he stopped. Sam also turned to look back at the old man.

"What?" Dean spun around, his gaze fixated on the old man.

"And don't expect too much out of her yet either." Darrow added. He lifted his brush to paint a long black strip across his painting. "Poor damn creature." He shook his head.

"Mr. Darrow if there's something you know, please tell us." Sam said. "Please." He looked very earnest, and Dean couldn't help but admit that he too was morbidly curious. After all he's the first bastard we've come across with an inkling of what she might be.

"She's newborn." Darrow said. "Nothin' more than a baby."

"Maybe for you given your age." Dean said. "But she's twenty years old."

"She probably was once." Darrow nodded. "But not anymore. I'm guessin' she's only been with you for about three months?"

"That's right." Sam said. He frowned. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." Darrow said. He downed another glass of brandy. "My grandmammy was fond of stories about the Wild Hunt." He shook his head. "Old lore, predates Christian mythology." He glanced at them. "That girl's getting' you mixed up with old powers." He drank again. "For all the good it'll do any of you. That's bad magic." He shook his head.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Yeh really are slow." Darrow shook his head. "That's all I can give you. So get lost." He turned back to his painting.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Are you idiots slow or something?" Darrow asked. A dark frown hung heavily like a storm cloud on his brow, and he scratched his grizzled chin. "Get out!" Sam and Dean ducked a thrown glass and burst out into the hallway. They came to a stumbling stop in the center and looked around.

"What was that about?" Sam asked. He glanced up and down the hall, but Kelly was gone. Again. _Why does she keep taking off? _ The girl was utterly incapable of staying still.

"Don't know." Dean said. "But at least we've got a hint."

"The Wild Hunt."

AN: Thanks for all your lovely reviews, school has been crazy but I'm still trying to hammer these things out. Enjoy the hellhounds. I promise they will be back. Again a shout out to winchesterxgirl, guardian music angel, Jord-El, and Haley's Happening. Thank you for the lovely reviews!

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	19. Chapter 19: Save Him, Save Me

Chapter Nineteen: Save Him, Save Me

The black 67 Chevy Impala pulled to a stop in front of the house of Evan Hudson. It was a tall house, two stories and built during what looked like the late Victorian era. Ivy hung from the white eves and climbed up the cream sideboards, a green crosshatching that cut under the low balcony. The roof peaked high pointing directly up towards the ebony firmament, and the view through the large window on the first story was closed off by a set of blinds. Above them the moon hung high in the sky, ready to cross midway and descend towards the start of a new day. Dean Winchester yanked the emergency break and, wiping the steam from the windshield, stared out at the lone figure standing on the dewy lawn. The heavy wind whipped her hair unnaturally beneath the messenger cap, and even from the back he could tell her arms were crossed. Clearly tensed, though why he wasn't sure. From the bunching of her shoulders and their steady rise towards her ears, he could tell she was agitated, poised, and waiting. Her figure was one that had become easily recognizable over the past few weeks when they'd once again begun traveling together, and he knew that he would always be able to find her, no matter where she went, or how far she ran. He'd always find her.

"Dean." Sam said. But Dean Winchester didn't listen to him; instead he pulled his Colt 1911 pistol out of the glove compartment, and fitted it with five pure silver rounds. Snapping the barrel open, he inserted them inside, and shut the gun with a loud snap. "You can't do this." Dean knew Sam was in love with Kelly Jones. It was as obvious as, well, the awesomeness of ACDC. But in comparison to Dean's own, his brother's feelings were a drop lost in a vast ocean. Sam thought he knew what it was like to love, because he'd loved before. But Dean had never really been in love, and he'd never really known what it meant. Not until now anyway. In truth he hadn't even known what he truly felt and he'd only really discovered it once he'd learned that Kelly had run off. Again. The way she always did when something terrible was about to happen. _Except that instead of away, she runs towards the danger_. He always knew he could find her near or around the eye of the storm and that condemned her as easily as she was exonerated. _She's never intended anyone any harm_. That was a score in her favor, but the underlying truth of the matter was, from Dean Winchester's point of view, that she wasn't human. _With every mission she gets less and less_. How long would it be until she stopped being recognizable? How long until she reverted to whatever dark nature it was that lurked beneath her skin? How long would it be until she stopped being the girl he loved? From all his training, from everything he'd been taught by his father, Dean Winchester knew he couldn't take that chance. _Put them down before the problem begins_. That was his motto. It was his father's, and it was the same with every other Hunter worth his salt. _Every hunter that's survived._ You shot first and asked questions later. _That's the way it's always been._

"You're still defending her?" Dean asked. Sam winced as his brother unlocked his door with the tip of his gun. Metal grated on metal. "She's been lying to us from the beginning, Sammy." He shifted, ready to get out of the car, but Sam grabbed his arm. Dean looked over at him. His brother's eyes were angry, hateful even. Filled with righteous anger and delivering his intent to defend the woman, _Creature… monster… _ he cared about. Sammy would keep her alive out of love. Dean was ready to put her out of her misery for the same reason. Love. "She knew what she was."

"She didn't know, Dean." His brother said. "How could she know? We don't even have an inkling over what's happening with her."

"We have the Wild Hunt."

"We don't know what that is." Sam said. "So let's not jump to conclusions." Dean shook his head. Because of his brother's condition, Sam had a soft spot for monsters, and that tempered Dean. "You know how frightened she's been."

"There's George Darrow." Dean said. "She couldn't cross the goofa dust, and it keeps out demons. If her base nature isn't evil Sammy, then why couldn't she cross it?"

"But she wears an anti-possession charm." Sam said. "She couldn't put that on if she was evil." He paused for a moment, and then added. "Or demon possessed."

"Sammy." Dean snarled. "Do you have any idea how she found Evan Hudson? We had to look him up in a phonebook, and she's right there outside his house." He glared at his brother. "She was the one who specifically told us her senses aren't attuned to humans."

"Maybe it has something to do with his deal."

"Sam!" Dean growled. He looked up, Kelly hadn't moved, she was watching the house intently, and she hadn't turned back to pay attention to them once. Every so often her head turned, as if to scan the area. But Dean knew she wasn't looking for them. She was waiting for something else. That sent a thrill up his spine. _But is the bitch planning to fight? _ He couldn't be sure. _If I know her like I think I do…_ From their encounter with Blake, Kelly had made her distaste for ghosts plain. _She also didn't think it was possible to save someone from hellhounds_. He had the same opinion. The gun was a precautionary measure. _Is she what we think she is?_ He wanted to know. He believed in her. But… He'd been wrong before. _Dad would put her down. _ He wouldn't take the chance. _Will silver kill her?_ He didn't know. But it was his best bet.

"Every evil creature we've come across has wanted her dead." Sam said. "Holms', Blake, even those spirits that attacked Bobby a month back. They attacked her directly." Sam said. "That has to count for something." In response, Dean lifted his gun and moved to open his door. "You're not going to shoot her."

"This is precautionary." Dean said. Still, he held it loosely in his hand, instead of stuffing it into the back of his pants. Kelly had been very distant lately, with both himself and Sammy.

"She has a mark on her hand that burns ghosts!" Sam snapped. "I refuse to believe she's some kind of monster."

"She's not human!" Dean growled. "And plenty of Hunters would hunt her on that principal alone."

"That doesn't make her inherently evil." Sam yelled. "Are you seriously going to tell me that you can look her in the eyes and pull the trigger?" Sam looked down at his hands and then up at his brother. "You love her Dean."

"No I don't." Dean lied. His hand was on the handle and he swung his door open. "Not anymore." The conviction in Sammy's voice over Dean's own feelings had made him pause. He remembered all those late night conversations, how they'd joked with one another. The mild flirtation, the sexual chemistry. Hell, he knew how he felt about her. _Damn, I even listed her as 'Girl, My'. Like she was some kind of fucking possession. _ His girl. Dean knew how he felt. _But I can lie to myself_. And his feelings couldn't change the facts. _I might have to kill Sammy too. _ Dean closed his eyes, his fingers tightening around the handle of his gun, his index twitching over the trigger. The words his father had spoken to him the night of his death, the cryptic message that had sent him into a tailspin. One he'd tried to bury in his work, in his life, and one that he'd finally had to admit to Sammy after the ordeal at Croatoan. He'd expected his brother to run off after that, but those late night conversations with Kelly had kept his brother grounded. Hell, the knowledge that the girl was okay had kept him grounded. _And now I might have to kill her_. Dean knew why, of course. It was the same reason that Bobby or his father would have killed her. _Destroy the problem now_. He gazed out at Kelly again, and at the wind twisting her hair beneath that black leather messenger cap. She had a scar on her left cheekbone, a long white cut, a cut that was his fault. His responsibility. _I took responsibility for her. _ And it would be his job to kill her if she went evil. _She's more than a normal girl_. Fucking hell, she'd fallen from a different universe into his lap. She was practically cosmic. Dean shook his head. He opened his door.

"Dean." Sam hissed. He opened his own door. "I won't let you hurt her."

"No?" Dean queried.

"No." Sam snarled.

"Okay." Dean said. Fast as lightening he hit his brother over the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out cold. Sam slumped in his seatbelt, his head resting on the dashboard. Dean stepped out of the car, and into the hot Mississippi night. _Sorry Sammy._ He thought as he walked towards Kelly. The gun was in his hand as he stared at her back. She was tensed, and he could she her arms crossed over her chest as she gazed intently at the house. Dean saw the blinds open, and a light haired man looked out at her. When those watery blues found Kelly, the blinds snapped shut again. Dean swallowed. He knew what he had to do. _I don't want to_./I The traitorous voice in his mind whispered. "Kelly." He called. The gun loose in his hand as he walked towards her. Those doe eyes turned towards him. Wide, frightened, and, Dean noticed, relieved. She sighed when she saw him coming. But that wasn't what caught him. It wasn't the fear. It was the change in those normally recognizable mahogany browns. They had altered. Now a burnished golden gaze met his, eyes that glowed unnaturally in the dark. Above and beyond the cat like night vision he'd discovered in the bowels of the Blake Mansion. No these eyes stood out against the white skin of her face, a pair of twin suns, and if it weren't for the set of dark black pupils, Dean would have sworn that they belonged to the Yellow Eyed Demon. _Except that they're too dark to be yellow. _ Instead they were a hot molten gold. Piercing. Challenging. Terrifying. The moon slid out from beneath its cover of cloud and cast long moon beams down across the yard. The light caused Dean to see something new, long wet streaks dripping down her pale cheeks. Her scar glittered translucent, and she smiled. Dean followed her gaze, and realized that she was looking at the gun. His resolve to end the menace now cracked. Even as relief washed through those frightened features, those terrifying inhuman eyes moved to his face, and a thankful expression found its way on to her visage. She walked towards him. He was stunned and couldn't move, held by the hypnotic power of those golden orbs. Her hand reached out and took his wrist. She lifted his hand to press the nose of his gun against the center of her chest, over her heart.

"Thank god." She whispered. "You've come to kill me."

"Kelly." Suddenly confused, he tried to pull away. This wasn't like her. It wasn't what he'd expected. But she held him fast.

"I'm so tired Dean.' She whispered. "And I want to live, I really do, I'm just…" She trailed off. Her other hand rose to grip his arm. "I can't go on like this." Those terrifying eyes rose up to meet his. Dean saw the terror there, the fear. "I…" She paused. "I met hellhounds today." She bit her lip. "They wanted to kill me, but their leader said that they couldn't." Dean paused, but he felt his own hand rising to move up her back, even as his grip tightened on his Colt 1911. His fingers felt the cool etchings in the handle and along the barrel as he listened to her. "Because I'm just a baby." She looked away. She held her breath for a long pause and then released it in a great sigh, she turned her eyes back to his face, and Dean unconsciously stiffened beneath her gaze. "George Darrow, an old woman, and that man all saw me as a black dog today." She fell against him. "The old woman shook her broomstick at me, and told me to get off her stoop." She whispered. "Get off, get off, you mangy black dog. This ain't no restin' place for you, she said." Kelly's eyes shut, and she sighed again, Dean's arm tightened around her body, but his finger twitched over the trigger. Torn by emotion, instinct, and decades of trained response. Still he couldn't bring his index finger to squeeze. "I don't know why she said that or why I can't cross that dust line." She shook her head, her nose rubbing against his chest, and the barrel of the gun pressed against her chest, the cold steel standing out against her cream colored breast. "I'm tired. I'm tired of lying, and secrecy, everything." Dean's arm closed around her, encircling her fully, and even with the gun between them, he held her tight. "I'm so terrified that I'll hurt you. And since I don't even know what's happening to me, I'm not sure if I can trust you, or even if I should. But at the same time, I don't have anywhere else to go." Her gaze was so earnest, and Dean noticed that in the moment her eyes had reverted back to their normal brown color. _Must have been those hellhounds_. He thought. Was she connected to them in some way? He wondered. That made sense. Dean dropped the gun, and pulled her into his arms. Her arms wrapped around him, and her head buried into his chest.

"Okay." He said. "You're scared." His chin rested on the top of her head, and he inhaled her scent.

"Everything wants me dead." Kelly murmured. "It must be for a reason." _Except the yellow-eyed man. _ But even now, she knew she couldn't tell Dean about that. _I want him to live. _ She wanted him to survive. How would he survive if that man fulfilled his threat and killed him. _If he discovers what I really am, Dean's dead._ To cover up what she was. _So I'll be a surprise._ Even so, she hated that she had to keep lying to him. To someone who clearly cared about her. _Lying to someone I love_. It hurt her everytime, and encased her inside her own fears. She reached up. Taking his face in her hands she stared into his eyes. "When those hellhounds came for George Darrow, my first instinct was to protect you." She said. Her voice was soft, but it warmed him. "I… You're my person Dean Winchester." She told him. "You and Sam, you're my people. I'll do anything to keep you safe." _I can't kill her_. Dean realized. The gun dropped from his hand and lay in the grass. "But, I can't trust myself." She patted his cheek. "So, you shouldn't trust me either."

"We'll figure you're mystery out together." Dean said. "That's what Sam wants to do anyway."

"You're not going to kill me?" She asked.

"No." Dean replied. He wasn't sure where she was heading.

"Then the Emo moment's over." She told him. "Go wake up Sam." She turned and looked up at the house. "You guys need to save Evan Hudson."

"Sammy?" Dean asked.

"You knocked him out right?" She asked. There was a tiny smile on her lips. Again, Dean was forced to admire how quickly she could change gears.

"Yeah."

"I knew it." She laughed. "That's the only way you could have come down on me with a gun." She smirked, and patted his chest. "I should be thankful." She grinned up at him. "At least one of you has a brain." She pressed her lips against his cheek. "Thanks Dean."

"Dean!" Kelly and Dean turned to see Sam barreling down on them. The youngest Winchester stepped between the two, his arms outspread, Kelly covered her mouth to hide a giggle. "You can't shoot her."

Kelly wrapped her arms around his tall frame. "You're five minutes too late for that." She told him, but she squeezed him all the same. "Thanks though." Sam looked back at her, and smiled. Kelly saw the worry in his large soulful brown eyes and she grinned. Sam bent down and kissed her on the forehead, while Dean snorted and looked away.

"He wasn't really going to do it." Sam whispered in her ear.

"Yeah he was." Kelly replied. She patted Sam's cheek. "But his heart was in the right place." Sam glared at his brother again, and Kelly shook her head. _Dean had the right idea._ She thought. Each step she took towards being more monstrous meant she was losing portions of her humanity. _I don't even know what I am_. Hell she didn't know who she was. "Evan Hudson is inside, and if you want to save him you need to stop wasting moonlight." She told them, her heart still hammering in her chest.

"You're coming with us." Sam said.

"She can't, Sam." Dean replied. He glanced at Kelly and she smiled at him.

"He's right, Hudson will freak out if he sees me." She gestured towards the house. "He's been freaking out all night, seeing me in his yard. Besides," She took a deep breath. "He already saw me today, and it didn't go over well." Sam opened his mouth, but Kelly kept on talking. "If you want a shot at credibility, I'll be more of a hindrance than a help."

"Is this because George Darrow saw you as a…" Sam trailed off.

"Hellhound?" Kelly asked. "Yeah it is."

"And what are you going to do?" Dean asked. He didn't like the idea of leaving her out here alone any more than Sam did, but he knew it was better to let his brother argue. Dean was more inclined to hit her over the head, tie her up and leave her in the back of the Impala while they dealt with this mission. _And every mission after_. If it kept her safe. _Tie her to the bed_. He wondered how sexy she'd look in bondage. Still, he couldn't forgive her for lying to him.

"Wait for the hellhounds." She said. "I might be able to delay them for a little while." At the astonished looks on both men's faces, she laughed. "What?"

"You're planning on tangling with a hellhound?" Sam asked.

"Actually." Kelly said. "I'm planning on facing off against three of them." She lifted her fingers to show the numbers to both boys.

"Alone?" Dean asked. "Even if you're peculiar, to think about doing something like that without back up is…"

"Stupid." Sam said.

"I'm the only one out of the three of us who can see them." Kelly said. "And the only one they'll communicate with. You," She pointed at Dean, then at Sam. "They'll just ignore."

"And we'll be asking a lot of questions about that one later." Dean said.

"Understood." Kelly said. She snapped a salute at him. Dean couldn't help it. He chuckled. "But if you want a shot at saving Evan, I'd suggest getting a move on."

"How did you find him anyway?" Sam asked. Kelly glanced at him and Dean wondered if she was going to lie again.

"For the sake of full disclosure," She began.

"Which we haven't been doing enough of lately." Dean said. Kelly glared at him, but he shrugged. His eyes moved to the sky. The moon wasn't quite at its pinnacle yet. _Not quite twelve_.

"I've smelled it all day. I tried to track it on my walk." She said. "So, the trail wasn't too hard to find and follow down here." She glanced from one boy to the other. "It's the same as Darrow's place." She explained, smiled at Sam, and gestured to the house. "I'm fairly certain associated with anyone who makes a deal with the Devil."

"Only fairly?" Dean asked, and Kelly stuck her tongue at him.

"What does it smell like?" Sam asked. Dean raised an eyebrow.

"That's a little morbid Sammy." He said.

"Sickly sweet." Kelly said. "Honestly it makes me a little sick." She shook her head. "But there's a tang to it." She paused. "I don't know, it's like meat that's been left out too long in the sun or something." She shook her head. "I guess you could call it the Devil's Mark." She glanced at Dean. "We should discuss this later."

"I agree." Dean said. He picked up his gun.

"I don't…"

"When you have an old woman shake a broom handle at you and tell you to get off her porch, then you can have a say." Kelly snapped. "But until then, go be a big hero." Dean put a hand on her shoulder. She calmed beneath his hand, but she didn't look at him, her eyes remained trained on Sam.

"We covered this already Sammy." He said. His brother frowned. _He doesn't like being shut out of the club._ Dean realized. _Well, that's too fucking bad. _

"I was terrified you guys were going to want to hunt me." Kelly said. She glanced at the older Winchester who shrugged. _I'm tired of lying about Yellow Eyes._ She thought, but knew she couldn't say anything. If the man perceived that the boys knew more than they should, then things could go from bad to worse very quickly. _And I don't want anything to happen to them_. "And with this trigger happy lummox around you can see why." She added, giving Dean a soft punch in the shoulder. Leaned over to give her a soft kiss on the top of her head and he suffered through Sam's embarrassingly inquisitive expression to do it. Kelly flushed and raised her own eyebrow at him. _What's up with him today_? She wondered. Feeling the need to get some of his old self back he slapped her ass. With the loud crack she jumped forward and high into the air. When she landed, she whirled, her finger stabbing at him, her face aghast. Red flooded her cheeks. "Dean!" She exclaimed, but the older Winchester only snickered. "Go help Evan." She grumbled. Pushing him towards the house, she rapped her fingers on his back. "They're coming."

"But." Sam began, but Kelly turned away from him to stare off into the distance. Her eyes searching the low swinging branches of the red maples lining the edge of the large lawn as she scanned the horizon line and the moon moved a few more centimeters closer to the pinnacle of the sky.

"Do you want to save his soul?" She asked. But her voice trembled. "Or not?" Dean's hand gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She smiled up at him. _I don't want to face them again._ She thought. Remembering Gabriel she shivered.

_You best grow big and strong before we meet again._

He'd said that. _But I haven't grown big or strong_. She thought. _I'm screwed._ However if it gave Evan Hudson a little more time then she was all for it. _Like my puppy teeth…_ Did she have puppy teeth? Kelly's fingers unconsciously moved up to check her mouth. Were her canines sharper? _Can even sink into their fur_. Still, she had to try didn't she? _Facin' down three fucking hellhounds. I must have a death wish. _ She thought. She glanced at them. They were still standing there. "Go!"

"You're coming with us." Sam repeated. Sometimes he could be so stubborn. Kelly raised her eyebrows politely and stated.

"No."

"She's right." Dean said. "She can't come with us."

"Thank you Dean." Kelly said.

"She's right Sammy." Dean said. "But she's also wrong."

"What?" Kelly asked.

"She can't go inside." Dean said. "But she also can't stay here." Dean lifted the butt of his pistol and hit her over the head, a little harder than he had with Sam. He wanted to make sure she was out cold for a good long while. Sam had recovered a little too quickly. But at least it saved Dean from having to use the smelling salts. "Sorry sweetheart." He said as Kelly dropped like a stone. "We can't take any chances."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. His brother swung the unconscious body of the girl into his arms, tilting her head so that it rested against his chest. She moved like a rag doll in his arms. Sam had never seen so much tenderness in his brother's eyes. But then again, never had he seen his brother at war with his instincts. Dean knew Kelly was dangerous, and the first reaction their father had instilled in them was to put dangerous beasts down. _But Kelly's not a beast_.

"You were goin' to let her face down three hellhounds?" Dean asked. He turned and headed for the car without waiting for his brother's answer.

"I wasn't." Sam said. "But this is a little—"

"Then I don't want to hear complaints." Dean said. "Open the door." He told Sam, as Kelly's soft breathing shifted the lapel of his shirt. Dean's hands slid up her back, and he enjoyed the feeling of her body against him. Sam swung the back door open. "Good, now fish the rope out of the trunk."

"Be gentle with her Dean." Sam cautioned. He watched Dean slid Kelly into the back before he went and got the rope. "You certain this is necessary?" He asked, as he tossed the rope to his brother.

"She's not fighting hellhounds." Dean said. "If anything is goin' to put her down, it's gonna be me." Sam took that as an expression of love.

"That's sweet Dean." Sam said.

"Shut up." Dean said. The older Winchester expertly knotted the rope around Kelly's hands, binding her wrists together. Then he tossed the rest to his brother. "Tie up her feet."

"Are you sure that's necessary?" Sam asked, as his brother knelt over Kelly's sleeping head.

"When has this girl ever stayed put?" Dean asked. He ran his fingers through her hair, noticing that the messenger cap had fallen down into the crack between the seats. He chuckled.

"Excellent point." Sam didn't like that Dean left a soft kiss on Kelly's forehead. _What happened between them while I was out? _ He wondered. It made him uncomfortable. Incredibly. He didn't like the idea that his brother was getting ahead of him in the game. Sam knotted her ankles together, as tightly as he could bear too. He didn't want to hurt her, just incapacitate her for a few hours. _Since she shouldn't be involved_. And he agreed with Dean. _No way in hell is she facing down three hellhounds alone._

Dean brushed the brown hair back off her forehead. "Sorry sweetheart." He said. His voice was soft. She set every cautious nerve on fire in his body. They all screamed that this was disastrous, but for the first time in his life Dean Winchester's heart was fighting that reasoning. He was attached to this girl, more than he wanted to admit. Ever. "Let's deal with Evan." He said.

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	20. Chapter 20: Deals, Demons, and Hounds

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything in the Supernaturalverse, they belong to the genius of Erick Kripke. But Kelly Jones is mine, and out of my own brain.

Chapter Twenty: Deals, Demons, and Hounds

"She's going to be pissed when she wakes up." Sam said. He continued to pound on the door of Evan Hudson's house.

"You think I don't know that Sam?" The older Winchester brother asked as he snapped the barrel of his gun shut.

"She's gonna be pissed." Sam repeated. His fist rang against the door as he shouted. "Mr. Hudson! Evan Hudson!" Again and again he said the name, like a broken record. But the man didn't appear and Dean himself could not admit to being surprised.

"Yeah." Dean said with a shrug. "But think of the fun." He licked his lips as he crossed his arms. Sam was so shocked that for a five second beat he forgot to pound on the door.

"You can't sleep with her, Dean." Sam said.

"Why not?" His brother asked. "Angry sex is the best kind." Dean raised his eyebrows, half challengingly and half suggestively at his brother. In all honestly, though he would like to get his hands on her, thoroughly if given the opportunity, he was really saying it to shock and awe his brother. _It's been a while since I got down to being me_. And it was time that Sammy was reminded about the kind of guy his brother was.

"Because you can't Dean."

"What?" Dean's eyebrows shot into his hairline. "Say that again Sammy."

"You can't." Sam said.

"Again, why not?" Dean asked. "Cause of your little crush emo boy?" Dean jammed his thumb into his chest. "Because if it's just that, you don't need to worry." Dean looked back at the car and shook his head. Just thinking about Kelly tied up in the back seat of the Impala made him, well, rise. He moved his gun subconsciously to cover the front of his pants.

"Very smooth." Sam said. He followed his brother's gaze, and felt the heat of his own jealousy rising. _She and I have more in common anyway. _He thought_. But Dean's been falling for her since Day 1. _Dean was making progress on that count_. At least he finally admits to wanting her. _ Apart from the one time he was dating her, to Sam's knowledge his brother had never claimed ownership of the little spitfire, and the only marker the younger Winchester could find was Dean leaving the house every night it was Sam's turn to have the girl in his bed.

"I'm not looking for a relationship." Dean said. He couldn't admit he was lying to his teeth. He truly wasn't. _Can't give up the cowboy lifestyle_. But sleeping around with the women he met in bars no longer felt all that appealing. "I just want to screw around."

"First, I'm not going to mention that you look at her the same way you looked at Cassie." Sam began.

"God." Dean smacked his forehead. His brother was getting into his speech mode, and nothing in the world could save the oldest Winchester from listening to Sammy Sermon.

"Even though you haven't even had sex with her yet."

"I've seen full frontal." Dean snapped. He wasn't that much of a loser. _Of course I've never convinced her to do it._ Or gotten to do it himself. He'd just caught her on those rare moments that she forgot where she was and walked out of the bathroom without a towel. Now he thought of her every time he heard the shower running, because he did, oh god yes he did. _And what I'll do if I ever get my hands on her_. There was nothing in the world that Dean Winchester liked better than a shared shower.

"If you sleep with her she'll leave Dean!"

"You and I know there are plenty of things you can do that don't involve insertion." Dean remembered the night in the hospital and those slim delicate fingers running trailing down his chest towards his abdomen. There was a glint of purpose there, in those mahogany eyes. And they'd been tempered by a spark of fun. Fun Dean Winchester wanted to involve himself in. _But do they turn gold when she's sexually aroused? _ He didn't know, but he wanted to find out. "You can have sex without it Sam." Then he turned and stared at his brother. "And why do you think that would be a bad thing?" He asked. He meant it more jokingly than he was prepared to admit.

"Seriously?" Sam asked. He'd stopped beating on the door, and turned towards Dean. "You seriously want to know the answer to that?"

"Yeah, Sammy I do."

"Because I like having her around, Dean." Sam said. "I like having her around." Sam's chocolate eyes examined his brother for a moment's breath. "And you do too."

"No I don't." Dean said.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"You moped for the two months when she was gone, Dean." Sam said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "You spent hours every night flipping open your phone and looking at her number. Hell, you stole it off my phone after she emailed it to me."

Dean paused for a long moment, took a deep breath and let his brain race. He needed to get some of his own back. _I didn't know Sammy had caught me acting like a pussy_. "That was Tracy's number." He said, running his fingers through his thick blonde buzz cut.

"Tracy?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, you know Tracy?" Dean said. He was lying through his teeth again. Good thing Daddy trained me to be a con artist. Though Sammy didn't look convinced. "The bartender we met in Vicksville? Tracy?" He shook his head. "She had a lot of spunk, yeah, there was this one time…"

"Tracy?" Sam said. "You were stuck on a girl named Tracy for two months."

"No after Tracy it was Melanie."

"Melanie?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "The girl we met at…" _Shoot where did we go after Vicksville?_ He thought, racking his brain. He didn't normally keep track of jobs from three months prior, not unless they were incredibly interesting. "Jack's Place in Tallahasse."

"Who else?" Sam asked. He raised his hand, covering his grin.

"Well, then, there was Janice, she had really big boobs Janice, and Andrea, and Marie, and Anna, and Nelly, and then this really busty chick, I don't remember her name…" He stared at his brother's face. "You don't believe a word I'm saying." He said, finally catching the delighted light dancing in his brother's eyes.

"No, I just wanted to know how many girl's you could remember off the top of your head." Dean frowned at that. "Come on, Dean. You've been celibate as a monk these past three months." Sam raised an eyebrow when Dean shook his head. "I can see the signs brother."

"You're wrong." Dean said. "I got some just last night."

"Liar." Sam coughed.

"I did."

"You've been complaining how you haven't been having sex for a while now Dean." Sam said. "You told me that earlier this morning." He shook his head, his brown hair shaking back and forth like a dog's. "Look, I get that you're strung out." Sam said. He was doing his best to try to sound sympathetic. _But I honestly didn't expect Dean to move so fast once he'd realized he had some kind of feelings_. Dean had been a little more skittish when it came to Kelly. "But you can't find satisfaction with her."

"Why not?" Dean asked. _Because of your crush Sam? Is that what this is about?_ Dean thought he'd never see the day where he was trying to cock block his brother. But somehow, he knew that it was fast approaching. Far more quickly than he would have preferred. _But we can only pretend the ignorant march for so long_.

"Because…"

The door swung open suddenly. "Yes?" A man Dean could only assume was Evan Hudson poked his head out of the door and stared at the two Winchester brothers. _If anybody's strung out it's this guy._ Dean thought, noting the thin sheen of sweat covering the man's brow. His pupils were dilated and he kept glancing across the lawn, for, who Dean guessed was Kelly. _Or the other hellhounds_. "What do you want?"

"Have you ever been to a bar called Lloyd's?" Dean asked. "It would have been about ten years ago." He smirked a little as he added. "Today." Sam's eyes flicked back to the car, but the Chevy Impala remained still on the gravel driveway. Sam didn't trust that it was so quiet. _Unless Kelly's still knocked out._ Which was also likely. _Dean hit her pretty hard_. And while Sam would never have treated the girl he loved so roughly, he understood his brother's reasoning. Sam was alerted to the present by the sound of a door slamming in his brother's face.

"That went well." Sam said, wholly sarcastic. Dean glared at his brother, then bit his lip and looked back at the door. "Got anymore bright ideas?" Dean said nothing, instead he lifted his leg and slammed it into the door, his foot coming down a few inches away from the handle. Sam rolled his eyes as his brother charged in through the opening. _Because that makes us seem friendly_. He shook his head. "And there's always the direct route." He muttered, following his brother inside.

Kelly Jones woke with a throbbing headache. _I am going to fucking kick Dean's ass._ She thought. She opened her eyes slowly, carefully. For a moment the world spun around her. Dizzy she tried to sit up, but found she couldn't. _Why?_ She wondered, moving her hands. They chafed. They hurt. She looked down. "Oh fucking hell, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, that' fucking overkill Dean!" She snarled. Staring at her bound hands she contemplated how she was going to get out of this. _First things first I need to sit up_. Then she would shank Dean. _Throw him into a fucking wall and tie him to the bed posts, strip him of his clothes, tease him till he thinks he's getting some, steal his keys and drive off in the Impala._ She thought. There was only one minor flaw in that plan. _I can't fucking drive stick_. She tried to move her feet. Her ankles stayed bound together. "Oh for the love of…" She craned her head to look down. "I was wrong before." She muttered. "That's fucking overkill." She lifted her legs together. _I'm pretty sure Dean didn't search me for weapons. _ She thought, rolling onto her back. _Which means my knife is still in my boot_. She could get free with that. _I just have to get to it._ And maneuvering around in the back of the Impala would not be a simple task. _How the hell does Dean ever manage to have sex in this car?_ She wondered. It just seemed…cramped. Inhaling the scent of treated leather, Kelly rolled onto her back. She flung her arms back over her head. Lifting her legs, she scooted her ass across the seat. _Thank god for bench seats_. She thought. They left room to maneuver. If it had been buckets, she'd be doubly screwed. _I will never remind Dean to tie me up in the front seat. Saves me from having to think creatively_. She lifted her toes and slid them around the knob that acted as a door lock. Somehow, her brain had decided it would be easier to open the door and sit down, as opposed to forcing her abdomen to carry her weight, and move into a sitting position. _I'd most likely just fall over again._ She thought. Kelly hated being counter productive. Muscle_s_ screaming in her legs, she fitted her toes around the knob. Jimmying it up while the muscles in her thighs and abdomen screamed. She let her head fall back when she heard the soft click of the door unlocking. _Stupid idiots_. She thought. _Like bound hands and feet could keep me contained._ She sighed. Well, it might have worked if they'd bothered to bind her hands behind her back. _But apparently, Dean wasn't thinking_. Wishing her hands could massage her temples. There was a lump throbbing on the back of her skull, and Kelly growled. _I am going to make him pay. _ She thought. Her eyes burning. _Dean Winchester will pay! _ Kelly rolled to her side, pulling back one of her feet, and moving her ankle, she fitted a portion of her booted foot into the hand hold. It wouldn't fit. _Crap. _ She thought, rolling onto her back again. She pushed off the door so that she was lying straight on the leathery plank that served as a back seat. The silver buckles for the seat belts dug into her spine as she skidded along the leather. She flung her arms over the back of her head again, and then hurled them forward. Using her momentum and her abs, she pulled her self up into a sitting position, swinging her legs over the side of the seat awkwardly and grabbing for the headrest of the passenger side to keep from falling over. _Shit. _ She thought. Maneuvering herself upright, she opened the side door. She slid to the edge of the seat. She saw a flaw in her plan. _God damn_. Her feet were bound. _How the hell am I going to get my boot off? _ She wondered. The knife was in the boot, and she needed the knife. But how was she going to get to it?

Dean prepared to kick open the double doors leading to the study. Sam sighed, sometimes his brother just liked to break things, but today it wasn't really necessary. He put up a hand and stepped in front of his brother. He took hold of the knob and twisted it. The door opened. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, "see?" But Dean just shook his head and walked through the open door. Two pairs of eyes one blue and one brown surveyed an empty study. There was a tall leather computer chair behind an empire desk, two rows of bookcases, and a large window with the wooden blinds shut. "Evan?" Sam called.

"Please!" The frightened man yelled. He jumped out from his hiding place, his hands in the air, pleading in a manner that really surprised Sam. "I saw you with that black monster." He said. "Don't hurt me." He was in the typical, 'I give up' stance. His hands were raised high, out in front of his body, his shoulders were tense, and his legs were spread apart.

"We're not gonna hurt you alright?" Sam said. He too was in the same non threatening stance, his hands up in front of his body. Dean hadn't bothered to assume a similar posture. He left calming victims to his brother. Dean was a rough and tumble kind of character, and even on his best day he didn't have a gift for being as wholesome and sincere as Sam. "We're here to help you."

_Right. _ Dean thought. _The man brought this on himself_. He didn't see why they had to put themselves… _And Kelly._ In harms way. _Kelly can see hellhounds._ Which was a gift that gave him chills. _So she's in more danger than the rest of us_. Which was of course why he'd left her tied up in the car to begin with. Still, he could only assume it meant she was on their radar, while he and Sammy, who had never made deals, couldn't see anything. Dean was more than happy avoiding Hell's Pitbulls and he also knew that there wasn't a weapon capable of killing them. _That we know of_. They were the guardians that kept demons inside the gates, and the monsters that hunted those foolish enough to sell their souls. _Like Dad_. Several months ago, Dean himself had been on death's door, but he'd made a miraculous recovery. One that had lost them the Colt and their father, John Winchester. Dean knew, from Sam, that they're father had been planning on summoning the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Now, Dean could only assume that it meant his father had made a deal with the damned thing. _But…_ Dean himself couldn't bear living with the knowledge that John Winchester had sacrificed his life for that of his eldest son. _But it's the only answer that makes sense. _Had their father seen the hellhounds too? "We know about your deal." Dean said. He was serious. But his ears twitched, vainly trying to listen to anything happening outside. He didn't like leaving Kelly alone. She had a tendency for finding her way into the most troubling situations. _If the fact that she attracted every ghost, every manner of monster, and evil sons of bitches to her wasn't enough_. She liked to go it alone. In fact, if she could choose between trusting Dean or Sam and running off hell bent and half cocked she would always choose the latter. _Because she's scared. _He thought. _And because she's trying to protect us_. Dean didn't know much, but he was fairly sure that was the entirety of the reason. _We want to protect her and she wants to protect us, so neither will ever say the entire truth because we're scared of what might happen. _Kelly had opened up to him, and he appreciated that. But deep down he knew she still wasn't giving him the entire story, and that understanding left niggling doubts that ate away at him. He loved her, and he wanted to trust her. _But she doesn't even trust herself_. Sam coughed and Dean turned his mind back to the problem at hand, and was surprised that his words more than anything had seemed to calm Evan Hudson.

"What?" Evan asked, lowering his hands. "How?" Dean just shook his head as Sam answered.

"Doesn't matter." Sam said. "The point is that we want to help you. We want to stop what's happening."

"How can I be sure that you're not lying?"

"You can't." Dean said. "You just have to trust us." _Kelly's probably starting to wake up_. He thought. Knowing that he almost certainly hadn't hit her hard enough. _Kid's got a constitution like an elephant_. She healed more quickly than normal people, could see in the dark, and her eyes glowed gold in their most natural state. _I'd drug her, but I doubt it'd do much good_. He was willing to admit it. Kelly Jones freaked the hell out of him.

"But that dog." Evan started.

Dean said. "You're kind of running low on options, buddy." He shook his head. "You've either gotta trust us, or you let the Hounds gets you." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "You're choice."

Evan's voice broke as he walked forward. "Can you stop it?" He asked. His hands ran up over his cheeks, covering his mouth as he stared at the ground.

"Don't know." Dean said.

"We'll try." Both brothers glanced at each other. Dean looked back at Evan as Sam sighed. His brother had been on edge for a while now. _And I'm certain only about half of that has to do with Kelly_. Sam admitted that he was a little wigged out by her too. _But she's not that different from me_. So he didn't see why they should be afraid of her, or want to kill her. _Dean just has a tendency to jump the gun_. There was something about her that Sam trusted instinctively. She had an innocence that touched him, and he could feel her fear about whatever it was she was becoming. _George Darrow's words suggested that she's not actually a hellhound. _But what the hell did he mean when he'd mentioned the Wild Hunt? A part of Sam Winchester wanted to get down to researching it immediately, but knew that he couldn't. They had to save Evan Hudson first. _Then questions about Kelly can be answered. _At least, that was what he hoped. _And hope is always a long shot._

Evan Hudson sucked in a deep breath. "I don't want to die." He said.

Dean thought of Kelly in the car, and how she'd pressed the metal edge of his gun into her chest and told him to shoot her. The way she'd looked up into his eyes with those frightening golden flares that served as her own. _She doesn't want to die, but she will if she thinks she's dangerous. _ It was her willingness to let him take her life that had stopped Dean from pulling the trigger. The sudden realization that she would die for him, to save them from her, had hit him like a load of bricks, and sent him spiraling out of control. _I can't kill her like that. _No, Dean wanted to save her. _I have to save her. _And right now he refused to believe that her death was inevitable. He couldn't think that one day he might have to stand with that gun pressed against her chest, and pull the trigger. _She's like Sammy._ Dean Winchester wasn't sure if he was capable, but that might change as time moved forward. Still, Dean believed that Kelly, for all her inhumanity, was frightened of the changes she was undergoing. He shook his head. He thought of his father, who had died the same day he had made a miraculous recovery. "Course you don't." Dean said. His tone was pointed and Evan Hudson looked up at him. "Not now. Why would you want to die?"

"Dean." Sam said. His voice held a trembling warning. "Stop." But Dean ignored his brother and plowed on.

"What did you ask for anyway?" Dean asked. "Luck with investment banking? Never need Viagra? See all ACDC's concerts? Bowl a perfect game?" His voice was challenging and on edge. "What?"

"Dean." Sam repeated. He glanced from one to the other. Not wanting to lose this man due to his brother's belligerence, he started to take a step forward.

"My wife." Evan Hudson said. He glanced at his feet.

"Getting the girl." Dean said. Sarcasm was thick in his voice. "Well that's worth a trip to Hell." Dean glanced at the blinded window, knowing outside Kelly was probably thrashing about in the back seat of the Impala. _Maybe it would be_. He thought. Not that he'd ever make such a stupid deal. _Not even if it ensured that she'd be mine_. Where was the fun if she didn't come willingly. He glanced at Sam, and wondered if similar thoughts were going through his brother's mind.

Somehow, Kelly had managed to loosen the bindings on her feet enough so that she'd slipped off her right boot. That of course had meant she'd managed to completely free one foot. _But doesn't really help my hands_. Her toes shivered on the dewy green grass. She reached down with her bound hands and clumsily turned the boot over. A small knife in a black leather sheath fell out. Its silver handle glowed in the soft moonlight against the dark grass. She struggled in her bounds as she reached down and carefully yanked the knife from its sheath. She flipped it over in her hands, blade up, cutting away a small shaft of skin off the meat of her palm. She bit back a cry, as red poured across the tiny indentations in her skin and down through her fingers. Her teeth snagged her lip, sucking it into her mouth, and she began to cut through the heavy rope. _Damn Dean._ She was going make him pay. Seriously pay, not just in the giving him a black eye kind of way, no she was going to hit him so hard he'd see stars, then she'd do her worst. _Sexual worst_. Because that was the best way to get under Dean Winchester's skin. _Torture by teasing_.

"No, he's right." Evan Hudson said. "I made the deal, and I'd make it again. No one twisted my arm, and that woman at the bar she said I could have anything I wanted. I thought she was nuts at first. But… Jill was dying." Evan shook his head, that more than anything was what quieted Dean. "So yeah I made the deal and I'd make it again, hell, I would have died for her on the spot if that damn woman had asked me to." He shook his head.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Jill had cancer." Evan said. "The doctors had stopped talking hospitals and started talking hospice, it was only a matter of weeks they said." Evan looked down at his hands and then back at the brothers. His sandy hair suddenly seeming lighter and more angelic than it had before.

"You did it to save her?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Evan said.

"You ever think about her in all of this?" Dean asked. His voice harder than his brother had ever imagined it could be. But it was also broken. A touch of pain that only ever opened up when Dean was thinking about their father. Sam's eyes shot to his brother.

"I did this for her!" Evan growled. "And like I said I'd do it again."

"You so sure about that? Cause I think you did it for yourself." Dean snapped. "Because you couldn't live without her. Well, guess what, she's going to have to live without you now." He shook his head and stared at his boots. _Like I've been living without Dad_. His mind traveled back to what Sam had said earlier. _If Kelly left would things revert to how they were before?_ Or would he miss her? Those sassy sarcastic comments that she always made, joking and calling him honey, dear, and darling, scaring off the girls that Dean might have once slept with. But now he couldn't contemplate ever doing again. Could he really live without those calls? _In a few months she'd just be a memory._ But Dean Winchester now felt he was quoting a John Waite song. _I can lie to myself_. His mind sang. _I ain't missin' you at all_. Dean shook his head. "But what if she knew how much it cost?" He asked. Sam's eyes moistened a little as he looked at his brother. He saw where his brother was coming from and it hurt him. "What if she knew that it'd cost you your soul? How do you think she'd live with that?"

"Dean." Sam started again.

"She'd live with it." Kelly said. All three men turned around. Kelly stood there, leaning against the doorframe, blood dribbled down through her fingers. Evan Hudson started. "Don't be afraid." Kelly told him, and she walked into the room. "I'm not here for you."

"You, I saw you." Evan started. He cowered away from her, but she just walked past him. Her eyes were on Dean. _He looks like someone just kicked his puppy._ She thought. Blood dripped from the cut in her hand.

"Kelly?" Dean asked. He looked down at her surprised as she stopped in front of him. The girl lifted her hand and slapped him hard across the jaw.

"Get your head in the game Winchester." She snarled. "The hounds are coming."

"How did you escape?" Sam asked.

Kelly raised a lazy eyebrow at him. "Honestly?" She asked. "You want to ask about that now?" She shook her head and looked back up at Dean. "I'm not finished with you, but if we want to save this man's soul we have to get a move on." Her voice lowered into a snarl. "The moon has almost reached its apex, and that means that they'll be coming soon."

"Sure Kelly." Sam said.

"I want to hear it from Dean." Kelly said. "Since I'll be killing him when this mission is over." Her hands moved up into his hair, and Dean felt the sticky warm droplets begin to slide down his cheek as he looked into those brown eyes.

"Told you she'd be pissed." Sam laughed.

"Yeah." Dean said. He continued to stare at her. "But that's the way I like her."

"What are you talking about?" Evan asked. His face was white as a sheet as he stared at her. "You're friends with that thing." Kelly swung her head to stare at him, and Sam was surprised to see those normally calm eyes burning bright gold. The inhumanity in them was frightening. _We need to figure out what she is_. He thought.

"I'm pissed." Kelly said. "At both of you." She glanced up at him. "But I'm going to help. Because I can." She turned to Sam, then she slapped him across the cheek. "For fairness." She informed him. Dean chuckled. "And because you were the one who did such a crappy job tying up my feet." She glanced at Dean. "You tie good knots." She added.

"Oh I can do better than that." Dean said. He smirked. Sam glanced from one to the other, and felt the angry heat rising between them.

"We'll settle this later." She said.

"Count on it." Dean replied.

"That's enough." Sam said softly. "We've got bigger fish to fry." He pulled both of them back. They walked into the hall.

"What's the plan?" Kelly asked. Crossing her arms, her blood splashed onto the floor, and Sam found himself wondering if they'd be forced to get her stitched up again. Her uninjured hand was curled into a fist around her knife.

"This is my idea." Dean said. "You two stay here and throw George's hoodoo at that hellhound."

"Three hellhounds." Kelly repeated.

"Right three monsters." He noticed the girl silently flinch, but he refrained from mentioning it. "While I go to the crossroads and summon the demon." He glanced at Kelly and the small knife clenched tightly in her right hand. "You need a gun?" Dean asked. "Or are you sticking with that pig sticker?"

"This will be fine." Kelly told him. They're eyes met again and the angry heat started to flare. Her eyes were blazing golden again. But Dean held them. _Oh if I could get her into bed we'd have amazing sex._ Dean thought. His lips remained pursed, but the edges twitched, trying to curl into a leering smirk.

"What?" Sam exclaimed. "No way." He snarled.

"Why not?" Dean demanded.

"I think that's a good idea." Kelly said. Her voice was soft. She glanced from one brother to the other, finally managing to break her staring contest with Dean. She didn't notice the triumphant smile on his lips. _But then again, I don't have time for childish fights_. "It'd buy us some time."

"Like she said." Dean turned and looked at Kelly. The pain and hurt in his eyes made her head swim. "I can trap it, excorcise it, and buy us some time so we can come up with a more permanent solution."

"Yeah, but how much time?" Sam asked. "Back me up on this Kelly." He said, looking at her, but she shook her head.

"I agree that he's not in his right mind." She said. "But he's on the right track." She looked up at Sam, wincing as her sweat mixed with the bloody cut on her left palm. "You know that it takes those suckers a good long time to claw their way back out of hell." She shook her head. "If you want I can go summon the demon."

"No!" Both men exclaimed.

"No?" She asked. "Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous." Sam said.

"Because you're not driving my car!" Dean yelled. Then he glanced at Sam. "What he said." He added. Kelly snorted as she looked at him. Dean's eyes flicked over to her, and the two held each other's gaze for several long seconds. Kelly's eyes glittered, but finally she broke away.

"I've exorcised demons before." She said. Her voice was grumpy. "Bobby taught me how to read the latin." Still, Dean was pleased that she sounded resigned to the situation.

"That's besides the point." Dean told her. "Can we get back on topic?" He asked. Kelly grumbled, and raised her knife like she wanted to slash him, but didn't. Dean appreciated that she was holding back on the bloodlust. _She's still pissed_. He thought. Not that he could really blame her.

"I don't like where you're head is at, Dean." Sam growled. He glanced at Kelly, annoyed that she wasn't helping. Then he turned his gaze back to his brother, but only found a pair of unyieldingly stubborn eyes meeting his own. "You've been on edge ever since we found that crossroads." Sam snapped. "You think this has something to do with what happened to Dad don't you?"

"Sammy we don't have time for this." Dean said. He brushed past his brother and Kelly, starting towards the door.

"You think that maybe Dad made one of these deals huh?" Dean turned around and faced his brother. Sam kept going, aware that Kelly was examining them both. _It's strange that she doesn't seem to remember._ Considering how she was supposed to know everything about them. _Why haven't I picked up on that before? _ "I've been thinking it." Sam said. "I'm sure you have too."

Dean took a deep breath, as Kelly's brow furrowed in confusion. She knew that she should remember this, but she couldn't seem to recall where she'd heard it. _It's a memory of an old life_. A life that was no longer hers. God she wished she could remember! Kelly sighed as Dean responded. "It fits doesn't it?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Kelly demanded.

"I'm alive, Dad's dead, the Yellow-Eyed Demon was involved."

_The Yellow-Eyed Demon? _ Kelly wondered. "Wait, what Yellow-Eyed..." Her tongue froze in her mouth. _That couldn't be the same man meeting me in my dreams?_ Still she found she couldn't voice it. _Now, now_. The words sounded in her brain. _Don't go making them suspicious_. Sam glanced at her but she shook her head. "Go on, Dean." Kelly said, after swallowing the burning questions she had. _So he's involved with the Winchester Family too_. That explained a lot. _But not what he wants with me?_ She felt incredibly stupid thinking that thought. _I know what he wants with me. I'm the surprise of his endgame. _The one thing that no one would be expecting, at least not those who were intent on stopping him, Kelly sighed. Her breath was soft in the stale recycled air of the house. Her eyes flicked from one brother to the other. _I should have convinced Dean to kill me._ But deep down she was glad he hadn't. _Before I become the monster this Yellow-Eyed Demon wants me to be._ A lump rose in the back of her throat. The Yellow-Eyed man had not contacted her for some time, still, his absence worried her more not less. She was certain he wasn't finished with her.

"What if he did?" Dean said. Kelly swallowed. Dean glanced at her, his eyes sad. He too had heard her beginning question. _What do you know_? Dean wondered. Knowing that Sam was probably beginning to try to put two and two together. _She doesn't remember anything about our story._ He realized. It had been coming on him slowly for sometime, but her ignorance had never been feigned in front of them. She'd lied. Deceived. But he'd learned how to tell when she was in complete ignorance. _That means explanations._ Hopefully ones he could pass on to Sammy. "What if he struck a deal? He spent his whole life chasing after that son of a bitch, how could he bargain with it?"

"He did it for you!" Sam exclaimed. "He did it because he loved you!"

"And how is that worth it?" Dean demanded. Kelly swallowed. "My life for his soul? They're incomparable."

"I don't think so." Kelly said in a small voice. "I'm glad you're here." Dean glanced at her. He raised his eyebrows. Kelly's ears twitched. "It's here." She said.

"I think I hear it outside!" Evan's frightened voice came from inside the study. In one smooth motion Dean tossed Sam the bag of Hoodoo and headed towards the door.

"I have to go." Dean said. He opened the door.

"Dean wait!" Kelly yelled, and she followed him outside. She turned back and glanced at Sam. "I'll watch the doors, you get Evan into a Hoodoo circle!" She called. "I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Sam looked like he wanted to argue, but Kelly flung up her arm. "Go!" Then she chased Dean out the door.

AN: Yes, it's getting exciting. I happen to really love this chapter, since it was really fun to write. Tell me how you liked it, cause y'all know how I love reviews. I find them inspiring. Thanks winchesterxgirl, guardian music angel, AngelsBlade, Baby-Fire Cracker, and Jord-El for your wonderful comments!

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	21. Chapter 21: Lessons

Chapter 21: Lessons from Hounds, Truth from Demons

"Dean!" She yelled. He turned to see her standing on the porch, her face bathed in moonlight. Her scar glittered translucent against her skin, and he swallowed as messy brown hair fell across her forehead, tickling her cheeks. Her dark eyes met his, and she looked out of breath, like she'd been sprinting after him. He noticed as she swallowed a large gulp of air, and descended down the steps. Crossing the dewy grass quickly until she was standing underneath him. "I have something I want to say." She told him. Her voice breathy.

"Yeah?" He asked. Waiting for the angry spark, but instead her arm went around the back of his neck and she kissed him fiercely. Dean was surprised as her tongue flicked into his mouth, chasing it's way over the top of his mouth and across his own tongue. Dean felt a thrill pass through him, and he kissed her back. He could feel the heat of her anger pulsating into his mouth. He shivered. He'd been kissed before, and kissed girls before, but the heat of her passion overwhelmed him. But only for a moment. He began to find his feet, and started to press his advantage. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he tugged her against him. Kelly's mouth moved, almost expertly, which surprised him, to his lower lip. She took it between her teeth and pulled it into her mouth. Her tongue coursed over it. Flickling and licking, as Dean felt himself begin to rise. His hand moved down the small of her back, gripping her ass. He felt her gasp in response, and he found that to be satisfactory, as her nails dug into the back of his head. Then as quickly as she'd started, she closed her mouth and pulled back. [I]Dear god.[/I] Dean thought. [I]What was that?[/I]

"Don't die." She said. Patting him on the cheek, she turned around and started to walk back towards the house.

"Hey!" He yelled after her. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Dean suppressed the urge to hurry after her, sweep her up, and drown her in another intense kiss. [I]Press her down on the hood of the Impala.[/I] Do very dirty naughty things. [I]Very dirty things.[/I] He thought, admiring the slope of her hips.

"Survive and we'll talk." She responded. Dean raised an eyebrow at her. She turned and climbed the steps. "Go on." She said. "Go." Silently, Dean marched up the stairs and gave her another heart thundering kiss. A few minutes later he let her go. Kelly was breathless and flushed, she looked up at Dean with pupils dilated, and her eyes glowing. Bright gold. [I]Well, that's the natural state of her eyes.[/I] Dean thought.

"That's all I wanted to say." He said. Smirking down at her. But Dean Winchester was in no way prepared for what was about to happen next, as inside the Hudson house the clock struck twelve.

"Get down!" Kelly yelled. She took him by the arms and shoved him down the steps. Dean landed in the dust with a thud. He struggled to get back on his feet, as he felt the air currents shift and something flew over his head. He gaped as he watched her arms come up, watched her grab something, and then heard the crash as she went through the door. He heard her scream. He cocked his pistol, and lifted it, trying to find the hounds. "Go!" He heard her yell. "GO!" Dean didn't pause. He knew that there was nothing he could do for her. [I]I'm just gonna have to trust in Sammy.[/I] He thought, and charged across the grass to the Impala. He heard a frightening howl, but he revved the engine and backed down the driveway.

"I swear Kelly." He muttered. "If you die I'm marching down to hell and dragging your sorry ass out by myself." He almost swore he heard her laughing. Dean spun the Impala, its tires squealing on the gravel, and took off at breakneck speeds towards Lloyd's bar.

***

[I]Puppy.[/I] Natasha growled, as Kelly landed hard onto the hardwood and skidded into the wall with the monstrous black animal on top of her. Claws cut into the skin of her shoulders. [I]What are you doing so far from home?[/I] Kelly yelped, and slashed with her knife. Surprisingly it drew blood, the hellhound shrieked and leaped off of her. The small black female's long curved nails cut into the floor boards, and she lowered her head, lips curling back to reveal harsh red gums and gleaming black teeth. Black blood dribbled down her leg to pool on the floor. [I]It's more advanced than I gave it credit for being.[/I] She snarled. Kelly growled in response, bringing her knife to her chest. [I]But it still fights like a human.[/I]

"I am human." Kelly snarled. Lunging forwards, she moved on all fours to slash at Natasha's chest. Her booted feet slid sideways on the smooth floor, and she hit the other wall. Natasha skipped backwards onto her haunches, her fiery red eyes glittering with amusement.

[I]This one is pathetic Gabriel.[/I] She said, taking Kelly by the back of her neck and hurling her down the hallway. Kelly hit the far wall, the wooden siding creaked beneath her weight, splintering, and she went through. Hitting the concrete, Kelly coughed. [I]Shall I teach her a lesson?[/I]

[I]No.[/I] Gabriel said. Kelly watched with blurred vision as the tall black wolf-like beast stood on his hind legs. His shape twisted, and suddenly she saw the pale skin of a man. [I]Today our cousin's teaching is mine.[/I] He cracked his knuckles. Kelly shivered. The man looked like a walking zombie. Terrible scars cut across his face, glimmering in the light like terrible craters, pockmarks covered his chin, and he had no eyebrows or lips. The iris of his eyes burned bright flaming red, the dominating portion of his face. A nose that had once been hawk-like was now missing large chunks off its end. Kelly could see the bite marks on his shoulders. She tried to ignore the fact that he was stark naked. But it was hard to as he strode forward, directly in the eye line of her vision.

[I]Gabriel![/I] Natasha snarled. [I]You dare to wear that form before her![/I] She charged forward, but the tall man caught her by the scruff and hurled her away. Gabriel roared. It was deafening, and Kelly through the dimness of her mind heard Evan Hudson scream. But the Hounds had not gone for him yet. No they were here with her, waiting to see her fall.

[I]I lead this Pack![/I] Gabriel said. His voice was deafening in Kelly's mind. Even now he did not open his mouth. Even in a human form. That lead Kelly to wonder if he had ever been human at all. Kelly gasped, and struggled out of the wall and onto her feet. [I]We will do what I say.[/I]

[I]Yes Leader.[/I] Was the unquestioning response. Though there was something mutinous in Natasha's tone. Kelly charged forward, her knife raised. She slashed down across Gabriel's chest. But he caught her hand, freed the knife from her grip and tossed her again. She hit the wall on the far side. Scrambling to reach the knife.

[I]You rely too much on human weapons.[/I] He told her. The voice in her mind was steely, but not unkind. [I]A hunter must reach for his weapon.[/I] Gabriel bared his sharp teeth. [I]Ours are here.[/I] Kelly glanced down to his fingernails, extending dark and pointed in the electric lights. He lifted them and pointed at her. [I]If you cannot at least do this, then I shall kill you.[/I]

[I]Gabriel.[/I] Nathan whined. [I]The Hudson man.[/I]

[I]In due time.[/I] Gabriel said. [I]We shall sink our teeth into his flesh.[/I] Kelly lifted her hand to stare at her fingernails, her anger flared. Her eyes brightened, and she sensed Gabriel's approval. [I]This is the first step.[/I] Gabriel informed her. Kelly looked for her knife.

[I]When we are finished with her shall he die?[/I] Natasha asked. Again, Kelly heard the soft sarcasm in her voice.

"I'm not dying today." Kelly said. Her voice gurgled through the blood now coagulating in her throat. "But I'll fight on your terms." She struggled to stand once again.

[I]Fight in the manner of our kind, Puppy.[/I] Gabriel said. [I]For if you tread too long here, you'll fall like us.[/I]

"I've already fallen." Kelly snarled, and she rushed him. But this time, she left the knife behind and leapt onto his body. She sank her teeth into the pale dead flesh of his body, and his blood bubbled into her mouth. "It wasn't fun." Her fingernails sank into his back. Gabriel chuckled in her mind, and she felt his chest rumble. Then he grabbed her by the shoulders and tore her off of him. Driving her into the floor. She cried out. There was a loud crunch as she went through the floorboards. The wood dug into her back.

[I]The next one will be worse.[/I] Gabriel promised. His breath stank of flesh and blood. Kelly snapped at him. She struggled against his hands, and kicked out with her feet. Grasping him by the wrist she rolled him off of her. She kicked hard, and sent him rolling across the floor. She felt the snort in her brain as he slid gracefully to his feet. Kelly stared at his shoulder in shock. Instead of human teeth marks, there were the deep jaw marks left by some kind of animal. [I]Very good.[/I] He admonished.

[I]It was simple luck.[/I] Natasha growled. [I]But even so we should kill her.[/I]

[I]How can you be so cruel Natasha?[/I] Gabriel asked. [I]After all we were once her siblings.[/I]

[I]I do not like to be reminded of my failure.[/I] Natasha hissed. Kelly watched as she raised her nose to scent the air. [I]Her human also brought hoodoo.[/I] She growled. The rumble shook the air and Kelly shivered. Blood dripped down her shoulders, trembling across the curve of her bicep and pooling at the bend of her elbow. From there it splashed onto the floor. [I]That alone is enough for her to deserve death.[/I]

[I]She denies the Law of Exchange.[/I] The third hellhound said. The large black male with a cross-shaped scar below his right ear growled softly, his claws flexing against the hardwood. [I]That gives us the killing right.[/I]

[I]I decide who dies.[/I] Gabriel said. He still wore a human shape. [I]Unless you wish to challenge my reign Nathan.[/I]

[I]No.[/I] Nathan lowered his head. [I]I simply wish to be released on the hunt. Evan Hudson must die.[/I]

"He's not going to die." Kelly snarled. She crouched low, her arms spread wide, and her teeth curled back to reveal a mouth filled with white gleaming teeth. She charged Gabriel again. She hit him in the stomach and sent him sprawling to the floor. Quick like a rabbit she hopped onto his chest, and pounded her fist into his face. Her first blow squashed his nose. In her mind Gabriel continued to laugh.

[I]She still fights like a human.[/I] Nathan said.

[I]She will learn.[/I] Gabriel responded. [I]Already her inner self lends the proper power into her punches.[/I]

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kelly roared. She pounded another punch into Gabriel's face. She had a feeling he was simply toying with her. Desperately she opened her hand, and ripped away at his skin. She wasn't sure where that had come from, but she was surprised when three chunks of flesh were ripped away. The smell of rotting skin assaulted her nose, and she nearly fell backward, trying to escape the stench.

[I]See.[/I] Gabriel said. [I]It is clear why Azazel wants her.[/I]

[I]You have always been on good terms with him.[/I] Natasha said. Kelly saw her inching towards the door of the study. The girl roared again, the inhuman snarl rippling out of her throat as she launched herself off Gabriel and sprang across the room in a swift bound. Powered by something far stronger than normal human haunches. She crashed onto Natasha's back and sank her teeth into the hellhound's shoulder. Natasha roared. Kelly felt like something was sprouting out of her tailbone. Like a large and bushy tail. [I]I fucking hate beasts like them.[/I] She growled, rearing up on her hind legs and throwing Kelly back into another wall.

***

Dean buried his picture in the box. He smoothed it over with dirt and gravel, above him the moon burned brightly. He worried about Kelly. Guilt knotted his gut. He hated that he'd left just as she was being hurled through a wall. [I]But I have to trust that she can take care of herself.[/I] He'd learned that in their last mission together, where he'd gotten her in more trouble. [I]More of a hindrance than a help.[/I] He sighed, wiped off his pants and stood. He turned and saw a brunette bombshell standing in front of him. Her dark hair was tossed casually over one shoulder, and Dean could immediately see why so many men had fallen captive to her promises. [I]She's a wily one.[/i] He thought. "So?" What brings a guy like you to a place like this?" She asked, and Dean could see the smile on her face. She wanted to trap him, but he had other ideas. She raised an eyebrow at him when he was silent. "You called me?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm just glad it worked." Dean said. He carefully kept his hands in his pockets, not wanting to reveal any surprises. "You know, I was worried you might not show."

"First time?" She asked. There was a hint of sexual lust in her smile as she looked at him. Chills raced up Dean's spine. "One would think you might have done this before."

"You could say that." Dean said. "I've never had the reason to call one of you out."

"Well I'm just pleased it's me." The Crossroads Demon said as she walked forward. "I'd hate to think of you playing with someone else." She patted his cheek, then she turned. "Dean Winchester." She smiled. "This is a surprise." Her eyes turned bright red. "I know all about you."

"Really?" He asked. A smirk played on his lips. At their motion his mind shot back to the last kiss he'd shared with Kelly. [I]I watched her get hurled through a door.[/I] He'd traded that kind of fight to come here and match wits with this thing. [I]Not a fair trade.[/I] He didn't know of any hunters that had ever tangled in a head to head with a hellhound. [I]That makes Kelly the first.[/I] And the strangest. [I]Those monsters normally aren't interested in us.[/I] Which begged the question of what exactly the girl was.

"I get the newsletter." She said.

"Well don't keep me in suspense." He said, as she moved in close. "What have you heard?"

"That you have a delectable girl running with you." She said. Her lips pursed into a tiny smile, and Dean knew she was hitting a sore spot. "One that's not entirely human." She smiled. "Actually she's not human at all."

"Why are you giving up information so freely?" Dean asked as she examined him with chocolate eyes. Eyes that were very similar to Kelly's.

"I have a soft spot for lost puppies who are in over their heads." She said. "But we had business?" She smiled. "Did you want to send the little lost doggy home?" She patted his cheek again. "Since, you know, you can't do it yourself?"

"Maybe we should do this in my car." He said. He smiled tightly. [I]Why the hell does everything evil know about her?[/I] He wondered. [I]But we're all left in the dark.[/I] The only clue he had was the Wild Hunt, and he remembered it being vaguely linked into the lore of the Black Dogs, spectral beasts that acted as Death Omens, and haunted the paths of the Spirit World. But Kelly was flesh and blood, not a spirit, so that didn't really work in her favor. [I]Still, she's been seen a black dog.[/I] But in retrospect that could mean anything. "Nice and private."

"Fine by me." She said.

***

Study

Evan Hudson's House, Greenwood Mississippi

Completely aware of the crashing and banging going on outside, Sam Winchester was busily trying to cover every inch of the walls with George's hoodoo. While he wanted to run outside the study with guns blazing he knew that it wouldn't do him very good. [I]Kelly can take care of herself.[/I] He repeated it like a mantra inside his skull. [I]She can take care of herself.[/I] He thought, but cringed every time he heard another crash, echoed by the splintering of wood. Evan Hudson was also wincing, though Sam was certain that it was for an entirely different reason. [I]She's going to be fine.[/I] Sam knew that he couldn't risk opening the door of the study and giving the Hellhounds an all access pass into the room. [I]But I still want to know what's going on.[/I] He was forced to admit that she did a surprisingly good job acting as a human meat shield. [I]Dean's not going to like that observation.[/I] And to be fair, Sam didn't either. [I]I want her as far from danger as possible.[/I] But there was a sinking feeling in his gut that suggested she may have kissed his brother. [I]But that doesn't mean I should back out.[/I] A heart could always be changed, he knew. [I]Especially if Dean can't handle all the weirdness going on with her.[/I] He moved off the wall and walked over to Evan Hudson.

"What's that?" The frightened man asked.

"Hoodoo." Sam replied. At the disbelief on Evan Hudson's face, Sam added. "Goofa dust."

"You're serious?" Evan asked.

Sam paused in his creating of a circle and looked up at the man again. "Afraid so." He said, and continued to make a circle. Outside the room there was another crash and Evan winced. "Look, believe me, don't believe, whatever you want, just don't leave the circle." He said.

"You really can't hear the snarling?" He asked. "It sounds like they're talking to one another."

"I think they're fighting." Sam said. "At least, I'm pretty sure that's what Kelly's doing."

"Kelly…" Evan trailed off. "The black dog that was watching my house earlier?"

"Yeah, her." Sam said. His dark hair fell across his brow as he squatted in a duck walk and created a circle around Evan.

"Why would she fight for me?" Evan asked. "She doesn't even know me, and she looks like the others."

"The others?" Sam asked. He was curious about what Evan saw in Kelly, he thought that maybe it leant itself to helping them figure out what exactly Kelly was. "She looks exactly like the others?"

"Well, she lacks the scars and the eyes." Evan paused. "And now that you mention it, she's a bit more lanky than the others. Smaller too, with big ears and golden eyes. Sort of like a German shepherd puppy, but bigger, or," He shrugged. "Kind of like a black werewolf I guess." His voice trembled and he glanced anxiously at the door, as if he was afraid mentioning them would bring the monstrous hounds down on top of him. "You really can't see her?"

"No." Sam shook his head.

"And this stuff is supposed to protect me?" Evan asked.

"Yeah, it should." Sam said. He was doing his best to be reassuring, but inside he was burning up with questions. [I]Lanky with golden eyes?[/I] He wondered. [I]Like a German shepherd puppy?[/I] None of that made any sense. It was jumbled together in his brain.

"Should?" There was a squeak of fear, as something heavy hit the doors of the study. There was a crack as they bent inwards and Kelly flew through them. She hit the fireplace, and she yelped, sliding to the floor. Sam looked up to see a very ugly and very pale man standing in the doorframe. Sam looked down and realized the man had used the doors and Kelly to make a line through the hoodoo. [I]That's not good.[/I] He thought as he looked up into those glittering red iris's, completely different from any kind of demonic eye.

"Okay." Sam swallowed. "Him I can see."

"Gabriel, I'm going to rip you're fucking head off!" Kelly roared, jumping back onto her feet, her eyes glowing bright gold, she leapt at him and knocked him back out of the door. Sam felt a rush of wind, and he knew the others had found their way into the study.

***

"So I was hoping we could strike a deal." Dean said as they walked towards his car.

"That's what I'm here for." The Crossroads Demon said. "What can I do for you Deano?" She asked. A tiny smile on her lips, and Dean wondered where the hell she'd heard that reference.

"I want Evan Hudson released from his contract." Dean said.

"Sorry, no can do." The Crossroads Demons said. "If you'd asked for anything else, even saving you're precious little hound, I could do it. But this I can't."

"I'll figure out Kelly's problem on my own thanks." Dean said. Surprised by his quick response, and even more by the fact that she'd goaded that one out of him. "Can't?" He asked, trying to get back on track. "Or won't?"

"I'm afraid that's just not possible anymore Deanie." The Crossroads Demon said. "She's already been touched by powerful players, she's a knight on the chessboard, take her or not, she belongs in this world now."

"What are you saying?" Dean asked. His ears were suddenly alert. [I]I can't trust anything this demonic bitch says.[/I] But he wanted to know the secret's behind Kelly. Still, if he could get information that helped Kelly. [I]Then maybe I wouldn't be held back.[/I] And he could compete openly with Sam. [I]Because he's too slow to move on his own.[/I]

"She belongs here." The Crossroad's Demon said. "She's lost her memory hasn't she?" At the confusion on Dean's face she laughed. "What she hasn't told you?" She lifted a finger and pointed her finger into his chest. "Here's how you tell if she's meant to stay here. Ask her about her family, her parents, where she was born. What her first grade teacher's name was, or even her birthday. If she knows any of that, you'll have a chance to send her home." The Crossroad's Demon's lips twisted. "If she doesn't…"

"Then?" Dean asked. He realized that the woman was stalling, but somehow he couldn't help but barrel onwards.

"Then the power players have their monster." She said. "And you're too late to save her."

"You're stalling aren't you." Dean said.

"I'm just trying to cut a deal here, Dean." The Crossroad's Demon said. "You could save her, forget about Evan Hudson, and think about her. Scared in this world, lost and alone, you could save her, send her back where she belongs. No more fear. No more terror. No more battles. She could be at peace." She leaned forward and all it would cost you is ten years."

"Yeah." She said. "A life for a life, and ten years on top of it." She smiled. "It's a pretty fair trade."


	22. Chapter 22: Believe Me?

Chapter Twenty-Two: Believe Me?

Kelly was once again tossed out the front door of the Hudson house. She landed, and rolled over her right shoulder onto her feet. She staggered a little. Blood ran from the small jagged cuts cross her back and trailed down, making her back wet and her arms wet. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Poor little puppy. Gabriel growled as he walked across the porch. His naked feet echoing silently across the long planks. Lost and alone. In one giant bound he closed the distance between them, and seized Kelly by her throat and lifted her off the ground. Perhaps Natasha is right. He said. His voice a low rumble inside her mind, and Kelly felt the switch inside him, to a sinister coldness lying beneath his depths. Perhaps it is best if we kill you now. Kelly struggled and kicked, her hand grasping round Gabriel's wrist. She slid her fingers over the hellhound's hand, yanking down, fighting for air.

***

Dean could feel the eyes of the Crossroads Demon on him. _She expects me to make the deal. _ He realized. It was true. Kelly Jones was one of his many weak points. _But it's not that easy._ Dean didn't believe that it was too late to save Kelly. _If what she says is true._ And he had serious doubts on that count. "No deal." Dean said. He crossed his arms over his chest. "But back to Evan Hudson."

"Like I said." The Crossroad's demon reiterated. "That's not negotiable." Dean smirked, as she smiled, both preparing to get down to business.

"I'll make it worth your while." He said. The gravel crunched beneath his black leather biker boots as they headed towards the car. His mind was still partially distracted by the idea that in exchange for more than half his life span, he could send Kelly back where she belonged. _I could save her from everything._ He could make sure that nothing bad ever happened to her again. Internally, he shook his head. The demon's goal was to distract him, and he couldn't let that happen. She wanted Evan Hudson's soul, and if she could swing it his as well. _Even with Kelly hanging in the balance._ He couldn't fail. He couldn't let her win. In the end, Dean Winchester had no choice to believe in Kelly Jones.

"Will you?" The Crossroads Demon asked. "And what are you offering up in return?"

"Me." Dean said. _After all, Sam can take care of Kelly._ He swallowed. Not really knowing whether his soul was worth it. But it was the entirety of his plan.

"Well, if you were already planning on offering up your own soul," The Crossroad's Demon shook her head. "Why not use it for something more worthwhile." She chuckled, as she fixed him with a curious stare. "Since, that delectable monstrous morsel Kelly Jones is out of the question…" She raised an eyebrow. "And since you're so willing to sacrifice your life for someone else's…" She examined him once more with dark eyes. "Why not make a deal that really counts?"

"What?" Dean asked. He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, unsure over whether or not he'd heard her correctly.

"Like father like son." She smiled. "Though I'm sure that Daddy dearest would have thrown away his own soul for the safety of the world." She shrugged. "Oh well." Hurt sparked up Dean's spine, the electrical impulses shaking his foundation. He suppressed a shiver, refusing to give the Demon any advantage over him. Still, seeing the pain running through Dean's eyes, the Crossroad's demon smiled like a cat who had just gotten away with eating the canary. It gave Dean chills. "I'm sure we can find something worth negotiating."

"I already told you." Dean began.

"No darling, Evan Hudson's out of the question." The Crossroad's Demon put up a hand. "It's not something I can do."

"Can't or won't?" Dean asked. The Crossroad's Demon simply shrugged, and Dean realized that he'd hit a soft spot in her wall. _She can do it._ It was a simple matter of making her want to. _The road to hell has never looked sweeter._ He opened the black door of the 67 Chevy Impala. His baby. And if asked, Dean would swear to it being his one and only love. Even under extreme torture. _Or Sammy's puppy eyed gaze._ It groaned as it swung and Dean was left wondering what Kelly Jones had done to his car. The demon stepped forward, but at the last instant she pulled back. Her eyes flying to the white chalk marks peeking out from underneath the car as she hissed.

"A Devil's Trap?" The Crossroads Demon looked up at him. "You've got to be kidding." She stepped back, anger flicked through her chocolate eyes, nearly black in the moonlight. They were filled with the annoyance of betrayal and a need for vengeance. The car door swung shut with a loud snap. "You stupid, stupid…" Dean stiffened, waiting for the hammer to come swinging down onto his head. "I should tear you limb from limb." Her eyebrows narrowed, and the pretty stolen face of the host body took a sadistic turn.

"Bring it." Dean said. His hand moved for the colt 1911, loaded with salt rounds, tucked into the back of his pants. He'd been itching for a fight since he'd watched Kelly get tossed through a wooden door. _And it wasn't something that sat well with me._ After all, he and he alone had the beat up Kelly right. _Anything, monster or man that lays a fist on her…_ Well, they'd have Dean Winchester to deal with. _Not that I'd ever tell her that._ Kelly believed she could take care of herself, so Dean was just evening the score. _Sorry Kid._ He thought. He knew that he was being selfish, saying no to the deal. _First off the terms aren't that great._ And secondly, he couldn't really wrap his mind around living without her. The idea made his stomach twitchy and he got indigestion. Which wasn't cool. _I can keep her safe._ But those thoughts also shook a cadre of doubts loose from his underlying psyche, or something like that. Dean wasn't good with the psycho mumbo jumbo. Or whatever it was that Sam had been studying at Stanford.

The Crossroad's Demon began to walk towards him and looked like she was ready to take a swing at him. Then she stopped. "No." She said. "No, I don't think so." Her voice was breathy, and she suddenly looked pleased.

"Yeah?" He asked. "Why not?" Even to himself his voice sounded broken. It was, he'd been beating himself up for most of the day about their dad, and his suspicions about his miraculous recovery had just been confirmed. In some ways, he felt ready to die. If his existence was even worth anything at all, apparently it wasn't even worth a pissed off demon killing him. _I keep coming up short._ Hell, he'd hit her over the head, tied her up, and still she'd broken loose, prepared to beat him and everything else down. Then she'd kissed him. _Confusing._ It was nearly impossible to control her, and with her tendency to go running headlong into danger, it was becoming harder and harder to keep her safe. _The harder I try the quicker she gets into trouble._ Sam would probably say it was time to bring Kelly in as a full member of the team. _Over my dead body._

"Because your misery's the whole point." The Crossroad's Demon said. She tossed her head to the side. "Poor dearie, struggling under the weight of all that guilt. It's too much fun to watch." Her lips stretched into a satisfied smirk, as she looked him over. She took a step back. "You blew it Dean, I could have given you what you need."

"We back to Kelly now?" Dean asked. "It's gonna be pretty hard to bargain if you keep using the same tactics." The darkness shadowed his face, but he didn't lose his worn out expression.

"No. You're too selfish for that." Dean winced as she hit the nail on the head. "I'm talking about your father." Dean froze for a long moment. The demon turned her back on him, and began walking away. Dean backed up until he was standing next to the rickety old wooden water tower.

"Wait." He called. She turned, her dark eyes on him once more. "You could really bring him back?" His voice trembled just a bit when he said it, and while he was glad she'd moved the conversation from the uncomfortable subject of Kelly. _But at the same time_. She'd gotten at a deeper wound. Sensing weakness she walked forward, and leaned luxuriously against the splintering leg of the water tower. "Just as he was." She said. "Just as I could with Kelly."

"What is it about you sons of bitches and your obsession with her?" Dean asked.

"Tut, tut." The Crossroad's Demon said. "That's no way to talk to a lady, especially one who's ready to give your ass a break and cut a deal."

"But…"

The Crossroad's demon cut him off. "You're just lucky that I have a soft spot for lost puppies with long faces." She walked forwards, her heels clicking on the tiny gravel pebbles. "Poor little baby who doesn't know up from down." She said. "Who can't even see what's right in front of his nose." She shook her head. "Generational hunters would have figured it out ages ago. But you Winchesters are a slow bunch."

"She's a hellhound." Dean said. But he immediately knew that his first guess wasn't right. _If she was a hellhound then Darrow would have been afraid of her. _ But he wasn't, so it didn't work out in favor of the hounds. _But how many other mythical monsters look like black dogs?_ Dogs that weren't evil.

"Oh, no, no, no." The Crossroad's Demon said with a shake of her black locks. "She's much more than that." A smug smile crossed her lips. "If the plans made for her future come to fruition then she will be herald to the coming end of your world."

Dean blinked, completely unsure of what he just heard. "What?" He realized that he probably looked like the wily coyote when hit across the face with a frying pan.

"Come, you must have known." She stepped forward again, drawing closer to him. He moved back a few steps. "Her kind are a double edged sword. They're coming to our world always means change is near." She raised her chocolate eyes. "It is up to their handlers to dictate the course of their destiny, and you Dean Winchester have done a pathetic job. At this rate you're bound to lose her to someone more qualified." Dean flinched. "You sure you don't want to make that deal?" She asked. Her gaze rose to meet his and Dean suppressed a shiver. She took one more step forward. When Dean paused, she added. "Or we could go the easy route if you can't throw Kelly aside for the sake of the world's well being." Dean flinched again, and backed up. The demon smiled and stepped forward again. "I could give you ten years with your father. Ten long good years. If you think about it, that's a lifetime. The family could be together again, the Winchester boys all reunited. John, Sammy, Dean. And you get the added bonus of having you're cute little puppy along for the ride. Maybe your father can even figure out what you two nitwits have been overlooking. John Winchester always was the brightest bulb in the lamp." She advanced towards him again. "Look, your daddy's supposed to be alive. You're supposed to be dead. So let's just restore the natural order, plus you get ten extra years on top. That's a better bonus than any reaper will offer you. So what do you say?"

Dean paused. "Do you think you could throw in a set of steak knives?" He watched as she took a few final steps forward, and came to a stop directly beneath the bottom of the water tower.

"You know this charming self defense mechanism of yours…" She paused, and looked up. Confusion spread across her pretty features, as recognition hit. "Dean!" She hissed.

"Now you're really trapped." He smiled. His hands running over the rosary beads in his pocket.

"Let me out now."

"Sure." He said. "We've just gotta make a little deal here first. You let Evan go, call off the Hellhounds, and leave Kelly alone, and then I'll let you go." She tried to move forward but the binding held her tightly. The air quivered as she shook against the Devil's Trap.

"I can't break a binding contract." She said. "And I have no interest in your friend, she's amusing to watch, but I have no use for her."

"I think can't is more of a don't want to." He said. "And the second's good to hear. Or I might have sent you on a little trip down south for that alone. Okay, last chance." He said. "Evan and his wife get to live to a ripe old age. Kelly never gets bothered by you or your hounds again… Going, going."

"Let's talk about this!"

"Okay gone." Slowly he began to circle her as he pulled his father's journal and a rosary from his pocket. The beads clinked between his fingers as he rubbed them together.

***

"I bet…you say that too… all the pretty…puppies." Kelly coughed. Gabriel grinned and tossed her again. She flew back and hit the tall trunk of a Florida Maple, one in a series that ringed the house. Bark raked her spine, as she slid down to land in a puddle of mud. Grime splashed up her shoulders, leaving long dribbles of brown stained across her arms and her chest. Flicking a glob of mud off her cheek, she staggered to her feet.

_No._ Gabriel said. He strode forward. Kelly snarled. Her eyes glittering in the deep black darkness of midnight, as she straightened. He swung and Kelly ducked, her bare feet slipping in the muddy puddle as she dove back onto the grass. She rolled sideways, and rose in a crouch. There was a deep rumble inside her throat, and her body shook. To her own horror she raised a hand, each finger ended with a long pointed black claw, Kelly bit her lip. _You are coming along nicely._ Gabriel observed. _You're handler will be pleased._

"Right." Kelly said. She swallowed her own terror over what was occurring in her body. It felt like things were shifting in her stomach, as if rocks were rolling back and forth. She glared up at him again, his hand slamming back down against her throat, as he pushed her back into the mud.

_But I wonder._ His voice echoed eerily through the deepest recesses of her mind. _How do you expect to save the world, when you cannot even handle a creature such as me? _ His fingers tightened around her jugular, deep purpled indents finding their way over her windpipe. The smell of rotting flesh made her nostrils flair and her stomach queasy. Inside there was a clatter and Kelly's sharpened ears overhead Sam yelling.

"The circle's been broken! Come on!" _Sam needs my help._ She realized, fighting to kick out from under Gabriel. _I have to get away from Gabriel! I have to fight!_ Dean needed more time, and she was willing to give it to him. She just had to fight harder. Her black claws dug into Gabriel's wrist as she coughed and sputtered. Blood bubbled up as her nails sank into his rotted flesh, burning against the flesh of her hands.

"Who said anything about…saving the world?" She asked. She rotated her hips and brought her knee up squarely into his groin. Lifting him up off the ground, she forced his fingertips to open, and she kicked him in the gut. He tumbled backwards to land on the lawn. Eyes glowing she staggered to her feet once more, the world swam before her eyes, she crouched low to get another look at him, trying to clear her vision. "Didn't anyone tell you?" She settled into a comfortable fighting stance. It wasn't like she could win at hand to hand, she wasn't really any good at it. Bobby had taught her basic blocks and punches, and many vital areas that were good when pinched, poked, kicked, and or prodded. It was enough for her to be able to survive an encounter with an average human. _But not enough to take Dean Winchester in a one on one. _ However… _It's a good thing we're fighting like animals._ "I'm just a normal girl." Quick as a snake, she lunged forward. Her claws sank into Gabriel's bared chest, the full force, and she knocked him over. He tumbled back into the muddy grass, and more splotches of mud covered her shirt. Beneath her she felt three of his ribs crack with a sickening crunch as they hit the ground. She ripped away his flesh, lifted her hand, and punched him across the jaw. "I'm just a normal girl!" She yelled, hitting him again. "I am a normal girl!" She punched him once more, and his jaw made a strange cracking sound as it became unhinged. Gabriel's hands came up to rake down her arms.

_You are far from normal._ He admonished. Sitting on his chest she was startled to realize that he had not once cried out in pain. She examined him once more, noting the loose jaw, and deflated ribcage.

_He's not breathing._ She realized. Staring into his crimson eyes and the black pupils that shone in the moonlight.

"You're dead." She said.

_That is an empty threat. _He replied. His arms grasping hers and he threw her over his head. She rolled forward, and landed in a balled crouch. She glared at him over her shoulder.

"No." She said. "I mean you're dead, dead. As in no longer living."

_And what, pray tell did you expect from a hellhound little one?_ He asked. His voice inside her mind dripped with sarcasm and she frowned. _Vocal chords? _

"It's true you don't talk." She said. Glad for once that he'd cleared the way back to the house. She lunged, her feet slipping on the grass as she hurried towards the house.

_This one's not the brightest bulb in the box Gabriel. _ Natasha's dry voice reverberated through Kelly, as she felt teeth close around her calf, dragging her back down into the wet grass. Her night got better as with a click, the sprinklers came on, drenching her. She bit back a scream as she was dragged backwards, hard white teeth gripping her leg, and causing blood to run frantically down her leg. _So they're telepathy isn't limited to close range. _That was good to know. The air stung her cuts, as the water cascaded down her arms in long red streams. She lifted her wet head, to roll over, and seize Gabriel by the muzzle.

_Ah, but she can still touch us in our spirit shape. _Gabriel replied, as Kelly's claws raked across the top of his snout. _I am dead._ He returned. _And this is the fate that awaits you if you fail in your mission. _

"What mission?" Kelly asked. Then she did the unthinkable. She bit him. Her teeth sank into his thick fur, and she nearly choked on his rancid blood. His fur flaked off into her mouth and she coughed. "Mmmph talk..mmmphing 'bout?" She rolled back and stared him down, spitting the blood and fur from her mouth. _Man, I need a lint roller for my tongue._ "Ptoooe." She spat. Eyes and ears alert she watched him warily. Suddenly unsure. He shifted back into his human form. His cheesy skin hung from his body, and her eyes drifted down, for the first time, to the cluster of black ringed bullet holes in his side. _He's trying to teach me a real lesson._ She realized. _Without the others knowing._ Now, he didn't even seem that evil. _More like a failed big brother._ She met his shadowed sunken eyes, the mop of black hair that fell across his brow, and watched his milky cheese colored skin glow in the moonlight.

_You have a mission._ Gabriel said. _But it is not my place to make you understand. _

_Only to provide me with the warning of what will happen if I fail._ Things looked grim. _Especially since I have no clue what my mission is._ She sighed, and fell back onto the grass. Her eyes shutting for a moment. "I thought we were mortal enemies." She said, her head falling into her hands. She felt alone, unsure, and confused. The moon above her had moved from it's apex to sink into the western hemisphere. She was not in the mood to fight her way back into a standing position. In fact, in the face what Gabriel had hinted to her, Evan Hudson's predicament was practically forgotten. She ignored the muddy splotches covering her clothes as she looked up into his crimson eyes.

_No._ He said. _We are family._ Inside Kelly heard howling and barking, as claws ripped against a wooden door. But somehow, suddenly, that no longer seemed to matter.

"What am I?" She asked.

***

"What are you doing?" The Crossroad's Demon asked. Fear lingered in her voice. Her eyes shot to the rosary between his fingers, and then to the book in his hands.

"Like I said before, I'm just sending you on a little trip." Dean said. "Way down south." The beads clinked together as they ran across his fingertips, and he flipped the book open.

"Look." The Crossroad's Demon said, suddenly sounding desperate. "Forget about Evan. Think about Kelly and your dad!" She shook her head, but Dean noticed she was unable to clear the sudden terror from her eyes. "If you do this you'll be consigning her to hell! You don't want that on your conscience." Dean's heart flinched at the mentioning of Kelly in hell. _She's lying._ He thought. _There's no way that could be true._ No way at all. _She's not evil._ Even if she wasn't human anymore. Still, doubt ate at away at his confidence. He opened his father's journal and began to read.

_"Regna Terrae, cantate Deo…" _He moved around the demon as she twitched and convulsed. _"Ominus spiritus, ominus statanica potestas, ominus incursio infernali adversali, ominus congretario et secta diabolica…" _

***

Sam slammed the door shut, and pressed his body against it as it rattled. Trying to hold it closed as outside he could hear the snarls and growls of the hellhounds. Wind rushed beneath the door, and the room shook as he tried to hold them off. He could hear their jaws snapping and listened to the creaking tear as the wood began to collapse inwards on him. The banging on the door became worse and worse, and Sam couldn't help but wonder where Kelly was. His analytical mind listed a high probability that she was dead. _She's not._ He thought. He was firm in that belief. Constant. _Besides Dean will kill me if she is. _And Sam was fairly fond of his life and his skin. He closed his eyes. In the corner Evan Hudson was curled up into a frightened ball. _Come on Dean! _He thought. _Come on!_

***

"Am I evil?" Kelly asked. Gabriel had taken a few steps towards her, but the way he gazed at her now, Kelly wondered if he suddenly believed she was made of glass. "I mean, Natasha wouldn't want to kill me if I was right?" _She wouldn't be calling me a problem if I was._ That was a decently good assumption. The other female seemed to want nothing more that to rip Kelly limb from limb, and if it wasn't for Gabriel… _I'd already be dead._ Given her status as a demon, ghost, and everything evil magnet… _I'm either evil and they want to kill me to kill off the competition._ Or she was good. _And a natural threat._ Like some kind of predator. _Though Sam, Dean, and Bobby will all tell me that there's no such thing._ She preferred to think of herself as the latter, but somehow. _The more I discover, the more the former looks more likely._ She didn't appreciate that.

_You are whatever you wish to be._ Gabriel told her. _Until you are partnered, and then you're position on the scale will become clear. _ He lifted his head, as if listening to something far away. _It is time for me to go._ He said.

"You mentioned something about a man named Azazel." Kelly said. "Who is he?" She was trying to recall the flashes of earlier conversation that had struggled through her mind. But now they seemed far away. _I'm too stunned for recollection. _

Gabriel sounded a bit put upon as he responded. _If you have not met him, you will know him soon enough._

_The scuttlebutt among the crew is that he has big plans for you, and children like you. _That was Nathan's voice in her mind. Then she heard a distinct yelp. _Natasha bit him._

_Wrong child dickwad._ Natasha snarled.

Gabriel sighed loudly. He glared down at Kelly, as the light of the morning began to peak over the eastern horizon. _You are no longer worthy of my time._ He informed her, shifting back into his black dog form.

"Not still trying to collect on Evan Hudson?" She asked.

_No. _Gabriel said. _Way to go Dean!_ Kelly thought, excitement pounding through her skull at the realization of their probable victory. _I will give you a hint before I go. As a favor for a fight well battled. _ His voice was becoming further away in her mind. _You are a bargue…_ Then like the morning mist struck by the rays of the sun, he vanished.


	23. Chapter 23: Not So Innocent

Rabbit Chapter 23: Not So Innocent

"I usually like a warning before I'm violated with demon tongue." Dean said, as the Crossroad's Demon let him go. He wiped his mouth. Adrenaline flooded his veins and he felt alive and alert. He felt tingly. It wasn't like kissing Kelly, that was exciting all on it's own. Something that left him wanting more and more. This made him feel odd. Used. He didn't like it. "What was that for?"

"Sealing the deal." The demon said. "Evan Hudson and his wife will live long lives."

"And?"

"And I and my hellhounds will never bother Kelly Jones again." She added the last part grudgingly. "Not that I would bother touching a monster like that." She sniffed as she walked past him. Dean paused, he had more questions but he wasn't sure that the demon would be in a forgiving mood. "But I'm telling you." She walked past him, tossing her hair. She glanced back at him over her shoulder with a small shake of her head. "You'd never have made that deal if you knew."

"Knew what?" Dean demanded.

"That little girl's future." The demon said. "Or even better, where your dad is." She smiled. Her dark eyes sardonic as she looked at him, they flashed red for a moment. Full and covering the entirety of her eye, swallowing it whole, pupil, iris, and all. They glowed sharply in the grey of the morning.

"What are you talking about?"

"Knew the pain he was in. How he can't even scream." She smiled, backing up.

"Bitch."

"How the girl will wander. Broken. Until hell claims her." The demon said. "Until the Order of Hounds calls her home." She shook her head. "Then you won't even be able to hear the sounds she makes. Whimpers and squeals as she's cut open day after day. She'll be hell's little bitch."

"How about I send you back there!" Dean yelled taking a step forward. The demon threw her head back, and a black cloud escaped from her mouth. It swirled up into the gray sky. Heading off towards the darkness still remaining in the east. The body fell to the ground, and the dirt rose in a loud puff as the dark haired body landed. The girl looked up in him.

"What?" She asked, fear, terror echoing through her voice. "Where am I?" She glanced around, desperation in her eyes. "Where?" Dean wasn't sure what to say. His mind was elsewhere, on his father, and on the fate of the girl who suddenly felt far away.

***

One day later,

"So, you're sure?" Sam asked. He glanced around the busy bar, keeping Kelly well within eyesight. Dean had given her a wide birth since he'd picked them up from Evan Hudson's house. Kelly had run up to hug him, but he'd stopped her, which wasn't usual Dean behavior. Then he hadn't even bothered to try and spy on her while she got into the shower. Sam was just glad that Ash had sent Kelly a convincing fake ID, so that she could come into the bar, because he was not personally jazzed about leaving her alone. Especially after what had happened that evening. "Demon's lie Dean."

"Has Kelly ever talked about her family?" Dean asked. He leaned forward, and Sam noticed that his brother's eyes were also on the young woman who was now across the bar from them. His fingers tightening as he watched her hurl darts at the board. Kelly turned, picked up her drink, and took a long sip. She brushed back her dark brown hair, and looked up as a young man from one of the more crowded tables approached her. Sam listened to Dean swallow, his lips twitching, as he too tried to suppress the unconscious need to walk over there, put his arm around Kelly, and tell the idiot that the girl was already spoken for.

"No." Sam said. "I figured it was too painful."

"Right." Dean downed his beer, his eyes were still on Kelly. "What's she doing?" He asked.

Kelly brushed back a strand of brown hair off her forehead, as she smiled up at the blonde college looking Abercrombie and Fitch model-like boy. "Flirting." Sam said. He glanced at his brother. Did Dean really just ask that question? "You know what that looks like." He felt morose. His brother looked back down at his beer, his eyes following the movements of the amber flecks, studiously trying to ignore Kelly.

"I don't care." Dean downed his beer. "Could get any girl in this bar." He stood. "Look, Kelly needs to go home." He swallowed. "Before things get worse."

"You're just not willing to sell your soul to get her there." Sam said. _And you and I are both sure that we don't want to live without her._

"There are more fun ways to do it." Dean said as he headed for the bar.

"You just need a few more beers in you first." Sam observed, and he took another swig of his own. His eyes returned to Kelly, and he wondered what kind of conversation she was having with the boy. What was he saying that was making her smile like that? Had the whole experience with the hellhounds freaked her out more than she was letting on? If so, why hadn't she told him? Sam swallowed. He was with Dean, he needed more beer. Still, what the Crossroad's Demon said seemed ridiculous. _How could that girl help end the world?_ Dean was probably planning on sleeping with her tonight, and Sam knew Kelly would probably say yes. She'd be gone. _Should I tell her?_ Or should he let her walk away without telling her how he felt. Should he try to stop Dean? _No. He's right._ It was better if Kelly went home. Better for her. _Why should a normal girl have to go through all this shit?_ He looked over at her, and sighed.

"Really?" Kelly asked. She lifted up another dart and hurled it at the board. _My aim is starting to get better._ She thought. Whether that was due to practicing hand to hand with Dean, or because of her steadily increasing supernatural abilities, she wasn't sure. "So you're not in college?" The dart sailed through the air.

"Nah." The young man, Kevin, replied. "Nice shot." He added, as the dart landed three rings outside the edge. Kelly smiled. She took another sip of beer. The dark amber of the ale glinted beneath the electrically pumped chandeliers.

"Thanks." She said.

"So, you uh, you here with anyone?" He asked. He slid across the table, trying to look smooth. But it was the shuffle in his step and the flinch in his gliding arms that gave him away. Kelly pursed her lips. She glanced over at the bar, where Dean was getting himself two more beers, and then up to the table where Sam was sitting. Were they watching her? Probably. That was their usual. Though why Dean hadn't come storming over here… _He's been different._ He'd been avoiding her since the Crossroad's Demon. _I thought he'd want to talk about the kiss._ Well, maybe he didn't care as much as she thought.

"Them." She mumbled, indicating the boys on the far side of the bar. Kevin peered past her. She thought she heard his heart stop.

"You're with _them_?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"What am I doing here?" He mumbled. Kelly glanced up at him, and took another sip of beer. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded.

"Flirting!" She giggled. She put her hand on his arm. There was something about alcohol. It made her want sex. Lots of sex. Throw a man down on the hood of a car kind of sex that lead to naughty and no good things. Push a man against a wall and devour his soul kind of sex, that was mildly creepy and a thought process she was going to halt. _Definitely becoming less human._ But Dean didn't want her.

"Right." Kevin smiled. He cast another glance at the two men. The brunette was watching him with a slightly malevolent expression. Kevin didn't want to know what he was like when he was drunk. The buzz cut blonde had just arrived back at the table, handing the other man a drink. There was a terrible look in his cold blue eyes. Kevin swallowed. "I have to go." He glanced over at his buddies. One of them gave him a thumbs up. They thought he was going to score tonight. But Kevin had serious doubts on that front. Not the same doubts he'd had when he'd first walked over here. But after a half hour of two pairs of eyes boring into his back, it made him wonder. Did she want to? And even if she did, did he dare try? One of the four men at the opposite table gave him a thumbs up, as the girl leaned into him.

"Why?" She asked, her fingers running up his arm, as she leaned into him, her left breast brushing his arm. "So soon?" Her voice was breathy. "I thought we were just starting to have some fun." Kevin thought he saw the blonde stiffen out of the corner of his eye, and reach for something in his coat. Was he carrying a gun?

"Uh…" Kevin said, as she pressed up against him. He could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"But the fun was just getting started." Her lips curved into a pout, as she ran her hands up his chest. She stood on her tip toe and her lips were close to his. There was a bang, as a chair hit the floor. Couldn't tear his eyes away to see if it was the blonde or the brunette who had gotten to their feet. But if he was about to get a kiss out of it, then who was he to say he couldn't live through the bar brawl.

"Maybe I could give you a call sometime?"

She smiled, she leaned even closer, until her lips were almost touching his and she said. "Does your calling plan include the next lifetime?" Kevin's eyes widened. He heard footsteps coming up behind him. He didn't have time to turn around as a pair of hands grabbed hold of the back of his jacket and he was hurled into the wall. "Didn't think so." She said. There was a pause, and Kevin half expected her to turn around and strut off, but instead she sighed. "The hell do you think you're doing?" Then she sighed again. "Bobby, I do appreciate the parental instincts, but honestly."

"Yeh, see where he was touching you?" Bobby asked. Still, he put the boy down. "Get lost." He snarled. Kelly looked up at the table, and Dean shook his cell phone. Kelly glared at him, and his self-satisfied smirk. "Listen kid, you ever lay a finger on her again…"

"And he'll ram his knee so far up your ass that you'll be pooping out pancakes." Kelly added, examining her nails. "What brings you here Bobby?" She asked.

"Got a call, was in the neighborhood, hadn't seen yeh in a while and thought it might be nice to catch up." Bobby put the boy down, and the young twenty year old scampered across the room and back to his friends. "That's right." Bobby growled as he retreated. "She ain't for the likes of yeh." Kelly sighed, as Bobby rounded on her. "And you!" He growled, taking the beer from her fingers. "You know you're not allowed to drink." Kelly blushed. "Don't forget the trouble I yanked you out of at the last bar. Think it involved a lost top and a table dance." He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along. "So forgive me for not wanting to see that sight again." He let go of her when she came to the table.

"Good times." Kelly laughed as Bobby set her down beside Dean. "Maybe you should tell them that story." She leaned onto Dean's shoulder, and whispered in his ear. "About the last time Bobby let me into a bar." Dean pulled back, Sam looked at him curiously. His brother normally accepted anything Kelly threw at him. _But then again, this whole thing hit him hard._ Sam was certain that Dean hadn't touched her since yesterday. _But why would he call Bobby?_ That was the biggest cockblock there was. Sam had been certain that his brother had been planning to sleep with the poor girl. So why had he called Bobby? Maybe he wanted to give the old man a chance to say his goodbyes. "What?" Kelly asked. The words Gabriel had told her were ringing in her ears. _I'm not human. I'm something demonic. Right?_ A barghe… something.

"What's your mom's name Kelly?" Dean asked. He was leaning forward over his beer. He didn't look at her.

"What?" Her voice squeaked, as she leaned back. She slid away from him on the bench. Then she looked up with Bobby. His arms were crossed over his chest. Bobby pushed one of the beers towards her. She raised an eyebrow. "I thought I wasn't allowed to drink?"

"Special occasion." Bobby said. His voice gruff. "Drink up."

"You're sending me home." Kelly said. She glanced from one man to the next. "You're fucking sending me home?"

Sam looked away from her. Dean stared down at his drink. "Yeah." Sam croaked. "We figured it was for the best."

"Thanks guys." Kelly growled. "You're getting scared, and you're sending me home." She glanced up at Bobby. "You here to say goodbye?"

"And stop you from making a massive mistake." Dean said.

"Stay out of this." She growled.

"I can't help but be in this." He replied. "You kissed me." Sam flinched, and Kelly glanced at him.

"Don't be a baby." She snapped.

"Girls always like Dean better." Sam said. He looked down at his beer. Kelly sighed, letting her forehead rest on her palm.

"What's your mother's name Kel?" Dean asked. "We can find out the easy way, or the…" Kelly grabbed the beer. A harsh tone screamed in her head whenever she thought about the world she'd come from. It hurt to much to think about that. The world she couldn't remember. The place she couldn't forget. She wanted to. There were faces, but no names.

"What?" She swallowed a swig of beer. "The fun way?" She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide. She slid up the bench, her head hammering, blood racing. "I'd rather do it the fun way, Dean." Her hand went around the back of his head, and she pulled his mouth down to hers. Her tongue flicked into his mouth running over the top of his mouth and tracing down the edges of his own tongue. Dean moaned a little bit, as he deepened the kiss. He tipped her back, continuing to kiss her. Until a sharp thwack hit him over the back of the head.

"Made your point yet?" Bobby asked.

Dean pulled her back up, and wiped his mouth. "Yeah." Dean took a long swig of his beer. "You never told me she turned into a rabid sex bunny when she drinks."

"Cause." Kelly said. She looked over at Sam. "He didn't want you sending me home by accident." _Like that's possible now_. If what the Yellow-Eyed Demon said was true. If what Gabriel said was true. Hell, if the Crossroad's Demon said was remotely close to what she thought she'd said. "Not like that would be a bad thing." She looked up at Bobby. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"Didn't want you getting pregnant." Kelly sighed. "Seemed like a logical thought at the time." She smiled a little.

"Okay." She looked up at Bobby. "I get it." She grabbed Dean's hand. "Come on." Dean blinked. "You're sending me home."

"Kelly." Sam stood. She glanced back at him.

"Please, Sam." She said. "Everything's going off the rails, and it'll only get worse from here." She swallowed. "You saw what I… What happened with the hellhounds." She shook her head. "It's better if I go home now." She sighed. "Before I lose my humanity all together." She grabbed the beer off the table. "I'll miss you Bobby." She said. Then she downed the beer. Then she grabbed the free one off the table, and drained it. She slid back up the bench and onto Dean's lap. "Come on." She wrapped her fingers around the back of his skull. "Why don't you give me a good send off party."


	24. Chapter 24: Goodbye?

Chapter Twenty Four: Goodbye?

"You sure this is the right thing to do?" Sam asked. He slid into Bobby's car, his fingers running over the worn plastic. His eyes on the parking lot. _She deserves better than this._ He thought. He glared up down at his beer, feeling disgruntled and annoyed. Why did Dean always have to get the girl?

"You know what the Crossroad's Demon told Dean." Bobby said. He took a long swig of the beer. His fingers clenched on the long wooden planks of the table. "I'm not sayin' it's an easy thing, son. I'm just saying that she needs us to let her go." He shook his head. "I wasn't there to see what happened between her and those hellhounds, but every day she stays here she becomes less human." He looked up at Sam. "And if you love her like I know you do, you and Dean both, you'll let her go." Sam looked down at his beer.

"You're right." He said. "I know you're right."

"But?"

"She's one of the best friends I've ever had." Sam said. "She's a great hunter, despite what Dean thinks, and…"

"Look, I ain't one for the touchy feely kid." Bobby said. "But I get where you're coming from. You need to tell yourself that this is right."

"Dean putting his hands all over her?" Sam looked out the window. Bobby snorted and looked down at his drink. Sam swallowed another swig. His eyelids closed over dark browns, and he sighed. He pushed his fingers back through his dark hair, his heart beat rising rapidly at the thought of Dean out there with Kelly. "Damn." He wanted to run out there, rip his brother off the girl and pound his face into the ground. "I should have said a better goodbye."

"Yeah, well, we're all known to be a little bit stupid." Bobby said. He patted Sam on the shoulder. He knew where the boy was coming from. It wasn't easy to be in love with a girl, it wasn't easy at all. Kelly Jones was a person who was easy to love, she was smart and quick, often a little more than blithe with her tongue, and ready to take on any problem that came her way. She also had a bad habit of being incredibly secretive, and that bothered Bobby. She always told him exactly what she thought he needed to hear and kept the rest to herself. That made her a bad partner. _Never kept stuff secret about the mission, just about herself._ Kelly never talked about her family. Not about her friends, not about anything that related to a life beyond this. Bobby had never broached the subject. He'd figured it'd been too painful for her to try and remember what she'd lost. _But if there are other people out there who love her as much as we do._ Then it was his god given right to try and send her back to them. He'd come to think of the girl as family, adopted her like he had the Winchester boys, maybe even more, because when she'd come to him she hadn't known a pistol from a rifle. Her hunting was his handiwork, she wasn't the first kid he'd trained, but she was one of the best. She was smart, and she knew her limits. _Her ever increasing limits_. Not that he held it against her. He just wanted her to be safe. _Are we sure this is going to work?_ "When it comes to her?"

"You wanted to say goodbye too, Bobby?" Sam asked. Bobby Singer looked at the young man. There was pity in his old blue eyes. Sam Winchester looked strung out, and Bobby had a feeling that the kid would either be burying himself in the bottle or in the job in the weeks to come. Bobby planned on making it the job. More evil sons of bitches he could find, the further he could put Kelly Jones behind him. He didn't need to remember her smiling face when she'd answered his questions right, or when she'd pegged a ghost with a salt loaded sniper round from over a hundred and eighty yards away. Or even when she'd landed a couple dozen punches on him, and then stepped back to stare at her small hands in wonder. Not knowing how, or why, or where it had come from. Only that she was happy it had. He needed to forget her smile. It could cheer up an old man's day, and it bothered him that this was the first time he'd seen it in over three months. _That tonight's the last time_. And she'd looked pissed with all of them. He hadn't wanted her to walk away from this mess pissed. _I'd rather not have that little body pissed with me._ Bobby was one of the few people who knew what Kelly was capable of. Hell, he'd had to talk her down out of a few of those golden eyed episodes. When she'd gone feral on the ghosts, eyes and body beginning to change so that she could attack them wholeheartedly, tearing them limb from ghostly limb. _Damn if she's not wearing a suppressor charm to keep her from doing that again._ He hadn't told the boys the entire truth about what had happened during their training sessions, or even what he'd uncovered. _But they're right about one thing._ She needed to go home before things got worse. _ Like they undoubtedly do._ Like they always did.

"Yeah, Sam." He said. "I wanted to say goodbye."

***

"You're sure about this?" Dean asked, as Kelly lead him out of the bar. His eyes followed the curving line of her bust down to her hips, his hands wanted to feel that ass, touch it, hold it, squeeze it, slap it. He'd wanted to hold her like this since the hospital, since H.H Holms had ripped her to pieces. Since he'd walked in. He'd been in love with her since then. Since she'd asked him to stay with her. _ "Don't leave me." _ She'd whispered. Her voice echoing through the stale hospital air, clinging to him more tightly than the antiseptic smell. _"I mean, would you stay with me?" _ Then she'd patted the bed and he was lost. His heart beat quickened in his chest as he looked at her. _Why the hell am I being sappy?_ He'd slept with a thousand girls, a thousand. Over a thousand. He'd slept with so many he couldn't remember their names, and still. _I'm scared._ Kelly's boots sank into the mud covering the ground outside the Black Pinot Pirate Bar, her fingers around his tightened. Dean Winchester wasn't afraid of anything, least of all sleeping with one little girl.

"One little woman." Kelly said.

"What?" Dean asked. He was surprised. She didn't usually respond to him like this. _Where does she get off reading my mind?_

"I know what you're thinking." Kelly told him. Her voice was confident, her steps were firm, even as they reached the Impala. "And I'm telling you, I'm not a little girl." She turned around, and climbed on top of the shining black hood.

"Little woman?" Dean laughed.

"Little woman." Kelly responded. Her lips curved into a warm smile, and her arms wrapped around the back of his neck. Dean could see the sparkle in her eyes. The moonlight glittering in those mahogany browns, and deep inside the center of their circle, around the dilated black pupil, he saw a ring of burnished gold. A reminder, a constant reminder of what he had to do, of what he needed to let go.

_I promised I would protect you._ He had sworn that to himself, and he knew that Sam had done the same. Was this the only way he could? Was this the best way to protect her? _"Can you imagine the sounds she'll make when she becomes hell's bitch? She won't even be able to scream." _ The Crossroad's Demon's words echoed in his mind. _Yes._ It was. He could do this. He could let her go. She pulled his mouth down towards hers. "Kelly."

"Mmm?" She murmured, her mouth inches from his.

"I need to say something." Kelly opened her eyes, and she stared up into his. Dean's heart quickened as he stared down into those flaring eyes.

"Is the need to be sappy striking Dean Winchester?" She asked. There was laughter in her voice, and her hand ran down his chest. "Cause if it is then I want no part of it." Her fingers slid over his abs towards his belt. "This is our last goodbye Dean, don't ruin it."

"There's something I need to get off my chest." She dropped her eyes, and her hand which had at the moment been vigorously focused on undoing his belt buckle.

"Dean, please." She whispered. The clouds swept by overhead, and Dean's fingers trembled as they reached to grab her jaw. He lifted her face up towards his, until he was staring directly down into her eyes.

There was a long pause as Dean Winchester fought to find the right words. Kelly Jones gazed up at him patiently, her lower lip trembling as the moon pulled back the clouds to cascade pale light across them. Kelly's eyes glowed softly in the murky darkness. Dean brushed a stray brown bang off her forehead and kissed her soft skin fiercely. He closed his eyes, it felt like forever, but the right words weren't coming. "Damn." He murmured. "Sammy's best at making the emotional declarations." He really wished he had his brother's sincerity. He needed her to believe that he wasn't just going to sleep with her because he wanted her to go.

"It's easy." She said. Her hand rose to rest on his cheek, the pads of her fingers running across his blonde stubble. "Three small words." She used him to pull herself up, and she whispered into his ear. "Don't tell me, Dean Winchester can't say three little itty bitty words?" Her breath tickled the inside of his ear, and Dean felt a thrill pass through him. He was cool. This was supposed to be easy. Except, it wasn't. Things were never easy when it came to Kelly.

"Three important words." Dean replied. His arms tightened around her as he lifted her off the hood. He brushed her hair back, as he gazed into her eyes. "Three very important words." _I can't let you go home without knowing._ He'd planned on just fucking her and letting her go. _Somehow, I just can't seem to do that._ The thought that he might never see her again ate him up inside. "All important words."

"Shut up." Kelly said, and she grabbed his face and yanked him down to her. Her mouth bruised his, passionately, as she pushed him into the door of the Impala. Her arms wound around the back of his neck, her fingers pushing up across the back of his scalp. Her tongue flicked into his mouth, running across his tongue, rolling up to glide across the top of his mouth and send thrills chasing themselves tip over tail up his spine. Her fingertips massaged his scalp, hitting pleasure points that, while Dean knew they existed, hadn't been touched in years. He could feel himself rising deep in his pants, and any thought he had of emotional declaration was gone. Dean moaned as she pressed her hips against him, grinding in a semi-circle, as her free hand ran down the center of his chest and down towards his pants. Dean fumbled for his keys. Kelly's mouth descended to his neck, her lips pressing feathery kisses down his jugular, towards his collarbone. Dean swore loudly as he went through key after key until he finally found the right one. He pushed her sideways, and jammed it into the lock, twisting until he heard the soft click of release. "Be that rough with me." Kelly said. Her voice was high and tight, beyond breathy, beyond shallow, and Dean could hear the ecstasy bleeding in. He smiled and yanked the door open, pushing her inside. The door slammed shut behind them, and steam rose up against the glass. Kelly gasped.

***

"You gonna go back to the hotel?" Bobby asked. Sam shook his head. His head was pounding. He felt like something was wrong. Maybe this wasn't the way. Maybe this wasn't how they were supposed to do it.

"What if we're wrong Bobby?" He asked. "We never, you know, we never questioned this. We never looked into it. All those girls, all that sex, and we never tried to figure out what was going on. Even with Kelly." He shook his head. "We never actively sought answers with her. We never really looked into it. There was something strange going on and we forgot our duty as hunters and we just rolled with it." Sam swallowed, he looked down at his beer. "What if this isn't the way it's supposed to go."

"Trial and error says this is how it worked in the past kid." Bobby said. "So this is the first thing you guys have got to try, if it doesn't work, then well, at least you'll know that this isn't the way."

"We screwed up Bobby." Sam said. "Everything that's happened, it's our fault."

"Dean wasn't going to force himself on the girl, Sam."

"But what if the demon's right?" Sam exclaimed. He slammed his fist down on the table. "What if it's right? What if we've already lost her?" Bobby sighed. Sam had a tendency to be over dramatic, and from where he was standing, the worry probably wasn't that far off base. It was true that the Winchester boys had missed the mark with Kelly, with all the other girls. Hell, he didn't know how this worked. He didn't know how she got here, and even though he'd looked into it after she'd left, he hadn't managed to turn up anything. Nothing. Just legends. Black dog legends. "She can smell ghosts, bite them, and she sees hellhounds. Goofa dust keeps her at bay. There's some link there. She's something special."

"She is that." Bobby admitted, as he took another long swig.

"She could be evil." Sam said.

"That's true."

"I can't kill her Bobby." Sam said "I couldn't let Dean kill her. Even if she went dark side. Even if she turned into a real monster, I couldn't let Dean kill her."

"I know kid." Bobby said. He knew he could probably distance himself enough from his emotions to put in the killing blow, provided he knew what that was. "I'm sure Dean could, though, if he had to." _Fortunately now he won't have to._

"I don't get that about him." Sam said. "How can he be so cold?" _Kid's drunk._ Bobby realized. But then, it had been several hours since Kelly had gone out into the parking lot with Dean. _Figured the girl could at least get a bed to spend her last night on._ But somehow, because it was Dean, it seemed fitting that they were doing it in the Impala. "How could he kill her and feel nothing?"

_Cause he wouldn't feel nothing._ Killing Kelly would eat Dean alive, shatter him. Bobby knew that. He also knew that Dean was the best among them at pulling the trigger. _But if this fails, then yeah, I'll do it._ He was practically the girl's father now, so she deserved what help he could give her. "It'd kill him to do it."

"But he could for the sake of the job." Sam said. The younger Winchester took another long draft of beer, his stomach swirling in his gut. "It'd kill him." _Like killing me would kill him._

"He loves her." Bobby said. His voice was sincere, and Sam started.

"I love her." Sam snarled. His fist slammed down on the table, the bottles shook, and the youngest brother closed his eyes. "I love her." He repeated. This time his voice was a little softer, a bit weaker. "I love Kelly Jones."

"I know Sam." Bobby replied. "We all do. You, me, Ellen, hell, even Jo in her own way. We all love her. She's our family."

"She's more than just family." Sam said, as he finished his beer. Bobby signaled to the lady at the bar for another. The woman sighed, indicating that it was almost closing time. Bobby nodded, but he still indicated that they needed another round. With a loud sigh the woman pulled out two more glasses. "She's the fucking love of my life."

"There'll be others." Bobby said. He tried to be comforting, but that wasn't what he was best at. He was a little at a loss on how to deal with the situation. He hadn't expected Sam to take Dean's sleeping with Kelly this hard. _What a way for the universe to break up a team._ They'd get over it, but it'd be hell on wheels getting there.

"Not like her." Sam snapped.

"Y'all know we're gonna be closin' soon?" The bar girl said, as she delivered the beers. "An' yer friend looks like 'e should be sleepin' that off."

"Thanks." Bobby pulled out a few bills and laid them on the table. "That should cover it."

"That's a little more than…"

"Think of it as a nice tip." He snapped. The woman blinked, but collected the money, and muttering something about dumb no good foreigners wandered off. Bobby wondered if she'd ever been up to South Dakota. _Foreigner my ass._ "You got a place to crash Sam?" The younger Winchester shook his head.

"We were gonna hit the road after the bar, so we didn't bother getting a hotel room." He said. His voice morose. "All my crap's in that trunk."

_And you don't want to get within spitting distance of the Impala. _ Bobby nodded. "You can stay with me." He said. He'd figured something like this was up, especially from the way Dean had called him earlier that day. _Dean planned on doing this all along._ Bobby wasn't sure about the change of heart, especially after his stalwart refusal to send her home, no matter what danger she got put into. _What the demon said must have really shaken him. _Good and proper. Bobby felt for the kid. He really did. _Why I got a double instead of a single. _ "Come on." He stood. "No use hanging around here." _And Sammy needs to sleep off that alcohol. _

"Don' wanna." Sam said. But Bobby hauled him to his feet all the same. He tipped his hat to the bar lady, who was shooing some of the other miscreants out the door. "I love her Bobby." He moaned. "I love her. Why can't she see that?"

"Don't know kid, probably all that fighting with your brother."

"Girl's always like Dean best don't they. It's the sex Bobby, I swear." Sam stumbled. Bobby pulled the kids arm over his shoulder. He lead him towards the exit, a sad sigh in the back of his mind. There was a small part of him that wished Kelly Jones had never come. _Only so the poor kids could be spared the heart ache._ Calmly, he pulled Sam out the door.

***

"I love you." A steamy hand slid down the window pane, as the car rocked beneath the eyes of the full moon. "I love you." The words poured out like a fountain. A dam had broken in the heart of Dean Winchester and the words kept coming, repeating out of him over and over. He felt the warmth of her beneath him. Loved the sight of her bare flesh beneath him. He'd thought it was impossible, to ever find anyone who could accept him for who he was. To find someone he could have children with, a white picket fence with, someone he could raise a family with. Well, he'd found it. And he'd found it in the heart of a girl who was no longer human. She gasped. He groaned. "I love you." He thought he saw her smile, as beneath him she whispered,

"I love you."

***

Dawn.

Dean Winchester woke sore, bruised, and more content than he had been since his father died. Something had broken then, and he'd thought it was irreparable. It had been gone, his contentment with his lot. This was his destiny. He was meant to be miserable. To carry the burden. To protect Sammy. That was his job. But now there was her, he looked down, half-expecting her to still be there. Half-expecting that she would still be with him, that the laws of the universe wouldn't give something as wonderful as her, something so beautiful and perfect to him, and then strip it away. He knew the universe was cruel. That God, for all that Sammy believed, did not exist, and that life was all about killing or being killed. Taking or being taken. Living or dying. It's laws were supposed to be absolute, irrevocable, and unchangeable. But then it had given him her. She'd fallen out of the sky and into his lap. She'd changed him. She'd made him believe that he could have a different life. That he could be a different man. Even if he could never be normal again. He looked down. "Kelly?" He whispered. "Kelly?" He reached across the space of the seats, to the place where he knew he'd left her resting. To the place where he knew he'd held her late into the night, and long into the early morning. Where they'd gone at it all night long. Where she'd cried and screamed and pleaded. Where she'd told him she loved him. But she wasn't there. Kelly Jones was gone.


	25. Chapter 25: Parting of the Ways

Chapter Twenty Five: Parting of the Ways

The gray of the early morning light pierced through the glass and into the backseat of the 1967 Chevy Impala. Slowly, the young woman named Kelly Jones stretched. She felt good, whole, completed. Who knew that one night with Dean Winchester could do something so wonderful? She sat up and gazed out the window and into the woods. Fog hung between the trees, yet to be burned off by the early morning light. It had to be around six. She looked down at the man who had given her a wonderful night. A wonderful night filled with pleasure and ecstasy that had exceeded her wildest imaginations. As only Dean Winchester could. "I love you, Dean." Kelly said. Then she blinked. _Shit._ She thought. _Why the hell am I still here?_ Wasn't sex supposed to send her home? It was right? Right? _I have to go._ She realized. She couldn't let Dean know she was still here. She couldn't keep getting him and Sam involved in this mess. _I'll just end up getting them killed._ She'd figure out whatever the hell her mission was on her own. That was how she'd do it, on her own. Carefully, and as silently as possible Kelly gathered up her things and slid back into her clothes. Then she opened the door to the Impala and stepped out into the early morning light. For once she was glad that her stuff was left in the trunk, and that the Winchester brothers had opted out of getting a hotel room. "I love you." She said. Her voice small, as she gazed through the glass and down at his sleeping face. "But this is something that I have to do." She paused and took a deep breath. "Alone." Then she turned around and opened the trunk, pulling out her plaid bag, full of her weapons and her clothes. She'd figure out who she was. She had to. She slung it over her shoulder, and then she started walking. If she remembered right there was a greyhound bus station in this town, and if she was lucky they'd have a bus out of here before Dean ever realized that she wasn't physically gone. She trusted his intelligence enough to realize that. 'Cause after all, she was taking her stuff wasn't she?

"An interesting development." Came the voice from behind her. Kelly sighed, but this time she didn't turn around. Instead she kept walking. "Not what I expected."

"Glad I could surprise you." Kelly snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest as she walked. Her body was sore and swollen from the night before and the toes of her boots pinched at the toes. The bag swung beside her, solidly hitting her in the thigh as she walked. "Guess I'm still good for something."

"Oh you're good for a lot of things." The demon said. He was still following her, and Kelly was waiting for him to fall in line beside her. "Still in my plans, Kel-bear." His voice was infinitely sarcastic in it's sincerity. "You're still in my heart."

"Shut up." Kelly snapped. The stores were all closed, it was Sunday in a small town, chances were they weren't even going to be opening today. She sighed, that's what she hated about small towns, they were utterly annoying. Kelly swallowed as she stared down the empty Main Street. Knowing that at any moment Dean could wake up and not follow his first assumption. Then there would be the sound of tires squealing through this silence, and the last thing she wanted was for him to find the kind of company she was currently keeping. If she remembered right the Greyhound stop was at the edge of the city.

"No, you're right my favorite toy is a more accurate description." The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. "So passionate your lover was last night, beautiful, nearly brought tears to my eyes."

"I bet." Kelly said.

"Oh, my little Kelly cub, demons feel too you know."

"If you had a heart." She growled. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Well, that is the crux of the argument." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. "The major problem, the big kahuna as it were." Kelly continued walking. She knew how much he liked to spout, and there was nothing she could really do but let him. He'd get around to his point eventually. "Everything started moving along a bit faster than scheduled." He laughed. "But hey that's humanity for ya, always on the quick and ready." He paused. "Less with the ready." He laughed. "Hell, then he'd have been prepared for you to take off."

"What do you want with the Winchesters?" Kelly asked. She stopped and turned to face him. "Cause this had better be important, scary, and future related, otherwise I'm not interested." She glared. Her eyes flared up, bright gold, and a soft growl bubbled out of her throat. He was the enemy. Always had been the enemy, and it was her duty to take him down, to remove him. That's what her instincts were screaming.

"I still think he should have left you tied to the emergency break." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. "More poetic, but then plans would have been ruined."

"Yours especially."

"You've got a bright future ahead of you, duckling." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. "Hate to have it ruined by you getting sent out prematurely." His lips curled into a smirk. "That would be unfortunate."

"But not impossible to recover from." Kelly said. "I'm sure you've got contingencies, so long as you've been alive."

"Waking up's doing you good kiddo." The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. "You're not quivering the way you usually do."

"I've had enough visits to know the difference." Kellys said. "If you were here to kill me you'd've done it already." She swallowed. "Besides you've already said you have plans, so obviously while I'm completely expendable it'd be a pain for you to kill me and find a new one." She looked into his yellow swallowed irises. "Am I right?"

"Oh, I love it when they're smart." The Yellow-Eyed Demon reached out and took her by the shoulder. "Hang on, this might sting a little."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Kelly snarled. She tried to wrench away from him, but he held her fast.

"Sorry, Kelly cub, this time, you're not getting a choice." Then the two of them vanished in the early morning fog as the world swirled around them. Kelly's yells were incomprehensible, and as usual in a small town, no one heard her.

***

Kelly was gone. Dean blinked. He couldn't believe it. She was gone. That couldn't be right. How could she be gone? Dean swallowed. Gone. It ate at him. His stomach hurt. It felt like he had the flu, salmonella, constipation, and diarrhea all rolled into one. He swallowed again. _I did this. I slept with her._ It was all his fault. All his fault for letting her go. Why had he slept with her? _ Best night of my life._ And the worst morning after. Dean scrambled for his keys. Hell, he needed his phone. He had to call Bobby and see where Sam was. Sam had deserved to say his goodbye's, but Dean hadn't thought of him. No, he'd been selfish. This whole thing had been selfish. He'd been scared. Very scared. She wasn't the first girl whom he'd told "I love you", but this had been the first time where he'd felt it'd actually meant something. Scratch that, there were only two. Cassie and Kelly. Dean found his keys and hopped into the front seat. Then he fished his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and found Bobby's name and number. It rang.

"'ello?" It was Bobby. "Dean? I got your brother here, he's a real mess." Maybe this had been a mistake. It wasn't the first he'd made. _Like you'd pass up hearing her say 'I love you' for anything_. A treacherous voice whispered in the back of his mind. _ You knew exactly what you were getting into, so stop lying._ Dean swallowed. His throat was incredibly dry. Cracked. He hated it.

"Yeah, sorry to pawn that off on you, Bobby." He said. His voice felt tight. Was he going to cry? That was impossible, Dean Winchester did not cry. Especially not over a girl. Not some little girl. _A girl who scratches and claws, yells, screams, and calls out your name over and over until you try every trick you've got in your book to get her home and happy._ A girl, who, when she spoke his name sent chills racing up his spine, and his heart tumbling over in his chest. A girl who turned him into some kind of sappy cretin, how could he not be happy to see her go?

"She gone?" There was a crack in Bobby's voice when he said 'she' a minor hiccup that Dean might not have caught if he hadn't been paying close attention. _This has hit Bobby hard too._

"Think so." Dean said. "She wasn't around when I woke up this morning." _I mean her clothes aren't still here, but…_ Wait. Why were her clothes missing? If she'd evaporated into thin air then why were her clothes missing? _Well, she came fully clothed last time… _ Did the logic actually follow for her to return missing her clothes? Dean swallowed. Why the hell was his throat so damn dry?

"I guess it's for the best then." Bobby said. "You want to meet up somewhere? Get Sam back?"

"How's his hangover?" Dean asked. His lips twitched at the thought of his brother suffering a severe headache always made him feel just a little bit better.

"Horrible." Bobby replied. "Kelly's leaving hit him hard, but I think he'll recover."

"Eventually." Sammy was always the soft type. He had a tendency to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and his sweet sincerity often lead to his undoing. _But also makes clients like us._ They didn't work well without each other, and Dean hoped that Sam wouldn't hold sleeping with Kelly against him. _But then, Sam loves her too. _ He'd gotten himself into a pickle. _So this is life after Kelly?_ Somehow it didn't seem all that different from before, except… _It's just a little more empty. _ Only a little. But still.

"You still at the bar?"

"Yeah." Dean replied. He looked down at his hands, his knuckles were white around the wheel. _Calm down._ Sammy would need him to be calm. He would need him to be calm. He would need him to be ready, available, and snarky. That was the only way they were going to get through this. If he didn't give an inch. If he refused to give an inch to this grief.

"Meet you there." Then Bobby hung up, Dean didn't bother to ask how long it would be until Bobby got there. Knowing him he'd kick Sam's ass into gear right quick. Hangover or no. Dean took a deep breath. He had to be ready for when his brother came. He had to be normal. He couldn't be grieving. _But God help me if Sammy asks if we should get her a grave stone._

***

Kelly woke up to the swinging of a greyhound bus. Her stuff was gone, and she could only guess that it was stowed in the bowels of the machinery. She sat up, but the seatbelt that she must have secured around her waist kept her firmly planted. "The…" She started as she looked around. There were other people here, and they didn't seem to taken aback by her sudden appearance. Well she could only guess it was a sudden appearance. Her fingers immediately went to the demon repelling charm around her neck. The small iron pendant kept on winded twine was gone. It's irritation no longer a factor against her neck. What was going on? She always wore that pendant. She hadn't even taken it off when she'd had sex with Dean. Right? She hadn't. She started to thrash. Was that how she'd gotten here? She'd been possessed? _Goddamn bloody fucking hell! _ She swore. She should have stayed with the Winchesters. _No. No, if things get worse for me…_ Then she'd never forgive herself for dragging them into it. Especially if they got killed because of her. _I already did a terrible thing by telling Dean I loved him._ She'd find a way to stop this Yellow-Eyed Demon on her own, to subvert whatever plans he had for her. And she'd do it without ever risking the lives of the people she loved. _I've lost enough_. She couldn't stand to lose anymore. _ I told Dean I loved him._ Stupid! Stupid! It just came out. Slipped out. Accidentally. Kelly threw her head back against the rest, and heaved a deep sigh.

"Calm down." Kelly looked over to stare at the man next to her. Was he a demon? She inhaled sharply. Her senses had grown since the fight with the hellhounds and now it was easier to smell the residue on the body. "You'd think this was your first trip on the bus." He wasn't. Kelly eyed the tall imposing black man carefully. Just because he wasn't a demon didn't mean he was human. All she had down was ghost smells and sulfur residue. There were a thousand other things that could account for him, and Kelly didn't care for any of them. _There's no way his sitting next to me is just a coincidence_. No way in hell, right? _Unless… I was possessed and put on this bus, then I could be sitting by him by accident._ "You running from something?" He asked. His voice was kind.

"No." She said, but her traitorous voice trembled even as she spoke. "Not at all."

"Convincing." He smiled. "Most people who ride the bus are running from something. The bus makes it harder to be found."

"Where are we going?" She asked. She didn't trust him, not as far as she could throw him, non-monster style. But at worst he could lie and then she'd turn up at the last destination. So she'd find out anyway. _It's just harder to create contingencies from here._ That was very true.

"Last place this bus stops is San Francisco." He told her. He raised his ebony eyebrows. "Didn't you know that this line runs from coast to coast?" Kelly paused, and he continued. "I got on in Milwaukee, and you were sitting in this seat. Sleeping then, like you were a few minutes ago. Whatever you be runnin' from must have knocked you right out."

"And all my senses too, apparently." Kelly said, she was trying for a joke, and to cover her slip. _Not like it's unusual for me to not know where I am._ Not since she'd landed here close to four months ago. She tapped the side of her skull. "Faulty memory."

"Nothing like a little amnesia to wash down your breakfast." He replied, and Kelly tried to smile.

"True." She said. She looked out at the rolling hills around her, and the golden reeds of grass waving in, what she guessed was wind. Her eyes following the telephone wires and she reached into her pocket for her cell phone. Kelly sighed with relief when she discovered it was still there. _Okay, so he's not cutting me off._ He'd just put her on a bus out in the middle of nowhere. _ Apparently, I'm not ready yet._ For whatever the hell it was he needed her for. Something she was sure as hell not going to do. _At least, Sam and Dean are out of this mess._ She paused. "Did you say San Francisco?"

"That where you're running from?"

Kelly blinked. There was something in the name. Something, about the word, it had a smell, a taste, a scent, sweet and warm. Like home. "I guess." Kelly said.

"Sometimes it's best to end the journey at the beginning." The man said. Kelly glanced up at him. "Close the circle." He looked down at her. His eyes seemed earnest. "So you can start something new."

_I'm from San Francisco?_ Kelly swallowed. _ Why would Yellow-Eyes send me there? _Why home to San Francisco?

"Maybe you left your heart there?" The strange man said. Kelly glanced up at him, a glare formulating behind her eyes.

"Of all the stupid…" She began, but stopped. There was no reason to throw a temper tantrum here. _I'm just tired of being yanked around like a puppet on a string._ She was tired of always feeling lost, never having a handle on anything except, well, anything. She was tired. Frustrated. _This game is getting old._ It had gotten old months ago, but the wheel still continued to turn. _ I was supposed to go home_. So the question was… why hadn't she?

***

"Thanks Bobby." Dean said as Sam walked over to the car. "I owe you one."

"Nah, not this time boys." Bobby said. "This is what needed to get done." He looked down at his boots. "And yeh did the best yeh could." Bobby swallowed, and Dean wondered if the old man was also having a case of the clogged throat. "Nobody could of asked for more." He looked from Dean and then to Sam. "Out of either of you." He crossed his arms. "Now, Kelly's gone, but that don't mean you boys have to sit around pouting. It's time to get things back to normal, and get on with the rest of your lives."

"Things'll never get back to normal." Sam mumbled. Shaking his head he turned and stumbled towards the trunk.

"Thanks Bobby." Dean said.

"Yeah." Bobby replied. "I'm not one for speech giving, but you boys sure look like you could use a good one." He put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "You'll hold up alright though. You've got Sammy and he's got you."

_And there was a time when I figured we didn't need anybody else._ Dean thought. The voice in his mind cutting away at the newly opened wounds. _Man, I was wrong. But I'm always wrong._ Dean swallowed. "Yeah. I know Bobby."

"Dean!" Sam yelled. "Keys!" Dean turned to his brother. Sam's back was up straight and his upper lip was stiff. Dean figured his brother wouldn't want to stare into something that'd remind him of Kelly. At least not so soon, but apparently avoiding wasn't entirely Sam's style anymore.

"Sammy…" He trailed off.

"You know, Dean." Sam snapped. "I spent all night in these clothes, cause I had no place to go, and I really didn't want to _disturb _ your good time. But I'm kinda done being understanding. I didn't get a shower this morning and I want a clean shirt." Dean stared at his brother, taken a little aback by Sam's outburst. " And my clean shirt is in your trunk." Dean swore softly, and tugged out his keys and tossed them to his brother.

"He'll be fine once we get back to hunting." Dean said. He looked at Bobby with eyes hollowed, and the old man smiled. "He'll adjust."

"I know he will." Bobby said. "And so will you." Dean's lips twitched. Hell, this felt like losing his father all over again. Except that he still had direction. Killing that yellow-eyed sonofabitch was his heading, and he'd do anything to achieve that goal. _Save Sam, be the hero._ That was all that mattered. _ Kelly's gone._ He'd just have to learn how to deal.

"Yeah." Dean began, but Sam cut him off.

"Or maybe she's not as gone as we thought."

"What?" Bobby exclaimed. He hurried past Dean to where Sam was standing over the back of the trunk, his eyes examining the contents that were there, and the distinct items that were missing.

"I don't think Kelly would take her guns home with her." Sam said. "For one thing I doubt she'd have the time to grab them."

"Her stuff's gone?" Dean croaked. So, she was still here?

"Yeah, it's gone." Sam turned around. "Where'd she go Dean?" The older Winchester brother stared at the younger. Hostility boiled in Sam's normally placid dark brown eyes. "You were the last one to see her, hell you fell asleep with her last night, so where'd she go?"

"You'd think I'd keep something like that from you?" Dean demanded.

"I think you just might!" Sam growled. "Hell, I'm sure you were willing to send her out into god knows what after you had your fun with her. Is that what this is all about Dean? Just a chance to sleep with her? Did you even believe that she was going home? Hell, what's wrong with you? Taking advantage of her like that! She was scared, and tired, and we all ganged up on her." He stared down at the ground. "No wonder she ran away."

"No one's saying she ran away yet, Sammy." Dean said.

"Actually they are Dean. She's not here, her stuff is gone, her clothes are gone, hell I bet even her cell phone is gone. Probably switched off because she doesn't want us calling her. She might even ditch it once she's a few miles out, just so we can't track her through the GPS." Sam pointed into the mud. "Hell, look there are even her footprints heading towards Main Street." He glared down at his brother. "She didn't want to stay, she didn't care to stay, and no matter how scared she is, she's now out there alone and vulnerable."

Dean thought back to the powers she'd shown earlier, as he tried to answer. "I don't think she's all that vulnerable anymore, Sammy."

"Why Dean? Because she's an animal in the sack?" Sam yelled. "Because she can face a fucking hellhound head on and not blink! She's brave! Yeah, she's a little stupid! But something had to have happened for her to take off! Something big! What the hell did you say to her?"

Dean swallowed. "I told her I loved her." And if that was the thing that had sent Kelly racing for the hills, then Dean Winchester was the biggest loser on the face of the planet. He knew he wasn't worth her love, but did his loving her mean she felt it was necessary to run away? What kind of a man was he?

"Oh." Sam said.

"Look if we're gonna track her we'll need Ash on the horn." Bobby said. "I'll give him a call." He raised a finger at the two of them. "And you two idiots are going to work this out. We'll find her, she can't have gotten all that far."

"We need to check the area to see if there were any signs of demons." Dean said. "There was a demon hanging around when we hunted H.H Holms. Might be the same now, Sammy?"

"Yeah." Sam said. "I'll go look for the sulfur." He started to walk off, but then he turned. "I want to be clear on something." He snapped as he looked at his brother. "I'm doing this for her, not for you."

"That's fine." Dean growled. "Just get it done."

"Let him burn off some steam." Bobby said. "It's been an eventful morning."

"Yeah, whatever."

"You know Kelly, Dean. Better than most of us, I'd wager. I'll bet you know exactly why she'd take off. Even if you're brain don't want to admit it." Bobby took a deep breath. "Any idea where she'd run to?"

"Ellen, maybe." Dean said. "Wherever she figured her home is, is the next step, but Bobby if she got kidnapped by a demon then she could be anywhere by now."

"I'm not denying that she don't have a major head start, but if you can pull yer head out of yer ass long enough to think clearly then I bet you'll find yer answer. Or at least the best place to start looking." Bobby told him.

"It's best to ask Sam that, he and Kelly were the ones who spent each night in deep conversation." Dean shook his head. "He'd know better than I would."

"Yeah, but you _know_ her." Bobby said. "I stand by it. I trained her, and I know there are more similarities between the two of you and the way you think than either'd ever admit to. So, yeah, you might not know. But I'm willing to bet you could hazard a guess." Dean just shook his head.

"Sorry Bobby, I've got no clue. I figured she was gone." _Show's how well I know her._ "It's best to get Ash on the line and see if he can track that cell. It's the best plan I've got." _She never told me anything about herself or her family, or even where she was from. I'm at a loss as to where she'd go. The people she's closest to are all here._ Except Ellen. Maybe she'd run there, at least to get a chance to get her head on straight. It was worth a short. "Call Ash and see if she's talked to Ellen. She might have an idea." _Better than I do about where a scared and frightened girl would run._ This was one of the many times in his life when Dean Winchester felt completely and utterly useless.


	26. Chapter 26: Seeking San Francisco

AN: Welcome to the next chapter of DTRH. I hope you enjoy it. I want to thank Spruce Goose for being my beta on this one, and to winchesterxgirl for her constant and consistent reviews.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Hello? I'm Seeking San Francisco

"You drowned them!" She screamed into the darkness. "You drowned them and you hid their bodies here." There was a giggle deep in the gloom, and she walked through the cells, gun ready in her hand, eyes glowing a deep brilliant gold. "It was you, wasn't it!" Water dripped down the sides of the cells, as she stepped over the ropes, and off the path given to tourists. There was a jarring click as a door swung open, and Kelly Jones descended deeper into the darkness.

"So what?" Came the sing song voice. "You're going to kill me?"

"Yeah." Kelly snarled. "I'm going to fuckin' kill you."

Two Days Earlier,

Center for the Homeless, San Francisco

"You 'bout done with that?" Asked a happy voice to her right. Kelly Jones looked up from her soup bowl with quiet light amber eyes, and into those of the attendant. The woman wore a dark muddled brown shirt and a long skirt, an emphasis on how often she'd done this kind of thing before. Volunteered for the homeless. For people like me, I guess. Kelly smiled and shook her head. It had taken the Greyhound Bus two days to get her here. And she'd been here three days on top of that. _Five days, and seven missed calls. Four from Sam, two from Dean, and one from Bobby. I haven't listened to the messages_. Well, she'd probably screwed up all those relationships. _Especially with Dean_. She knew it was only a matter of time before Ash managed to track her down via the GPS chip in her cell phone, and then the boys would probably be on her tail again. Knowing both of them they'll find me too. But that was sort of just the way things went. Kelly drew a deep breath and slurped her soup. It was clam chowder, thick and creamy. _After all, what else do you serve in San Francisco? _ She swallowed the hot liquid and let it burn down her throat as she looked around the benches at the solemn faces of the other men and women. All of them homeless, and down on their luck, like her. _Well, not exactly like me._ The only reason she wasn't using her fraudulent credit cards was because she didn't want to make a paper trail._ And instincts say that I need to stay somewhere out in the open_. Especially if the Yellow-Eyed Demon had any plans, or minions he was using to keep an eye on her. Kelly's booted toe nudged her bag, as she smiled up at Shonda Reese, one of the volunteers. The woman smiled back politely and moved on. Thankfully the man she'd met hadn't followed her beyond the station, but she'd picked up someone new.

Another man, one who was around her age, with light brown hair that spiked up off his scalp, and wide eyes, green like a cat's. She looked across the room at him, and he smiled. Kelly suppressed a shiver. He gave off the faint scent of rotten eggs, but that could mean almost anything, considering. Starting with going unwashed for a few days. Kelly missed the hot showers in the broken down motels. She missed conversations. She missed being quizzed by Bobby. She missed flirting with Dean and teasing Sam. But most of all she missed snuggling with another warm body at night. These shelters got awfully cold with almost no insulation, and there were plenty of nights where she woke up freezing. If I'm not chasing down one of the many random ghosts that seem to haunt this city. Not that she'd gotten very far, there were so many minor echoes that it was impossible to track them all. So I just end up chasing my bloody tail. She crossed her arms. I miss Dean. She let her head fall back as she stared up at the ceiling. Tired. She'd spent too many sleepless nights without a chance to rest or sleep it off. Hell, at this point she'd even consider take a nap in the back of the Impala. _So tired_. Kelly was quickly learning that it was hard to work the job without someone watching your back. _And I don't even know what I'm looking for_. Was this the Yellow-Eyed Demon's joke? Or was he preparing her for something? _I don't know, and I don't want to care_.

"Hey." Kelly looked up. It was the tall dark haired man from across the room. If she was guessing, she'd say he was twenty three years old. Dean's older than he is. Kelly swallowed. She missed being in Dean's arms. Though Sam makes me feel safer. And she was more likely to get a decent night's sleep on Sam's side of the bed. Especially now after she'd admitted to Dean that she loved him. _In my defense I believed that I'd never see him again_. If that hadn't been riding on her head, then there was no way she would've admitted it. No way. _Well, maybe by the time I turned thirty._ What did Dean think of the whole situation? Did he see it the same way she did? Or did it not really mean anything to him? It could be anything with Dean. All she was sure of was that he was pissed.

She met the man's cat green eyes. "Hey yourself." She said. Her hackles up and a silent snarl bubbling in the back of her throat, she looked him over warily. He, like most everyone in here, carried an unwashed smell around him. But the scent of sulfur was mixed in. Demon? It really was time for her to learn to trust her senses. Her fingers moved to the holy water flask she kept secreted away in the pocket of her brown leather jacket. _Can't do it here_. But if the Yellow-Eyed Demon had sent him to keep an eye on her, then it would be easy to lure him to some abandoned house near the waterfront. _Then I'll exorcise him_. She didn't appreciate the thought of demons standing over her shoulder and watching her. _Calculating my progress or whatever_. "You new around here?" She asked, she knew full well the answer, he'd either gotten here around the same time she had, or he dated back to a little earlier. He didn't wear the broken down expression of most teens.

"Yeah, you?" He crossed his arms as he sat down in the bench across from her. Kelly swallowed. She needed to play this cool. If he suspected that she suspected then everything would be blown right out of the water.

"Couple of days ago." She said. She tried to smile, but fell short, instead it looked more like a grimace.

"Hey, I heard one of the volunteers is contacting one of the home stay places about you." He said. Then he paused. "Sorry, I'm Timothy Carter." He extended his hand to her, and she shook it. He had a solid grip like Dean. "I got here a couple of weeks ago. Since you're new, I figured that I'd tell you about a really good place to stay." He smiled again. There was an oddly cheerful cast to his features. Most of the people she'd seen loitering in the homeless shelters and hanging around the soup kitchens were really morose characters, all grumbles and growls. Kelly liked that. It meant she could melt away into the background. Over the course of the three days she'd been wandering about the city there'd been a few drunks who attempted molestations. Still, it had only taken two broken wrists and a stab wound to stop that sort of nonsense. '_Course it got me kicked out of the last two shelters_. So, the lessons never seemed to stick. There were always more drunks, more chauvinists, and more sexual predators prowling this stinking city. Inside her mind Kelly allowed herself a self-satisfied smirk. _It's almost not worth it, except… I love the terrorized looks they throw me later._ She'd run into all of them on the streets in the aftermath. _Ah fear._ She blinked, and realized Timothy was still speaking.

"You down on your luck too?" He asked. He laughed, his white teeth flashing in the dim lighting.

_Obviously not from around here_. Kelly thought. She tried to smile back, but there was a sinking feeling in her gut. _Deeemon_. She sighed. _Good thing Bobby drilled the exorcism into my skull_. She always carried around the wording just in case. But the old man had spent hours drilling the words into skull, and even longer on the correct pronunciation. But it wasn't like she could speak Latin. _Dead languages aren't all that useful anway_. "Something like that."

"Aren't we all." He laughed again. "Yeah, so this lady Lorna Pimm, she's been asking about you."

"Social worker?" Kelly asked. Her voice light, and she stuffed her hands into her pockets, fighting the urge to return her gaze to her soup.

"Something like that." Timothy said. "It's a good place, one you might want to look into."

"You live there?" Kelly asked. She leaned forward and looked him over. "I might be more interested if I knew I had a friend." Timothy looked at her, surprised. Confusion danced in his eyes for a moment.

"Sure." He said. Then he stood, and collecting his bowl walked back off towards the line. Kelly watched him go. She was silent for a long time. _Lorna Pimm, huh? _ Why was Yellow-Eyes sending her in that direction? _If he's sending me at all, this could all be coincidence._ He'd never had a habit of interfering in her jobs before. Only this time that kind of thinking didn't smell right and Kelly was learning to trust her instincts. _With Dean or without him I still have a job to do_. It was a mission, really, a purpose in life. _ Tearing monsters, ghouls, and goblins limb from limb_. Her foot rested on her bag again. Inside there were several salt rounds and a few silver bullets that she'd lifted from Dean's trunk, plus three knives, six tops, two pairs of ratty jeans, two bras, seven sets of socks, and seven of underwear. _Cause Bobby says it's always good to be prepared.[/_I[ That was her mantra. _Preparation, preparation, preparation_.

Now she'd just have to get information out of Demon Timothy without him knowing that she knew, or just getting him out of his host all together. Knowing her luck probably both. It was something she'd have to do either before or after she walked into the hornets nest and went to stay with Lorna Pimm. She watched him saunter over to an elderly lady with a clipboard near the entrance. _If I'm smart probably after. If I can catch him alone, then maybe before_.

Silently looking over her shoulder, Kelly covertly evaluated them. There was something odd about the way they stood. _Toe to toe, thick as thieves. And he looks like an eager puppy ready to please… Maybe she's the demon_. Kelly took a deep breath. _Okay, remember what you're here for._ Over the past three weeks there had been a rash of dead homeless turning up in the Bay. _That according to the papers and the local police reports._ And the cops had no idea who was doing it. But looking over the case one thing had become clear to Kelly. _It looks like they're being specifically targeted._ The dead were all between the ages of fifteen and twenty eight, and most of the bodies were kids like her. _Runaways no one's looking for_. Kelly swallowed. _I really could use Dean and Sam right about now_. But there was no way she was calling them. Not three days after striking out on her own and swearing up and down that she wouldn't get them involved in things that could get them killed. On the other hand… Kelly swallowed. Lorna Pimm was heading towards her.

"Hello." The older woman said. She looked about late thirties with a heavy girth bound up beneath a large DD bra, that looked ready to sag off beneath her tight white button down shirt and plaid skirt. Kelly smiled tightly, the corners of her eyes creasing as she looked up at the tall woman. Lorna Pimm stood around five foot seven, and the added inches of her size nine heels made her that much taller. The flab of her arms sagged as she lifted up her clipboard. "The ladies here tell me that you're a worthy candidate for our rehabilitation program."

"Really?" Kelly asked. She tried to keep her voice neutral but had a niggling worry that she was failing utterly. "What's that?"

"The Taylor Home for Boys and Girls, we get kids off the street and give them a place to stay while they find jobs and enroll in the local community college. Your friend, Timothy Carter stays at the house. He's quite the model of behavior." _I'll bet he is._ Kelly thought. This whole thing had very droll prospects to it. _But if a demon is encouraging me to live there, then something bad must be going down._

"He's not my friend." Kelly said. Her voice abrupt, and she shifted the faded green cap over her eyes. She hunched her shoulders and sank lower in her seat. _I am broken, I am beat up, I am down on my luck, I trust nobody. _ That was her assumed mantra, the one this drifter named Kelly lived by. Her mouth tightened into a firm line as she stared down at her half-finished soup. The woman sighed.

"Your new acquaintance then. He lives with us."

"Good for him."

"Yes." She paused. For someone who was used to dealing with taciturn runaways, she seemed easy to confuse. "Well, I think you're a perfect candidate. You're polite, considerate, clean, and a model of civilized behavior. You'll fit right in." The woman said in thick clipped tones. Kelly's eyes moved back to the sloppy bun on the top of her head, and swallowed a giggle. She wasn't against overweight people, not in general, but this woman didn't smell like a demon. No, it was more like she'd been doused in barrels of 'M' by Mariah Carey. Kelly nodded her head slowly. She listened to the rat-a-tat-tat of a pointed heel beating against the linoleum floor. She tried not to look at the violet pumps causing the impatient sound, they were horribly ugly with frilly edges and covered in sparkles. _Probably rejects from What Not To Wear_. She glanced at the door, her mouth tightening a little as the creased lines of a familiar face came through the door. _Oh shit!_

"Sure." She said, standing. Over the past few days she'd sacrificed her stylish messenger cap for a faded A's baseball cap. She hurriedly pulled it down over her eyes. "Can you take me there now?" I didn't think they'd get here so fast. They were probably making random sweeps of the homeless shelters.

"Of course." Lorna Pimm looked confused. "But most of our charges feel the need to think it over for a night or so, if you'd like to…"

"No thinking necessary." Kelly smiled. "You're a great saleswoman, and if I spent two more hours in this dive I might just blow my brains out. You offering a warm bed? Good food? Comforts of home?" Lorna nodded, and Kelly put on her best excited grin. "Then I'm in!" _I shouldn't have come here when there's an outbreak of werewolves eating out people's hearts_. It was the kind of beacon that drew hunters like the Winchester brothers here from all over. And the more hunters prowling the city, the higher the ante was upped, especially with her natural state being on the shady side of huntable. _The whole hellhound/dog/barghe…thing. _She was fairly certain, after looking several different sources over in the closest local library on Second Street, she'd determined that Gabriel had probably meant barghest. _A monstrous black dog commonly found in the North of England, especially Yorkshire, and it has huge teeth and claws_. At least, that was what Wikipedia turned up. _And it doesn't make a lick of sense_. After all the lore she'd looked into, it had become clear that black dogs like barghests weren't clearly defined. All sources agreed that they were spectral, ghost like, some haunted specific places or paths. _Like graveyards._ But others didn't seem to be bound by any natural laws at all. _Most seem to be malevolent._ But some accounts like with the Gurt Dog in Somerset and the Black Dog of the Hanging Hills, had them behaving benevolently. So, other than big black dog, the only other thing that all eyewitnesses, or those who had taken down eyewitness accounts, said was that if one were to see the true spectral shape of the monster they would die soon after. _Lucky me._ Fate was a quirky thing, and chance had a wicked sense of humor. _Turned a regular average girl into a walking death omen is what it did._ However, that explained Mississippi, and all those people who had seen her in dog shape. _They saw me because they either made a deal or they were about to die._ Kelly wanted to test her theory about dying people being able to see her, but so far she hadn't found an easy way to sneak into a hospital ward for the terminally ill. _Not without drawing massive attention, and old people everywhere screaming about dog infestations._ Kelly paused and looked at Lorna Pimm's retreating back. She pulled her hat down and followed the other woman towards the door. She kept to the far side of the big woman, and watched with surprise, as Timothy smirked. I fucking hate cops. She thought as she slid by. He'd been on her case since he'd found her sleeping beneath an overhang, and now he made it his personal business to check up on her everyday. _Like I want help._

"You seen this girl?" Officer Jenkins asked. "She's about five foot four with dark brown hair and light eyes?"

"We get a lot of those here, sir." Replied the volunteer. "Lots of girls that look like that, is she a junkie?"

"I don't think so." The Officer scratched his chin. "She had a plaid bag. I brought her into a place like this a few days ago."

"Is she wanted for something?" The volunteer asked.

"No, no." He shook his head. "But if you could keep a look out for her?"

"Sure." The woman said. Kelly stopped listening as he handed her his information. Instead, she threw her stuff into the back of Lorna's green SUV, and climbed inside. She sat next to Timothy.

"Ready for some fun?" He asked.

Kelly glanced up at him, and she swallowed. Her mouth tightened, and then she said. "Am I ever!" Timothy smiled down at her. _God I hope Lorna Pimm has a basement._ She thought. Her eyes narrowing as she stared out at the road ahead of them. _Maybe this will get me closer to the disappearances._ They seemed supernatural in nature. Kelly's fingers moved down to her boot, and the knife buried there. If she had to she'd stab Timothy in the throat. _But, I'd rather save his ass first._

The Taylor Home for Boys and Girls, San Francisco

The house was old, obviously one of the few left over from the San Francisco revival of Victorian period. It was two stories in height, small, with six windows on both floors that faced outward towards the street. Unlike the newer buildings which were covered in strangely colored stucco, this house had kept it's wood paneling. It was painted blue with white trim, and the eves looked like they were about to drop off, with white strips peeling outwards to reveal a stained brown beneath. There was a pretty lawn, with bluebells and honeysuckle climbing up out of the flower beds, and a ringed red stone wall that ran around the entire property with a strong iron gate. That was another odd thing about the house. Kelly's various trips around San Francisco had lead her to believe that the place was overcrowded, with buildings jammed together, side by side, their roofs piercing upwards, because that was the only way left to build. When you could no loner go outward the only way left was to reach for the sky. She sighed. The front door was an ugly mud brown, with a large brass knocker made out of a lion's tongue. The whole building seemed to bend inwards around the door, like a gaping maw ready to swallow her whole. A shiver passed up Kelly's spine. She'd never had good feelings about houses that stood on a street called Loll Drive, and this one was no exception to her now firmly defined rule. Lorna Pimm slammed the drivers side door shut and stepped onto the sidewalk. The large purple spikes of her pumps clicking on the broken cement walkway, and in an ungainly fashion, she avoided the dandelions fighting to sprout out of the cracks. A few were crushed by her heavy weight, and massive feet, left crumpled to one side as she passed over them.

Kelly suppressed a whimsical smile. It was always fun to watch the overweight walk, especially in heels. Lorna Pimm's unsteady stride was obviously caused by the unbalanced mass of blubbery fat coating her entire body and upsetting her body's natural calculations on the way it stepped. She tipped this way and that like a drunken sailor, and instead of forcing herself to walk in a straight line, she attempted a runway trot, with one foot stepping precariously in front of the other, and held her entire frame in danger of falling over. She watched Timothy Carter carefully out of the corner of her eye, he as he too climbed out of the car. She went around the back and pulled out her bag before he could reach it. "I don't like anyone touching my things." She said, keeping her voice carefully stiff, and adopting the distrustful expression of someone whom the world had beat down one to many times. Then she added. "Sorry. Just my way." Timothy nodded.

"No problem." He grinned. "But hopefully the Taylor Home will open you up some." Kelly nodded, but didn't smile in return. He was a good liar. _Either that or maybe he's just telling the gruesome truth._ Most of the bodies that had been recovered out of the bay recently had seemed to be in fine shape, no mutilations. That lead her to believe that this just might be the work of a serial killer. _But still, it's useful to look into._ There were several Boys and Girls Homes spread throughout the city, but only three of them were this close to the Bay. _Having a demon here gives this place a slightly better option of the killings._ And if this wasn't it, then at least she'd get to do an exorcism. Those always livened up the day a little.

"Come on my little lad and lassie!" Lorna called from where she stood at the top of the steps. She'd already undone the latch of the house, and she was beckoning for them to come off the street and go inside. Kelly listened carefully for the other children who must be staying in the house. _Lorna will have to keep some kind of register of the teens who blow in._ A sign in sheet at the very least. _Most of the bodies the cops found were unidentifiable._ At least that's what it had read in the papers. Without a fake badge or a costume, Kelly had been unable to gain access to the morgue and check it out herself. It was a small fact that made her rather pissed off. Kelly pushed open the gate and made her way up the pathway and across the lawn. Timothy was following her, as if he was trying to block any chance she might have at escape. _Why do I get the feeling that once you walk in you don't walk out?_ There was definitely something eerie going on. Even though she hadn't been hunting long, she was already starting to pick up that same sixth sense Dean, Sam, and Bobby all possessed. It was like an ache in the knees. One that said trouble was brewing. Big trouble. Kelly swallowed. _Everyone knows, everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head…_ Her mind sang, repeating the words of the last song she'd heard on the radio at one of the fifty local Denny's. It had been the one on fifth street. Not that anyone would bother to track her down there.

"Be right there." Kelly muttered. She repressed a jump as Timothy clapped her on the shoulder.

"She's a little odd but you'll get used to her." He said. There was a warm smile on his lips, and his entire visage melted to become comforting. Kelly might have believed him if she wasn't looking into his eyes. It was those eyes, bright green, large, and cold. They were hard as a granite slab in his mobile face. Kelly kept her own face smooth, but she couldn't help but notice that none of his vibrant expressions managed to reach those green eyes. _Those eyes are meant to light up over any and every emotion,_ She could tell my the small crinkles around them. _Once Timothy was always smiling._ Whoever rode that body now, Kelly knew, it wasn't the boy who was always smiling. _And that's enough to piss me off._ If the smiling kid was still living inside there, then Kelly vowed to save him. No matter what it took. No matter the cost.

"You think so?" She asked. Her voice light.

"You'll learn to love her." He grinned, and then the two of them walked into the house. Kelly's senses did not miss the ominous foreboding that filled the place as the door slam shut behind her.

"Timothy feel free to go back up to your room, I'll get our newest arrival up to speed." Lorna said. The narrow halls of the house only made the older woman look more whale like. In Kelly's eyes she seemed to be ballooning outwards, filling up every inch of space between the violet wallpaper. It was faded and peeling were the wall hit the ceiling, and stains left by leaking pipes dripped down to create small ripples throughout. Tiny daisies shaped like stars followed one another in a vertical line up and down in a hypnotizing fashion towards the door at the far end of the hall. From the salty smell drifting towards her, Kelly guessed that it was the kitchen, and probably the dining area. To the left there was a sitting room, followed by a flight of rickety looking stairs. Two boys and one girl were plopped on a faded cream colored couch near the open window of the sitting room, they were all reading. The girl, who had long blonde hair down to her breasts, and a zipped up black hoodie was listening to what looked like an Ipod. One boy was a redhead and the other black, both were tall and gangly. The redhead was the oldest, and without examining the crags around his eyes and lips closely, Kelly was forced to guess that he was around twenty four years of age. The other boy, who was deeply entranced by some kind of Stephen King novel, or at least a novel with a Stephen King type cover, couldn't be more than eighteen. _And judging by the baby fat still clinging to his jaw, probably less._ It was hard to detect the sulfur without getting close, and combining that with the heavy dust shifting through the air, and adding in the residue left by the both varying amounts of mildew and mold clinging to the insides of the walls, made determining if there was more than one demon in the house completely impossible. _At least not without a careful study of all individuals._ "We all eat dinner in the kitchen at seven." Lorna said as she lead Kelly down the hall. "That's the door there." She opened a side door. "This is my study, and if you need me this is where you can usual find me." She smiled, a very gentle smile, and it almost made Kelly feel warm. Almost. "If not holler, that's how most everyone else does it."

"LORNA!" Came a roar from the upstairs.

"What?" Lorna yelled back.

"The toilet's clogged again!"

"Well, fix it Chase!" The older woman cried. "You know where the plunger is!" Kelly raised her eyebrows silently, but waited patiently for Lorna to return her attention back to the matter at hand. Lorna turned to Kelly. "That's Chase Gibson, he's been a regular here for three months. He'll be starting in a trade school next week." Lorna's eyes glittered in the dim light. "You should talk to him, maybe he can give you some pointers about getting back on your feet." Kelly nodded. Lorna Pimm turned and walked back down the hall, and Kelly followed her into the living room. She gave the three others a wide birth. "The redhead is Beckett Cole, the black haired one is Devon Brown, and the blonde is Kimberly Jameson. They're all runaways. Beckett is one of my supervisors." The redhead looked up and flashed a charismatic smile at Kelly. She lifted her head, and tugged at the strap of her bag. Looking down and away, she knew he'd assume she was shy. _And shy means defenseless._ She planned on drawing whatever it was to her. _Looking helpless does a great job luring in the bad guys._ Course then she'd yank out one of the three knives she kept hidden in the pockets of her bag and slice open their throats. The kind of course depended on the manner of villain. _Pure iron, pure silver, and one jack of all trades. One for ghosts, one for werewolves, skinwalkers, shapeshifters, that ilk, and one for humans._ They'd all been gifts from Bobby's personal stash.

"Hey." The redhead called. Kelly smiled shyly at him, and then followed Lorna up the stairs. _No way he's as cute as Dean._ She thought. The settled dust shook with each of Lorna's heavy steps, and the floor boards of the staircase creaked as she climbed. Kelly studiously ignored the freaky paintings that lined the walls. Most were family portraits, but there was something eerie about them, in their smiles, and the way their eyes followed her as she walked up the stairs.

"This'll be your room." Lorna said. Kelly looked up at it. _Number thirteen. Lovely._ "The bathroom is at the end of the hall, and it's first come first serve in the mornings. You can take all the time you want, just make sure it's not more than fifteen minutes, most of the kids here have to get to school." Kelly nodded.

"Thanks." Kelly said. She slid past Lorna into the room. It was a small room with red wallpaper, and a single glass pane window that looked out onto the street below and out towards the bay. There was a small chest in the right corner at the end of the twin sized bed, a closet, a dresser, and a desk with a small lamp.

"Dinner is at six." Lorna said. "I normally like for all of us to eat together, however, since it's your first night here I'll understand if you skip out. You must be tired."

"Yeah." Kelly walked over the wheezing floorboards, to the bed, she sat down. The springs sighed beneath her weight, and she knew right away that any sort of sleep on this would have her waking up with severe back cramps.

"Curfew is at ten, and the house is locked after that. So if you stay out late, you won't be getting back in. There are no boys in the girls rooms and vice versa." Lorna said. "I don't want any hanky panky happening under my roof. No drinking and no drugs either. Everyone is to be in their rooms at ten and I go to sleep at ten thirty sharp, so no noise after that."

"So, no jumping on the bed?" Kelly asked. Her voice droll, she peered up at Lorna through excess strands of hair.

"I'm assuming that children your age already know polite guest behavior."

"Naturally." Kelly shrugged. "Just testing the limits." Lorna nodded.

"A good rule of thumb is don't. This is a good Catholic household. If you're with us long, we all attend Mass together at nine o'clock at Saint Mary's on Sunday mornings. That's not negotiable." Lorna said. She fixed Kelly with a pair of stern brown eyes, Kelly kept hers on the floor. Her behavior from her on out would depend on who was being targeted. _So who is it? The good children or the bad?_ There was o course always the chance it was indiscriminant. "Any questions?"

Kelly paused and looked her over. _There's definitely something off about this place._ She thought. "No." She said. Her voice was soft.

"I'll leave you to your own devices then." Lorna said. Removing her boots, Kelly collapsed back onto the bed, and kicked her feet up onto the comforter. Putting her hands behind her head, she tipped her baseball cap forward to cover her eyes. Lorna snorted, and muttered something about ungrateful sops before she turned to go. Kelly had already identified Lorna's distinct creaking, and mischievously said, as the thirty year old woman turned to go.

"Shut the door." As Lorna turned around with an angry spark beginning to light in her eyes, and one finger raised ready to doll out punishment for impertinence, Kelly added with eyes still closed. "Please?" She smirked at Lorna's disgruntled harrumph, and relaxed as the door shut with a bang.

A/N: Tell me what you thought, I always love reviews, if you see anything I can improve on, I'd be more than happy to hear it. Good or bad. Especially with Kelly on her own, I want to know if she's working as a character. So let me know if you enjoyed this! ^_^ Chow!


	27. Chapter 27: Where the Dead Men Sleep

Chapter Twenty Seven: Where the Dean Men Sleep

Several hours later.

By the time Kelly awoke, the sun was already down, and the sky had turned to inky black. Laced with gray, the lumpy clouds reflected the city lights back down towards the now growing sleepy San Francisco. Even at this distance, she could see the wind patterns stringing out the gray thunderheads, and pushing them off towards the inland, away from the bay. It would rain soon. The circulated air grinding through the filters continued to come out dusty, but what had once been complete dust now tasted like mud on her tongue. It was damp. The wood shivered. Her hand pressed against the window of her room, enjoying the feel of the cool glass pane beneath her too warm hand. Kelly's fingers traced the lines of the window, checking the locks. _Strange._ It was oddly impractical. _The windows lock from the outside._ And they were always locked. She peered into the ever growing gloom of the outside, the darkness already contrasting with the strong beam of the streetlight, which stood proudly three houses to the left, on the corner. She knelt, resting her arms on the jutting fractured wood of the sill, and pressed her nose against the glass. She inhaled deeply, absorbing all the cool empty feel of the air, the way it always did when a cold front was setting in. The clouds reabsorbed moisture in the air, drawing it up to spill back out with chilled rain, and for those few brief hours before the rain fell, every smell was available. _It won't be._ Because the rain would soon wash everything away, and restore the air. Kelly frowned, there it was, heavy in the air. _Rust_. This window hadn't been unlocked for a long time. _And I'd be better off fracturing the glass, then I would trying to force it open now_. Even if she was capable of getting at the lock from the inside, Kelly knew that the frame of the window, consistently doused by damp 'Friscan air, was swollen to the point, that it remained in a state of permanent jam.

The house wheezed, and Kelly winced. She stood, and leaned against the window. Feeling trapped and more than a little claustrophobic, she listened silently to the creaking floorboards and a chill slithered up her spine. _There was nothing unusual about the sound_. She chided herself, as she wrapped her arms over her chest. A cold draft swelled overhead, but Kelly was too stubborn to leave her post by the window to grab a jacket. _It's not the same kind of jarring stomping Ms. Perfectly Catholic Lorna Pimm makes when she goes up and down the hall with her big fat jingling key ring_. The heavy ring, filled with fifteen iron keys made such a racket, that Kelly could peg Lorna coming more than fifty feet up the street when she was coming and going. _Not that I've been around long enough to test that theory._ And Kelly didn't intend to be staying long enough to find out whether or not she was right. It's not the same accidental creaking noise someone makes when they step on the wrong floorboard either. No, it was just the normal groaning of weathered wood fighting against the constant and consistent strain caused by the earth's rotation. _Gravity._ She thought. _It's a bitch. _ Even the knowledge that the house's actions were only natural did nothing to relieve the tension stressing and clouding her mind. Still, there was something dark about this place. Bobby always said that houses had a tendency to pick up the characteristics of their owners. _And whatever evil that happened or is happening here, has left a permanent mark_. The house was a hungry critter. _It feeds off the energy of everyone and everything._ Kelly wasn't quite sure how to solve that problem. _Save burning down the house and salting the earth afterwards. _

Kelly sighed, shifting her weight as she leaned against the wall, head tipped against the diamond patterned red wallpaper. The peeling crimson crap made the entire place feel like Christmas. '_Course, that might just be the pine scented air freshener strapped to the top of the mirror. _Kelly's eyes went back to the dresser, grudgingly. The cracked oak box, separated by two distinct shells, leaned to the right like a teenager who never learned to balance her weight. The entire dresser sloped sideways, and she could tell, just by examination that any attempt to use the sorry thing would lead to the bottoms falling out of the shelves and her clean clothes on the floor. She sighed. That was just the fate caused by the tilt. She wondered if it was simply age, or whether not to long ago, some underage drama queen had come through the door of number thirteen in the Taylor Home for Boys and Girls, and loaded up the shelves, so much so that paste and rolling knobs keeping the bottoms in place and moving smoothly got cracked. _Drama queen could break it_. Kelly nodded. _Hell it wouldn't hard._ It would only take an extra ten to twenty pounds on her small frame, then she'd lean on the dresser and take out it's second leg. Effectively knocking the entire out of date contraption on it's rear end, or it's side, wherever really. _Then it's bye bye birdie_. Kelly looked out at the still bustling city, and the lights burning dim. She envied them their nightlife. _Especially being able to go home and snuggle with your hunni. _ Kelly swallowed, and memories of Dean crept back inwards from the peripheral edges of her thoughts. In the darkness she imagined his hands running down her sides, tickling and teasing her legs with his fingertips. She closed her eyes, hugging herself tighter. It was easy to distract herself from missing the boys during the day, but at night? _It hurts the most._ She hated it. This was the time when it was impossible to keep him out of her head. _And I don't want him in it! _She didn't want to be imagining Dean's smile, getting all sappy, with tears dripping down her cheeks as she remembered the good old days. _Thinking about Dean, worrying about Dean, pondering the deep philosophical question that is where Dean will find his next easy lay are things that will only get me killed._ Her throat tightened over the thought of Dean with some other girl. She glanced over to where she'd left her phone, turned off, on the three legged nightstand. Silently, she resisted the urge to go turn it on, and see if anyone had left messages. The cell phone didn't track her missed calls. She rested her head against the wall, and swallowed. _I have a job to do._ She wasn't some blithering idiot who went all to pieces if she didn't have love in her life. _And with the amount of people gunning for me, they'd come under less fire without me around._ Maybe then the Yellow-Eyed Demon, whoever he was, would stop following them. Kelly shook her head. "No." She muttered. "I'm not thinking about this." Once again, she sighed loudly, and listened to the rumbling snore of the cellmate in the room to her right. Kelly glowered out the window.

She'd known upon entry that it would be impossible to sleep here. There was something about this house, something in the way that it moved. It practically breathed, and with each intake of air the house creaked, expanding like a sleeping animal. _And I'm in the bowels of it's stomach._ That wasn't a comforting thought. She looked up at the ceiling and listened as the house moaned for the third time that night. Kelly's gaze moved back out to the buildings, the normal skyscrapers, and the odd triangle shaped as they cut across the skyline. In the distance she could make out the faint outline of the Golden Gate Bridge. It's red line rising to create an imposing and sweeping form across the entrance to the bay. _The gateway to the pacific._ The house was close to Pier 41, only ten miles away from the shoreline, and that made Kelly nervous. The closer one got to the San Francisco Bay, the odder the occurrences. She pawned her nagging feeling off on what Bobby had always told her. There was something off about San Francisco, Alcatraz, the entire bay in general. However, Kelly in her youthful ignorance hadn't believed it until now. _You can practically smell the death echoes_. All those people out there who were dying day by day, biting it in the slums, beneath bridges. Killed over money, food, or less. _What was I thinking?_ She wondered. _It's home._ Or it was supposed to be. Kelly was forced to admit that being in San Francisco didn't make her feel anymore comfortable then she had with the boys. It hadn't unlocked any of the names for the faces that were gradually fading from her memory. _Day by day, they get a little further. It becomes harder to grasp the next time I remember._ Was she an only child? Did she have siblings?

Her eyes turned the hazy sky, tiny dots of stars, those that were not overshadowed by the light rising out of the greater Bay Area, peered out to gaze out at the still bustling city. Looking southerly, Kelly knew that she would see a multitude of cities, each with their own light. But from far away they all looked the same. The way Oakland did from here, just one long string of lights wrapping around the Bay. Kelly perched on the windowsill, her eyes searching the city. _I shouldn't have decided to stay here._ Lorna Pimm locked them into their rooms at night. Not that a lock on the door could keep her trapped. _If my lock picking skills aren't up to snuff then I'll just kick the door down. _Especially since Lorna Pimm had readily removed access through the window. Though, not even that was enough to stop her, not if she really put her mind to it._ Not that I plan on making that kind of racket._ Dean was free to charge in wherever he liked. He was a regular all American cowboy like that. However, Kelly was a bit more placid, and careful in her nature. She tended to err closer to the side of caution, even with her bad habit of rushing in. _At least it's never half-cocked. _Well, never had been until today. Kelly smirked, _she_ didn't like getting shot at, unlike a Winchester she wouldn't bother to mention. Kelly's eyes turned in the gloom, glowing as they always did at night and in the dark. She examined the lines of scripture posted on the wall beside the door and the rickety desk.

"God's a safe-house for the battered,

a sanctuary during bad times.

The moment you arrive, you relax;

you're never sorry you knocked" -Psalm 9:9-10.

"Christians." She snorted, resting her forehead against the glass and her chin on the wooden beam beneath the window. _Just what I need._ Kelly heard the front door click shut, and she looked down towards the walkway. She heard heavy breathing, and knew immediately who it was before the large overweight figure of Lorna Pimm came ambling into view. She was headed towards her car. Kelly suppressed a smirk as she watched the woman move. Watching Lorna stumble along in an uneven gait, as her huge heels clacked loudly against the cracked concrete path, nearly made the younger woman's day. If anything it added something interesting to what had been an uneventful evening. "Where are you going, Lorna?" Kelly asked, curious. If she was judging by the height of the moon, which was only just fished rising over the Oakland hills on the far side of the bay, and that meant it was only around ten o'clock or so in the evening. That was odd. The woman had told Kelly that she liked to go to bed early, by ten thirty. It was the time quiet hours supposedly started. _This does not bode well_. She thought, trying to expand her peripheral senses to encompass the entirety of the building. She didn't like what she'd only begun to mildly sense. With Lorna's absence darkness had fallen across the house. The appetite the walls had not exhibited earlier reacted to her now. So what the hell was Timothy doing here? _Demons don't like to put themselves in immediate danger._ And she could only imagine that he was feeling the results the same as she was.

There was a rap on the door, and she turned. _The doors are all locked. Shit._ Who was out wandering the halls at this hour of night? One of the demons? She inhaled deeply, trying to parce together the new and strange scent out from between the mold and mildew. But she couldn't place it, the person on the other side of the door smelled distinctly human. That chilled her, made her nervous. _The hypnotizing power of the house?_ A soft growl rose in the back of her throat and rippled across the room. Kelly's hand reached down to grip the broken wood of the sill, her blackened fingernails sank into the plank. Her lips pulled back to reveal long white canines. She stood off the window and walked across the room to her bag. She reached inside and pulled out the flask of holy water. Kelly turned, her fingers trembling a little as the knob turned. The lock clicked and was undone. She lifted the flask, pulling out a long curved knife out the bag, holding it loosely in her left hand. She slid sideways, ready, for whatever was going to come next.

"Hey." The door swung open, and a bright beam hit Kelly squarely in the eyes. She nearly yelped and looked down, registering the unfamiliar masculine voice. The smell was familiar, hurriedly she forced her eyes back to their usual color, and began to revert the changes to her teeth and nails. She hoped, against hope that the gloom would hid them. "You need to get out of here." Kelly's eyes adjusted dimly to the flashlight, and she glared at the figure. It took her a moment to fight past the sparks now dancing across her vision, but after a moment Kelly recognized him as one of the boys she'd met earlier that day. The older one. If she was guessing, the redhead. _Well, whoever he is, he's already made it onto my ignore whenever possible list._

"Turn the damn light off!" She snapped. Her soft voice echoing quietly through the annals of house. "Don't you know how to let a poor girl sleep?" She looked up, pretending like she was getting a good look at him for the first time. "Who are you anyway?"

"Beckett Cole." He snapped. "You saw me when you came in." He shook his head. "And you and I both know you weren't sleeping." He was bold, Kelly had to give him that. But this game of cat and mouse wasn't up yet, and Kelly had no intention of letting him know who she was, at least not until he proved to be not an enemy and also useful.

"What?" Kelly yawned. "I was just trying to get comfortable." She emphasized her point by stretching. "I was just about to change into my sleepwear when you know, knocked." She stressed her emphasis on the last word, and Beckett looked a shade disgruntled, but the flush rising at his color gave the impression that he was mildly embarrassed. _I need my witty repartee. Where's Dean when you need him? He always gives the best in-flight entertainment._ Sam ran a close second though, and with him there was always the option of intelligent conversation, one that broke the borders of rock bands, cars, sex, and practical jokes.

"We don't have time for this, look there's a pathway through the basement. You can get out through there. You should go, now."

"And why should I go?" Kelly asked. She was a little curious about this stranger. _What's he? Some amateur hunter?_ Dean and Sam tended to run into men like Bobby, who were already good hunters, or Gordon who was competent but psychotic. They rarely ever ran into the amateur variety. _And not those Hell Hazer wannabes._ She hid a snort. Sam had told her all about them. _I'd like to meet them one day._ Show them the sharper edge of some canines. _Still, if you don't know the game, Bobby always says it's better to play the fool._ "I finally got a decent nights sleep here, and you lot are already to boot me out. Lorna said it would be fine if I stayed here." She tried to adopt her natural accent, and downplayed her age by repeating phrases. "Lorna said, y'know. She said I'd be safe here. You one of the other tenants?"

"Who are you?" Beckett Cole asked. He lifted the gun he was holding languidly in his had and pointed it at her chest. "I thought you were a civilian."

Kelly closed her eyes and looked away. "I am a civilian." _Shoot did he see the glowing earlier?_

"Right." Beckett said. "Sure you are. You're an amateur right? Out to make a name for yourself, right? Well, kid, show's over kid, I'm a hunter. A goddamn professional hunter." He leveled his gun at her. "And you're going to tell me who you are." He eyed her a little more solidly with his flashlight, and raised it so the bright beam was pointing into her eyes. "Right now."

"Oh." She said. _Who the hell does he think he is? John Wayne?_ This was exactly the kind of stunt that could get somebody killed. "A hunter, wow." Kelly crossed her arms. "Well, I guess I'm caught, who knew, a hunter here. I thought I'd hit the goldmine you know. Heard some creepy stories about the house, figured I'd check it out." Her head dropped and then she looked up at him, this time with her normal brown gaze. "Hunting what exactly?" Her lips twitched, and she belted her knife, and unscrewed the cap of her holy water flask. She took a small swig.

"Not you." He snapped.

"Drink?" She asked. She held out the flask.

"No thank you." Beckett said, his gun still leveled at her chest. "Did a boy named Timothy Carter bring you here?" Kelly examined his face in the gloom. He looked around twenty five, grizzled and down on his luck. He was wearing a floppy hat.

"Yeah." She said. "He's a…" She trailed off. "I think there's something wrong with him." Beckett paused. Confusion lit his dark eyes.

"Why do you think that?" He queried.

"His eyes." Kelly lied. "They turned completely black, it was scary." She let her breath quicken, and her eyes expand. Like she was remembering something really terrifying. "I mean people don't do that you know, I mean, they just don't. That's not normal right? Not normal at all!" She paused, then glanced back at Beckett, her gaze slanted. "I don't think he saw me though, he did it right after dinner." _Scratch him being sent by Yellow-Eyes._

"Look, that guy you saw, he's a demon, and there are a lot more of them in this house." Beckett said. He tapped his chin as he looked her over. "And we need to get you out of here before you become one. Well, possessed by one."

"How do I know _you're_ not a demon thingy?" Kelly asked. She screwed up her face. If necessary she'd reveal that she was a hunter at the end of this. A real one. _Most hunters don't like others stepping on their turf._ So ignorance was best pretended for bliss. Beckett paused.

"I'm not." He snapped.

She held out the flask. "Then you better drink this."

"What's that?"

"Drink up." Kelly said. Her lips twitched.

"What is that?"

"I'm not leaving with you until you take a sip." Beckett watched her warily, and she sighed. But after a moment he stepped forward, and took the flask out of her hands, then he took a swig. "Not a long one." She said. Then he handed it back to her. _Not a demon._ At least he wasn't yet.

"Tastes like water." Beckett said. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

She nodded. "Cause it is."

"Then why the hell did you have me drink it?"

"Professional policy." When confusion lit Beckett's eyes once more, Kelly explained. "I don't trust anyone who can't stomach that."

"Water?" He asked.

"Holy water." She crossed her arms. "And if your stalking demons without keeping some on hand than you're a worse hunter than I gave you credit for." She smiled. Still, it was best to remain reserved. She'd given away the fact that she was a hunter, but there were other… _things_ in this house besides demons, and Kelly wasn't willing to take the chance that Beckett was one of them.

"You're using yourself as bait?" Beckett strutted into the room more confidently, and Kelly could tell that he was a man who ran his own show. He reminded her a little of Dean. _Just dumber, and more confident._ "That's fair stupid."

"Is it?" Kelly asked, she grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. "You're assuming I can't handle myself."

"You don't know what you've walked into."

"And you don't know where I've been." She snapped. Pulling the baseball cap down over her eyes she moved past him. "And I don't trust you just because you say you're a hunter." She glanced up at him and pulled the short curved knife out of her belt. "This baby is pure silver." The edge glinted in the pale moonlight, cutting through the dust trailing through the air of the room. "It'll kill…other things."

"There aren't any werewolves here!" Beckett growled. Kelly shrugged and continued to walk down the hall.

"Never hurts to be prepared."

"Whatever." Beckett replied. He holstered his gun, and she turned to face him.

"So how many kids are staying here?" Kelly crossed her arms. Her hearing suggested that there were at least three other bodies in the house, and she couldn't get at what was in the basement. "That leaves, what? Two demons?"

"At best."

"Lorna's not a demon." Kelly said. Her voice was thoughtful.

"What makes you so damn cocksure?" Beckett's voice was harsh, and Kelly glanced up at him with mild surprise. Was he against women or did he think she was just an amateur? _Can't fault him there._ She was technically an amateur, she'd only be on around four hunts. _And hand held through almost all of them._ Though Dean storming through the door hadn't been her suggestion. _I don't always need the fucking cavalry._

"Doesn't smell right." She snapped. "There's Timothy and someone else."

"Lorna's the one who's been dumping the bodies." Beckett said. "They take them in the middle of the night, out on a boat I think. Lorna always comes back wet. I've been watching. I'm assuming she's turning the kids, but most of 'em don't return."

"They're ending up in the morgue." Kelly said. "How many others are here?"

"Four more plus me."

"Not counting the demons?"

"Two." Kelly nodded. Beckett paused. "That I know of."

Kelly shrugged. "It's always best to plan for sets of threes."

"Again, I ask the question, who in sam's hell are you?"

"Kelly Jones." She replied. He gazed at her in confusion. Kelly paused, her lips beginning to twist into a sardonic smile. Beckett stayed silent, and Kelly could see the cogs in his brain beginning to whirr. _Obviously no relation to Ellen._ Or any of the Hunters who might be out looking for her since her disappearance. _I really should call to check in._ But that would probably lead to tracking via satellite, that or Ellen would guilt or weasel it out of her. _Then she'll turn right around and call Dean with the information, and if not Dean then Bobby. _At this particular moment in time Kelly was not wholly certain which would be worse. _Stampeding lover or rampaging father?_ She paused. _Whoa girl, you just slept with Dean, he's not your lover._ "What?" She asked. "You want a resume and fact sheet to with that? Maybe a spreadsheet containing a play by play of how many demonic hell bitches I've put down? Or a detailed report on each and every mission I've been on? You need a play by play? Or is it enough that I just made you drink holy water?"

Beckett paused. "The reports would be…"

Kelly snorted before he could finish his sentence. "Lets get to work." She snapped, pulling on her leather jacket, she swung her bag over her shoulder, and jammed her baseball cap down over her already mussed hair. She slid the holy water flask back into her pocket, and walked past him into the hall.

"Hey!" Beckett called, and Kelly glanced back at him, her gaze laden with annoyance. "I'm in charge." Kelly raised her eyebrows politely, as she watched the older hunter jab his thumb into his chest. "This is my case, you're just a tag-along."

"Tag-along?" Kelly asked. She kept her voice mild, but the indignation stung. Bobby had trained her thoroughly, even if they'd only been together for a few months. _Where does he get off doubting my skills?_ She shrugged as he moved on ahead. _By virtue of first impressions… _ She looked down at her chest. _And these._ She wondered if he was one of those prigs who believed that women couldn't do the job, or if he was of the Dean Winchester variety sharing a hatred of amateurs. _But I haven't been a rank amateur since the hunt for H.H Holms._ She shivered with the memory, her free hand rising to touch the long healed bruises left from his hands constricting around her neck. They had long since gone, and all that was left from their encounter was the scar on her cheek. The one deep marring factor to her otherwise pretty features. _Dean never could look at it without grimacing._ He'd grown used it, but it still unnerved him, when he looked at it. _He even kissed it several times during our night together._ She swallowed. Had she done the right thing leaving Dean? She missed him, certainly, but… _Does he miss me?_

***

Denver, Colorado

"No Bobby." Dean snarled into the phone. "Don't tell me you've turned up nothing. We need a lead. Something to tell us where she's gone." Dean Winchester turned his eyes up to look at the clear starlit sky overhead. "Yeah, I know she got on a bus in Milwaukee. Ash turned that up the first day, what we don't know is where she got off." He sighed loudly. Sam was still in the convenience store getting their snacks for the road. Searching for Kelly in Denver had turned out to be a bust. _I thought I remembered something about her liking the Broncos._ He'd assumed she'd meant the football team. _Or did she mean actual broncos and is in Montana?_ Ash was trying to get a locator fix on her GPS signal, and he was close to decrypting it. Once he found that, Dean would be able to track her wherever she went. _Unless she ditches her phone._

"What are the damn chances of a twenty year old, or twenty one year old girl throwing away her phone?" Bobby asked. Dean winced, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. Dean took a deep breath and failed to count to ten. He understood the aggravation in Bobby's voice, and he was trying to not take it personally. Dean wasn't succeeding well, so far he'd managed to maintain a more mature perspective, but the truth was that the entirety of his being was focused on getting her back. The job they'd just finished in Denver had been a distraction, and one they'd stumbled on trying to find leads on Kelly. "Well, Dean?" Dean took another deep breath, and once more failed to count to ten. He had to remind himself that Bobby was upset in general with the whole situation, and not specifically at him. Still, Dean Winchester did not like being the instrument on which hurt feelings were bludgeoned. Though he normally readily accepted that as his place in life. Dean was a hound, he was a very good tracker when he put his mind to it. Far better than Sammy, but then he had a few years on his kid brother and more experience on the road.

"Knowing Kelly, she probably kept heading west." Dean said. The thought had occurred to him. She and Sammy had always shared nice long chats about the Bay Area. He didn't know if she identified that as home or just where she went to college, but given the pattern, if he had to guess that was where she was headed. _Can't be sure it's the Bay Area though._ And that was a lot of ground to cover.

"You think so?"

"Almost positive."

"Then trust your gut boy."

"How long until Ash decrypts her signal?" The cell phone was supposed to broadcast that constantly, even when it was shut off. Dean wasn't pleased with the prospect of waiting in Denver until Ash figured it out. There were all sorts of crazies in California… _And the little minx hasn't been laying a paper trail. _She wasn't using her credit cards, at least not ones that were traceable to the false aliases he and Bobby had helped her create.

"Jesus, Dean." Bobby snapped. "I know you're in a hurry, but try to wear the guilt a little less openly."

"I'm not feeling guilty Bobby." _Then again, if I hadn't worked so hard to give her a good time, I might have been the early riser._ And then he'd never have let her out of his sight. Okay, maybe once or twice for bathroom breaks, but only with the public restrooms. Hell, when he found her, and he was going to find her, no matter what Sam thought, he'd drag her sorry loner ass to the nearest hotel room and instruct her in the true nature of a shower. _It's not to get you clean, it's to make you even dirtier._ "I just want to make sure that she's alright."

"Join the club." Dean turned, Sam had emerged from the convenience store, his arms loaded with useless calorie snacks.

"We all want to find her, Sam." Dean said. Sam had been more sullen than usual, and lately he'd looked like he was on the verge of taking off on his own. _Shouldn't have ever told him about what Dad said._ Dean and Sam were the only two who knew about his destiny, and the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _Now he's holding that against me on top of Kelly's mysterious disappearance._ Or a disappearance not so mysterious. According to Ash she'd boarded a Greyhound Bus heading westward, and that particular lines last stop was in San Francisco. San Francisco. He should be driving there. Not sitting around here waiting for the shoe to drop.

"She hasn't talked to anyone, Dean." Sam snapped. "She doesn't pick up her phone, it's been off every time I've tried to call. She could be in a ditch somewhere and Bobby's telling us to stay put!" Sam dumped the bag of snacks into the passenger seat and then turned around, the usual frustrated Sammy glare livening up his features. _Here we go._ "I'm not saying it's your fault Dean."

"God, I hope not Sammy." Dean said. He shook his head as he pulled his door open. Sam had a tendency to get overly emotional, and this was one of those times.

"But Bobby telling us to stay put doesn't give you license to act like a good little soldier boy!" Sam climbed into the car, and handed Dean the bag. "Not when Kelly could be in trouble."

"We don't know where she is Sam!" Dean growled, angry as he was, he couldn't bring himself to jam the key into the ignition. He twisted the key and the engine rumbled to life beneath the hood of the 1967 Impala. "No clue."

"We know that she was going to San Francisco." Sam said. "That's the best place to start, plus there's been a rash of disappearances there lately." Dean glanced at Sam, he examined his little brother for a moment. Then sighed.

"What kind of disappearances?" He asked. A part of him knew that Sam was doing this to cheer him up. _No matter how pissed he is at me_.

"A man in San Francisco was found in dead in his office." Sam lifted his computer, and settled it on his lap, getting a better look at the article.

"Yeah, and I'm missing the part where this is our kind of thing?"

"His heart had been ripped out of his chest." Sam looked at Dean. "You know what yesterday was Dean?"

"No, but I'll bite."

"Five days before the lunar cycle."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So we've got a werewolf?"

"We've got a werewolf." Sam said.

_And an excuse to go to San Francisco. Sammy you are one sly devil._ Dean grinned at his brother. "Frisco it is then."

"Dean." Dean didn't bother to turn his head, he already heard the disapproving tone in Sam's voice, and the last thing he needed at the moment was to be mothered. "You know that only non San Franciscans say Frisco right?" Dean opened his mouth, and Sam cut him off. "And they don't identify themselves as Friscans or anything close."

"San Franciscans?" Dean asked.

"San Franciscans." Sam repeated.

"Damn, that's boring." Dean put the Impala in reverse, and sped out towards the highway. Even pushing the Impala to her limits, at best they wouldn't be in San Francisco until the next evening. "You'd think that living in such a lively place would inspire better nicknames."

"Yeah well that's the San Franciscans for you."

"Well." Dean paused. "On to the gay capital of the world. Maybe you'll finally be able to find someone who can put the…uh…."

"Dean." Sam said. He was now speaking in his patient know-it-all voice. "Seattle, has more gay people than San Francisco." Dean blinked, and shrugged. It was difficult to do battle with Sam on an empty stomach, and Dean had a fierce pie craving. He reached into the bag. He raised an eyebrow and looked at his brother.

"Dude. You forgot the pie." Dean Winchester regarded any forgetting of the pie as a direct threat to his masculinity. He hurriedly searched through the bag and found something that made him even sicker than the thought of having no pie for the road. "A banana?" He asked, pulling the long yellow curved fruit out of the bag. "When did we start bringing fruit into my car?"

"They're good for you." Sam protested. Dean raised an eyebrow. "What?" Sam demanded.

"San Francisco here we come."

A/N: Tell me what you think, if you liked it, or if you see anything you'd like to see improved on. Etc. I love feedback. Helps me write faster, even in the midst of finals week. Or maybe it's just that stress makes the creativity flow?


	28. Chapter 28: Demons Here, Demons There

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Demons Here, Demons There

"Yeah. Be good or I'll kick your amateur ass right out of here." Beckett called back over his shoulder. Kelly snorted silently as she followed him down the hall. He was an idiot. She got that. _And like all idiots he needs to be in charge._ That made sense. He was a man after all, a manly man by any definition of the word. _Or at least by the hunter definition._ Then again, most hunters were gun toting loonies, most driven half-insane by a constant and consistent drifter life on the open road, and the others driven fully mad by the horrors they saw and dealt with on a regular basis. Kelly's hand moved back to her plaid duffle bag and thought carefully about the heat she was currently packing. She hadn't felt like enlightening Beckett about the small armory she kept stored at the bottom of the bag, and with his mind firmly ensconced in amateur land it didn't seem all that important. Currently residing in her bag was a USP nine millimeter with matching ammo. Kelly smiled silently in the gloomy light, the cast of her fate hidden, even from the light filtering in from the moon at the end of the hall. The moon was in process of waxing, five days off being full, and it cast a great deal of light. _Just not enough to compete with the street lamp outside._ She sighed, and wondered if Ash had caught her one and only credit card purchase while being within the city limits of San Francisco. _Sure, I traded in my 17L Glock 9mm_. For the USP. The recoil on the damn thing was hard on her hands, and Kelly had felt like upgrading to a slightly more reliable gun. But that wouldn't have gone on record, no it was the ammo she'd bought, and the new gun. _The Walther P99_. James Bond's gun of choice. _Dean's going to tease me about that._ Not that Kelly really cared. Dean could have whatever opinion he wanted about the Walther P99, Kelly liked it for it's economic size, and it was easily concealable. Which was useful. _Good thing Bobby got me a gun permit._ Not that the man at the store had cared, she'd had cash. _And for him that'd been good enough_.

Kelly sneezed. Four paces ahead, Beckett stopped and flicked his flashlight at her, a hard glare suffusing his eyes. The beam glanced off the dust particles slowly drifting through the air, diverting it in a wide flood across the whole of the hallway. Rubbing her nose, the grime on her fingers once again tickled her nostrils and she sneezed again. Beneath his breath, she heard Beckett snarl, and Kelly shrugged apologetically. Her ears told her that the locals in rooms eleven and fourteen were both asleep, the soft sound of breath fluttering pillowcase fabric echoed towards her as loudly as the snores rumbling through the floorboards from room six. All the way down at the far end of the hall, Kelly watched with keen eyes as the draft shoved the rickety door off it's lock. Blown back and forth, it clicked softly in the gloom, and Kelly rested her hand on the bubbles beneath the peeling wallpaper as she watched. She didn't want to take the time to contemplate who had ordered the lavender with the pink rosebuds, but somehow she couldn't stop the thought from filtering into her head. It was just too hard to refrain from snarky commentary.

"So, who do you think ordered this?" She whispered as they headed down the hall. "Snow White, Cinderella, or the Wicked Queen?" She snorted. The sound was low, but it still traveled well, echoing a third of the way down the hall before the sound wave died, and disappeared into dusty air.

"Shut up." Beckett hissed back at her. "I'm this close to tossing you out the nearest exit."

"Unless you're counting the broom closet to the left then there are no exits to throw me out of." She replied. Her voice soft and she watched his back stiffen. "'Course, you could count the window, but screaming and broken glass aren't the quietest of ways to get rid of a problem."

"Don't tempt me." Beckett growled. "That's starting to sound like a good idea."

"Four minutes and I've already gotten on your nerves?" She shook her head. "It's sad when men have no tolerance."

"What part of…" Becket began, his voice rising. Kelly's sharp ears latched onto a quiet stir in the room ahead, the briefest of yawns. _That's no good._ If that person overheard her and Beckett, then they'd both probably be in the Bay before morning. Especially if it was reported to Lorna, whenever the woman deigned to return. So, Kelly saw only one course of action available, and she took it. Covering the distance between herself and Beckett in the span of a heartbeat, she pulled him back against the wall. Her hand slammed over his mouth, cutting his voice down to a mumble, and she held him against the lavender wallpaper. "Mmmformmff." He growled as she pressed against him, her ears attuned to the sounds emanating from the closest room.

"Quiet." She growled. "You're going to blow our cover." Beckett silenced immediately, but his eyes were questioning as he looked at her. Kelly was desperately trying to not tap into the strength gifted to her by her monstrous self, and give her own game away. They stood their for a moment, and Kelly waited with bated breath as the occupant of room 12 yawned loudly and rolled over. _Suggests that they're human._ But the demons in the house weren't, and as far as Kelly knew they never slept. _Chances are next time we won't be so lucky._ Meaning that she should stop heckling the other hunter. _But it's so much fun._ Still, lives were at stake, hers in particular. _I can exercise self-restraint._ She could, she completely could. Certain, danger had passed, she let Beckett go.

"Jesus, you're strong." Beckett said. Stepping back, Kelly ran her grimy fingers through her hair, and dug around in her pocket for a hair band. The last thing she needed was brown locks getting her eyes during a shootout. Pulling her hat off, she stuck it under a free armpit and continued searching for a hair band. She found one, and snapping it between her thumb and forefinger, used her free hand to smooth her hair back. Wrapping the elastic band around the dark brown tresses, made darker by the dirt and grime covering her hands, she looked at him and shrugged. She tucked her ponytail through the back of the faded green A's baseball cap, and pulled the golden brim down more firmly over her eyes. It would serve to hide the reflection of the light. The wolf-like light reflection was the only thing she couldn't help, as it was a natural part of her eyes reaction, but it also was a dead give away to her lack of humanity. _Course it would require brains to spot it._ Something she was growing certain Beckett lacked.

"And?" She asked.

"You're strong." He repeated. "I've never known any girl to be that…"

"Then you obviously haven't known a lot of girls." She said, cutting him off quickly, efficiently, and a touch viciously. "Now, are you gonna take the lead or do I have to be the man here?" Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. Beckett was silent for a long moment, she could feel his re-appraisal of his eyes. _Re-calculating my worth._ Well, there would be a lot of that before the end of this hunt, of this she was certain. _Unless he's really thick_. And if that were so, then there was no helping him.

"Right." Beckett said. "But in my experience…." He trailed off. Kelly raised an eyebrow at him as he shone the flashlight at her. She averted her eyes.

"Learn something new." She said. Unable to remove the bite in her tone, she stuffed her hands deep into the pockets of her baggy brown leather jacket, and leaned back onto her right leg, adopting the typical disgruntled teenager pose. Beckett nodded.

"Who are you?" He asked. This time he sounded a little more thoughtful.

"Kelly Jones."

"That's it?" He sounded skeptical.

_No, I traveled with the famous Winchester brothers, and I was trained by Bobby Singer I'm friends with Ellen Harvelle, and half the Hunters this side of the state are probably keeping an eye out for me._ She thought. "That's it." She repeated.

"Right." He said. "I don't think we're done with this conversation."

_I take it back, he has decent instincts._ "Sure." Kelly said. "But there's nothing more to it."

"And I just don't believe that." Beckett smiled at her, and Kelly frowned. She'd definitely misjudged him. _Crap._ She thought, watching as Beckett moved on ahead, his flashlight moving judiciously from one door to the next. Clearly looking for a specific number. _I could help him, if he felt like including me in the plan_. But Kelly knew men like him, many men like him, and most never saw fit to share. _Course if he did, I can tell him that whatever he's intending is a bad idea._ They were in the foxhole here, and so far while Beckett didn't seem intent on making a racket, he'd come close to it already.

"The horror, the horror." Kelly muttered in response. Beckett glanced back at her.

"Why hell do I put up with you?" He asked. She knew that was directed more at himself than her, but she couldn't resist.

"My sparkling wit and cheerful personality."

"Right." He replied. "Just keep a lid on it until we get to Timothy's room."

"Yes, sir!" She whispered, and saluted sarcastically at his back. "You're the boss sir." Beckett simply groaned. Except this time he groaned too loudly, and Kelly felt the rumble of the floorboards beneath them. Outside the lights began to flicker and flash. _Well, I guess the mouse is out of the cupboard._ She thought, as the body of Timothy appeared in front of them. "So much for the element of surprise." She said candidly.

"Shut up." Beckett snarled.

***

Sam Winchester watched as the clock on the Impala's radio struck 12. He glanced over at his brother. Dean was sitting in the drivers seat, his hands banging on the steering wheel, banging along to the drum beat of Foreigner's 'Dirty White Boy'. Lately his brother had been incredibly serious when it came to the subject of Kelly Jones, Sam could tell that guilt was eating away at the older Winchester. He'd devoted everything he had to finding her, even though they'd had no idea where to start. _Especially with the demonic involvement._ Kelly was now open to possession, and if the demonic presence when she'd first fallen was any indication, then hell's worst weren't about to let it slide. That worried him. _Kelly chose Dean._ He couldn't say that he blamed her, most girls did. _Should have been more aggressive._ He swallowed. Maybe if he had, then maybe, just maybe… _I'd've had a chance._ Sam stretched, and tried to find a comfortable position on the Impala's bench. His fingernails scratched at the leather as he peered into the snowscape and at the dark and winding road leading them through the Sierra Nevada. _I can't say Dean could care less about her._ After all his brother had tracked down three demons, and tortured all of them for information before finally exorcising them. Lately, he'd acted like a man possessed. _Probably feeling Kelly's rejection._ Sam just couldn't understand why she'd run. _You wake up in the arms of your lover, and the first thing you do after discovering you haven't gotten home is run?_ He knew that Kelly had never really been a team player, but this felt like overkill. He inhaled frigid air. "Dean." He said.

"Yeah, Sam?" Dean glanced over at him.

"You need to fix the heater."

"Got the defroster on full power, Sammy." Dean replied. Tone grudging, he looked at his little brother. "Baby's workin' as hard as she can."

"Yeah, and normally the defroster stops ice from forming inside the windshield." Sam said. He pointed to the water crystallizing on the corners of the glass, then he tapped his window, and scratched off a layer of ice with his fingernail. "I thought you fixed this in Denver."

"If you're that cold put on your mittens." Dean said. Then he added. "Coward."

"Dean it's below zero outside!" Sam exclaimed.

Dean raised his eyebrow in the quintessential Dean Winchester expression. "What's the matter Sammy, can't handle the cold?" Sam, wrapping his arms over his biceps and rubbing vigorously, glowered at his brother. This was very typical of Dean. It wasn't that he'd lied about fixing the heater, Sam had a feeling he'd just been too distracted to get around to it, and that lead to tripping over his self-defensive mechanism. One that Sam normally was perfectly willing to deal with. Except at this exact moment, he wasn't.

"You said you were going to fix it, Dean." Sam replied. "So now I can't believe my own brother when he says he'll take care of something?" Dean glanced at Sam, and the unspoken name hung between them. _Kelly_.

"We'll get her back Sam." Dean said. His voice was curt, and Sam could sense the underlying shadow of doubt. _Add to that Dean's pain, guilt, with a dash of irritation, and voila, nuclear emotive explosion._ All in Dean Winchester's head. _And I'm the one who's going to have to pick up the pieces._ Sam thought. He couldn't begrudge Dean stealing Kelly out from under him. After all, the girl had fallen into Dean's lap, not his. _Therefore there must be some kind of destiny at work here._ The thing that made the two of them irresistible.

"Are we ever going to talk about this Dean?" Sam asked. Dean looked at his brother.

"Talk about what, Sammy?" Dean's handsome blue eyes returned to the road, and the crags that traced their way across his forehead hardened. Sam withheld a sigh. _Dean's going to be difficult and unemotive. It must be Thursday._

"You," Sam said. "Sleeping with Kelly." The Impala swerved sideways on the winding road and the headlights shimmered back and forth across the open air. They were headed towards the middle barrier of the road. Sam was about to speak when Dean's arm jerked, and the Impala straightened out. Dean looked over at his brother.

"And what about it?" He asked, his voice deceptively calm. Sam's lips twitched at how high the middle note had gone, and Dean cleared his throat. "What about it?" He repeated, this time his voice was more gruff, and he was back to being cool big brother Dean. When Sam paused, Dean's eyes returned to the road, and he glided the Impala into a steep curve as they barreled down the mountain.

"We've never really talked about the subject."

"Sammy, if this is headed towards a touchy feely squeeze me moment, let's skip it." Dean said. "Focus on the bigger picture."

"You've got to open up sometime Dean." Sam said. "Or else these feelings you're burying deep down are going to eat you alive."

"Thanks Oprah."

"Doctor Phil."

Dean raised an eyebrow, and he refrained from taking the Mickey out of Sam again over his eternal geekhood. "Whatever." He said. Shrugging he looked back out at the road.

"You sure you're okay Dean?" Sam asked. He'd been concerned about his brother, and while he couldn't fault the single minded obsession to find Kelly, it was all too reminiscent of earlier in the year and Dean's self-destructive swath after the death of their father.

"Okay?" Dean asked. "Yeah, Sammy, I sure as hell am okay. Hell, I'm so okay that the next time you ask that stupid question I'm gonna crack you a solid across the jaw just to show you how okay I am!" The explosive outburst didn't leave Sam reeling, not the same way it would have a few months ago, still, he struggled to find the words. It's true that he'd been mad at Dean for the past few days, so mad that if they hadn't been working towards a common goal, he' have taken off to try and find some stability on his own long before this. After all, he still had questions about himself and his relationship with the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _That and the other kids who've also gotten mixed up in this mess._ Sam swallowed as the car sped up a little faster, almost in response to her master's growing emotion.

"You need to deal with this." Sam said. He was standing firm on this, and he was going to get Dean to unlock all those turbulent if it killed him.

"You want to know what really happened Sammy?" Dean snarled. "You want to know the down and dirty details?" Sam swallowed again, knowing full well that he didn't need to hear any graphic imagery. Still, he nodded. "We slept together, she left, end of story."

"I don't believe that." Sam said.

"Yeah?" Dean laughed. "Tough, 'cause that's all there is."

"Look, Dean. I know we've had it rough, but you're starting to act the same as you did in those weeks after Dad died!"

"What's you're point Sammy?"

"I thought we were past that!" Sammy yelled. "I mean, we've lost dad, mom, hell, I've lost Jessica!"

"I know the count, Sammy." Dean said, shortly.

"Good, cause I've lost everything you have." Sam snapped.

"And losing Jessica puts you ahead on the scale." Dean growled.

"Right, cause I forgot we were keeping a toy soldier tally of the body count!" Sam yelled. Then he took a deep breath, trying to calm back down. "But yeah, we've been through the same thing Dean! We both know what it's like to lose the people we love, not being able to save them. Hell, I have lost more than you Dean! Cause now I've lost Kelly too." Dean was silent. Sam glared at him. "Goddamn Dean! I loved her! I'm in love with her! Christ, and she picked you. That's something I'm going to have to live with, that I wasn't good enough, that I wasn't exactly what she wanted. That I couldn't be whatever the hell it was she needed me to be." Dean's eyes softened for a moment in the gloom, but Sam's tirade continued on. "She picked me over you, and as much as that hurts, you don't deserve to be sitting around here moping." Sam's eyes narrowed. "Unless it was all just about sex." Dean's eyes snapped off the road and to his brother's face. He was silent again for a long moment.

"We don't know if she picked me." He said. His voice was soft, and this admission caught Sam by surprise.

"What do you mean? How can you not be sure?" Sam demanded. "She slept with you! The pair of you went out to the back of the Impala and went at it like caffeine jacked bunnies on Viagra, and you want to believe that she might not have picked you?"

"She and I knew the score Sammy." Dean said. "She didn't sleep with me because…"

"Because what? Because she loved you?" Sam scoffed. "If that's how you feel then you don't know it at all." Dean glanced over at his brother again.

"It was business."

"Right!" Sam exclaimed. "A job, you're going to lie to me and say that that's all she's been to you, a job. Getting her home is just a job, a fun job, but still a job." Sam looked his brother over. "You really expect me to believe you're feelings for her don't extend beyond that?"

"You don't understand."

'No, I don't." Sam said. "But I know you, Dean, and this, while not exactly the same, is how you acted around Cassie. Except you were ready to let her go." Dean stared out at the road. "How hard is it for you to just admit you love her?" Dean's eyes hardened, but Sam saw his brother's defenses start to crack, and as much pain as he was in, he felt for his brother. _Damn, her leaving must have ripped him apart._ Suddenly, Sam felt guilty for being an incredibly pain in the ass.

"She left." Dean said. His voice was hard. "Doesn't that say everything?"

"No, Dean, it doesn't." Sam snapped. "What did the Crossroad's Demon tell you? Seriously?"

"I already told you." Dean said. "I told you everything she told me."

"Yeah, and you're worried it's true now that Kelly hasn't gone home. That she's some lynch pin in the coming apocalypse?"

"That's right." Dean said. "I promised to protect her, but I don't know who I was kidding. Sometimes I think it would be better if Dad had never brought me back. You'd be so much better off if he was the one driving this car. Not me. I can't even convince the girl I…" He looked down. "I can't even convince Kelly to stay with me."

"It's not your fault." Sam said.

"If I'd woken up earlier." Dean said. "If I'd just fucking woken up when she did, then those demons wouldn't have caught her, and we'd never be trekking cross country."

"You love her." Sam said.

"God."

"You think she dumped you." Sam said. "You're going to have to check to make sure she didn't."

"And what?" Dean asked. "She's just as scared as me?"

"At least you're admitting you're afraid." Dean glared at his brother, but he lapsed into silence, and after a few minutes of watching him to see if he'd continue the conversation, Sam let his head rest against the window. "She's going to be okay, you know." He added, but Dean didn't respond. "She's going to be just fine." Sam said again, this time more for himself than for his brother. "She'll be alright."

***

"Well, well." Kelly watched Timothy's body sway in the gloom, his eyes, iris, pupil, and all swallowed by inky black. She held his nightmarish eyes, feeling her own beginning to glow in response. "Two little duckies lined up in a row." Kelly listened as Beckett swallowed nervously. "What a catch. What a catch indeed." He waved his hand, and a blast of telekinetic energy hit Kelly and knocked her off her feet. She slammed into the left wall, as Beckett hit the right. There was a loud thump as Kelly yelped, and the breath was knocked out of her. Timothy's eyes snapped up to her, as his head jerked, and he flicked his finger sealing her jaw shut. "Shh." He murmured. "Shh. You're lucky the kids here are heavy sleepers." He paused. "Has something to do with the house, it's got a draining effect that makes humans…" He trailed off, his lips pursed as he searched for the right word. "Pliable. But!" He snapped. "We don't want to wake the neighbors."

"You're sick." Beckett said. He struggled against the pressing force of Timothy's hand. "You really are you son of a bitch."

"That." Timothy nodded. "And it doesn't hurt being dead." Pressed as she was, Kelly managed to slip her hand into her pocket, and felt her fingers close around the holy water flask. Her eyes flicked to where Beckett's toes hung three or four inches over her bag. Unfortunately he was in no position to get into it, as he was thoroughly pinned and entranced by Timothy's inky black eyes. _What?_ She wondered. _Never seen a demon before?_ She was willing to admit that her bar for demon interaction was fairly high, and even for a hunter set well above the average. "A no name and a nothing." Timothy sighed. He sounded put out. "And here I was hoping for a challenge." He shrugged. "But, I suppose you'll have to do." He looked Beckett over and Kelly noticed that the demon sounded gleeful. _Doesn't bode well._ Not for their team, or future survival. "You don't know how long it's been." Timothy exhaled. "Since I've gotten to take one of you meatbags apart piece by piece."

"I think the correct term is mudmonkeys." Kelly supplied, squeezing her voice out from between her lips. She exhaled heavily as Timothy turned towards her.

"I was wrong." Timothy said. "Not a nothing." He crossed his arms, and tapped his cheek. It was a very feminine gesture that took Kelly utterly by surprise. She saw the light of recognition go off in his eyes as he stared into hers. "Kelly Jones. What a surprise." He smiled. "Azazel really does need to keep you on a shorter leash."

"That's me.' She said. "Always wandering where I'm not wanted." She tried to keep confidence in her tone, but beneath the weight of Timothy's gaze she was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Kelly's eyes flicked to Beckett, trying to keep the worry out of her expression, would he turn on her too? Now, that he knew about demons and their strange relationship to her.

"Oh? He doesn't _know_?" Kelly suppressed a growl, as Timothy caught on. "He doesn't know who his pal is? His trusted partner?" Timothy took another step towards her. "Should I enlighten him before he dies?" He looked up at her. "Tell me Kelly, what color do your insides bleed?"

"Same as everyone else's." Kelly growled.

"Pity." Timothy sighed. "Not the answer I was looking for." He stretched out his hands and examined his fingernails. "And I wanted to know what it looks like when a Barghest rips a man limb from limb. Still, no matter." He turned, cocking his head to the side. "Where's you're pesky escort?"

"On my own."

"Leave her alone!" Beckett repeated.

"Toys should know to be quiet while the masters are talking." Timothy said, and Beckett's jaw sealed shut as if it had been wired together with iron filament. "Well, you're not really a master are you?" Timothy asked as he looked up at Kelly. "You're just a toy. A special toy." He whipped back and hit Kelly with another telekinetic blast. She gagged and coughed as blood dripped down her neck, and a gouge appeared below her ear. The thick droplets pooled in the indentation of her collarbone. "What brings you out here pet? Looking for home?"

"Something like that." Kelly said, and Beckett ground sounds out through his teeth as he writhed on the wall.

"You had to team up with a hero." Timothy said, making a tsk tsk sound with his tongue. His fingers closed into a fist and Beckett gasped. Long bloody lines, like three claw marks gouged themselves out of Beckett's chest. Incomprehensible sounds gurgled from the hunter's open mouth, the beginnings of a scream started to shriek their way up the back of Beckett's throat, and Kelly watched as Timothy snapped the hunter's jaws shut again, cutting short the horrible sound. Instead, Beckett painfully mewled as he writhed on the wall. Kelly winced as she looked away from him, knowing that this was the life of a hunter. _And yet I feel sorry for him._

"Look." Kelly said. "I'm far more fun, torture me." She glanced at Timothy, her molten eyes burning forth as she gazed at him. "Hurt me."

"Well, look at you with a touch of the masochistic." Timothy laughed. He yanked his fist sideways and Beckett moved across the walls moaning and writhing. "I suppose it would be more fun to crush your internal organs." He paused. "Azazel must be one proud papa." His inky eyes ran over her body, as his fingers rose to touch his lips. "How could anyone not be proud of the way their prize hound has grown up, it's a bit nostalgic really." He shook his head. Kelly's fingers twisted off the cap of the flask, her hand moving down to firmly grasp it again. _Just a little closer._ "Pretty, pretty hound." Timothy beckoned her towards him, and Kelly rolled on the wall until her burning eyes were glaring down at him. "In good time puppy. You'll suffer in good time."

"You'd better be quick about it." Kelly said. "No telling when Lorna'll be back." Timothy twisted his fist in aggravation and Beckett's nonverbal exclamations exploded from his locked jaw.

"Oh her?" Timothy looked amused, his annoyed expression gone, but Kelly could still sense the antagonism that lay beneath. "She'll be out all night, doing some cutting down in a warehouse near the bay, or was it on the bay? I can never keep it straight." He yawned. "Should keep her entertained until morning."

"Keyword there is should." Kelly replied, and she received another superficial slash up her neck for her pains.

"Considering that she's running three of these helpless homes for runaways, sure. She's a saint, really." Timothy said, as he examined his nails. "I don't know why you're so suspicious of her."

"It would be awkward if they all disappeared from one home." Kelly breathed.

"A real genius." Timothy observed. Melodrama sliding into his voice as he looked up at her. "After a few weeks in the bay when the bodies are turned up who'll be able to tell the difference, or even identify them? It's fair brilliant. If the cops weren't starting to get wind of it." He shrugged. "So what's the million dollar question puppy?"

"Why are you telling me all this?" Kelly responded. Her fingers tightened around the flask in her pocket.

"My charitable disposition."

"You know." Kelly said. "Color me suspicious, but I think you're lying." Her hand snaked out of her pocket, and she flicked her wrist, giving the demon an eyeful of holy water. His powers released, Kelly collapsed onto the hardwood with a thud as the demon started screaming. Kelly scrambled to find her feet, and stood. Lunging across the space between them, she slammed her hand over Timothy's mouth as the two of them hit the floor. Using her heels for leverage, she jammed her knee up between his legs. It wouldn't do much to the demon except cause him momentary pause, but the pause was all she needed. Black clawed hands ripped open his shirt, as she doused his chest with holy water. Steam hissed off of Timothy's eyes and chest as he writhed beneath her. She rode his bucking body, her hand firmly clamped on top of his mouth.

"Bitch!" Came the sound of Timothy's muffled voice beneath her. "I'll see you burn in hell!"

"Yeah?" Kelly asked. Breathless she hung on as he tossed and turned. "You first." She'd wondered about the cavalry, but the sound of demons quickly fleeing the house gave her pause. What was here that they were afraid of? "Looks like you're friends are already scared shitless." She dug her black nails into his chest, listening to the thrumming of the demon within. _Rip. Tear. Shred. Yank._ Those were what her instincts were telling her to do. Instead, she suppressed and yelled to Beckett. "Rosary!" She drizzled more holy water over Timothy's body and held him down as the demon screamed. Her senses tried to re-attune to everything around her, and she heard the hammering of hands on doors. _Well the kids are awake._ Cover blown, there was no time to sit around grinding Timothy for information. _Exorcise._ And get the hell out. Beckett looked at her, his eyes glassy from the pain,

"What?" He asked.

"Rosary!" She yelled back. "Plaid bag, right pocket!" She heard him digging, and then there was a pause. _Christ, he's found the guns._ Hopefully it was the knives, but Kelly had a sinking feeling that he'd discovered the heat she was packing, and that did not bode well. _Generally means I'll get a bullet in the back of my head._ The pistols weren't loaded, but that scenario was likely a few hours down the line. _If we get out of here alive._ That was of course negotiable.

"Here!" He yelled. She turned to catch the beads as they flew through the air. They clinked between her fingers as she turned back to the demon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is you're captain speaking." She said. Leaning down over Timothy's writhing form. She planted her tattooed palm directly onto his chest, and Timothy froze beneath her. "It seems that due to an error this vacation has been cut short, and we are redirecting the one-way ticket topside." She whispered into his ear. "Look out, it's gonna be a bumpy ride back down."

"My brothers will avenge me!" Timothy hissed up at her. "They will hunt you down, you're sleep will never be easy, and when you dream it will be with the knowledge that we are coming, and when you wake it will be with the knowledge that we are behind you; that any and every breath could be your last." He smiled. "You hunter will know what it is like to be hunted."

"I get it, the most over quoted bible passage ever." Kelly said. "We are Legion, for we are many." She pressed her hand down on his chest. "That's nothing new." She threw her head back and began to chant. "_Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomine et virtute Domini Nostri Jesu + Christi, eradicare et effugare a Dei Ecclesia,_"

"You sure about this?" Beckett called. He coughed, and Kelly smelled the copper as his blood dribbled down his chin. "We might need him for something!"

"" a b a n i m a b u s a d i m a g i n e m D e i c o n d i t i s a c p r e t i o s o d i v i n i A g n i s a n g u i n e r e d e m p t i s + . N o n u l t r a a u d e a s , s e r p e n s c a l l i d i s s i m e , d e c i p e r e h u m a n u m g e n u s , D e i E c c l e s i a m p e r s e q u i , a c D e i e l e c t o s e x c u t e r e e t c r i b r a r e s i c u t t r i t i c u m + . I m p e r a t t i b i D e u s a l t i s s i m u s + , c u i i n m a g n a t u a s u p e r b i a t e s i m i l e m h a b e r i a d h u c p r is u m i s ; q u i o m n e s h o m i n e s v u l t s a l v o s f i e r i e t a d a g n i t i o n e m v e r i t a r i s v e n i r e . I m p e r a t t i b i D e u s P a t e r + ; i m p e r a t t i b i D e u s F i l i u s + ; i m p e r a t t i b i D e u s S p i r i t u s S a n c t u s + ." Kelly's breath did not pause, it refused to stop as she repeated the phrases Bobby had hounded into her brain. ""

"You will serve us one day dog!" Timothy shrieked. "And then not even the power of Christ shall be able to compel you!"

_"E r g o , d r a c o m a l e d i c t e e t o m n i s l e g i o d i a b o l i c a , a d j u r a m u s t e p e r D e u m + v i v u m , p e r D e u m + v e r u m , p e r D e u m + s a n c t u m , p e r D e u m q u i s i c d i l e x i t m u n d u m , u t F i l i u m s u u m u n i g e n i t u m d a r e t , u t o m n e s q u i c r e d i t i n e u m n o n p e r e a t , s e d h a b e a t v i t a m I t e r n a m : c e s s a d e c i p e r e h u m a n a s c r e a t u r a s , e i s q u e I t e r n i p e r d i t i o n i¨ s v e n e n u m p r o p i n a r e : d e s i n e E c c l e s i i n o c e r e , e t e j u s l i b e r t a t i l a q u e o s i n j i c e r e . V a d e , s a t a n a , i n v e n t o r e t m a g i s t e r o m n i s f a l l a c i i, h o s t i s h u m a n i s a l u t i s . D a l o c u m C h r i s t o , i n q u o n i h i l i n v e n i s t i d e o p e r i b u s t u i s ; d a l o c u m E c c l e s i i u n i , s a n c t i , c a t h o l i c i, e t a p o s t o l i c i, q u a m C h r i s t u s i p s e a c q u i s i v i t s a n g u i n e s u o . H u m i l i a r e s u b p o t e n t i m a n u D e i ; c o n t r e m i s c e e t e f f u g e , i n v o c a t o a n o b i s s a n c t o e t t e r r i b i l i n o m i n e J e s u , q u e m i n f e r i t r e m u n t , c u i V i r t u t e s cil o r u m e t P o t e s t a t e s e t D o m i n a t i o n e s s u b j e c t i s u n t ; q u e m C h e r u b i m e t S e r a p h i m i n d e f e s s i s v o c i b u s l a u d a n t , d i c e n t e s : S a n c t u s , S a n c t u s , S a n c t u s D o m i n u s D e u s S a b a o t h ." __._" And as she finished a black cloud erupted from Timothy's mouth and shot towards the ceiling, before being dragged back down and disappearing into nothingness. Kelly fell forwards, panting against the now exorcised body. She paused for a moment, trying to reclaim control over her intake of breath. Moment over, she swallowed and sat up, reaching down to check the vitality of the host. Pressing her fingers below his ear, she waited for the sound of a pulse, but there wasn't one. "We lost him." She said. But there was no answer. "Beckett?" She started to turn. "Don't tell me you passed out, cause if I have to drag your sorry ass to the hospital, I'm gonna…" There was a clang as she was struck across her head from behind, and then all Kelly knew was darkness.

A/N: You know how I love reviews, tell me what you liked what you didn't like and if you're looking forward to the next chapter. And for those of you who love Sam, don't worry, he'll be getting a little bit of lovin' too.


	29. Chapter 29: Finding Kelly

Chapter 29: Finding Kelly

Dawn the next morning saw the black frame of the 1967 Chevy Impala cross over from Oakland beneath the red suspension of the Golden Gate Bridge and drive into San Francisco. Beneath the bridge the most common on San Francisco weather, fog, blanketed the bay with hazy gray. The droplets of moisture brushed across the front view glass window of the Impala coating it with beads of water as the car cut through the low hanging clouds. Dean Winchester remained awake as he stared out across the visible expanse of the bay, and into the hills. He examined, with eyes bleary from nearly twelve hours of driving, the tall triangle skyscrapers peeking out of the thick gray soup threading through the inland. In the seat beside him, his brother, Sam remained asleep. So far this very early morning, Dean had tried every method imaginable to wake his brother. He occasionally jerked the car, brought it to quick stops at red lights, he'd reached over and shaken Sam, but his brother remained asleep. Even the blasting of Bon Jovi's "Shot Through the Heart" was not enough to wake Sam, and Dean had nearly given up when a sharp beam of sunlight cutting through the dismal weather that shocked the youngest Winchester into the morning.

Sam rubbed his eyes, vigorously trying to remove white spots from his vision. Stretching his neck from side to side, he popped the joints, made squirrely by a kink in his muscles from sleeping with his neck craned to the side, back into place. He rubbed the base of his neck, trying to work out one of the knots, as he rolled his shoulders. Sam's head felt like it was stuck permanently leaning to the right, and as he looked over at his brother, he half-expected Dean to bust out laughing. Which, Sam was gratified to realize, he did. "Dude, you are gonna wanna get your head checked." Dean snorted, as Sam forced his neck upright. "Don't want to meet chicks with a bobble head that looks like it's stuck on the leaning tower of pizza."

"That's Pisa Dean." Sam snapped. He popped his ears so he could hear better, and wondered how the hell Dean had made it down to San Francisco in just under twelve hours without a speeding ticket or crashing the car. When he'd fallen asleep they'd still been in the Sierra Nevada. He glanced at his brother. There were dark circles underneath Dean's eyes, but his jaw was set firmly in concentration. Even with the partially amused expression lingering on his features, Sam had no trouble believing that they'd made it here completely on caffeine, doughnuts, Twizzlers, and Dean's own willpower. Sam pulled out his cell phone, it would probably be better if he got his brother to a bed ASAP. He searched for local motels in his GPS database, it came in handy for finding something close and cheap. "We probably should crash." He said.

"I'm fine." Dean said.

"You should probably crash."

"I'm fine." This time the words came out more forcefully, but Sam Winchester wasn't convinced. He dialed Smurph's Motel, and ordered a room.

"The motel is five minutes from here." He said. The 67 Impala passed the toll booth, and they headed down the off ramp and into the cloudy hills of San Francisco.

"I'm fine, Sam."

000

Kelly woke with her arms bound to a chair. Her wrists were chafing beneath tightly knotted ropes, and there was a sallow stench in the air. She inhaled a deep breath, only to be met with the scent of rotting flesh, Kelly choked and coughed, she sneezed, her eyes welled up, and she could hear the buzzing of flies in the heavy air. Through vision blurred by tears and swollen lids she saw Beckett Cole sitting across from her, she recognized his hair and the shape of his nose out of the haze. Even in the overwhelming smells around her, she was able to identify him. Beckett had a very distinct smell. But there was something else in the air, it was strong even though the air was blanketed by the aroma of decomposing bodies. It stung at her nose, harsh, cold, biting. "Salt water." She swallowed. They were near the ocean. She glanced across the room, towards the source of the smell, and was saddened by what she saw. Two bodies hung shackled to a steel wall. One had only died recently. Kelly could tell because it was less rotted than the other. It's yellow skin had turned the color of cheese and looked soft and bloated beneath the blinking overhead light. The body was male, and still dressed in a blood soaked brown PacSun tee, and ripped jeans. His short hair was falling out of the skull, so half of the back of the head was bald, and the left ear sagged sideways. The eyes were open and the irises had paled to milky white, and stared blankly out into the room. Stitches ran from the open mouth to the hair line, and there was a large scar cut across the forehead, exposing the pale gray of brain tissue. Kelly swallowed as she watched a spider crawl out from within the brain cavity. Flies buzzed around the body, landing and walking with tiny delicate feet across the open eyes, sucking away at the dead tissue. Fighting the urge to retch, Kelly dropped her eyes, unable to turn her gaze to the second, even more decomposed body. If she'd been forced to guess, she would have said that the second body had been there for months. Kelly forced her eyes back up and looked at the body. The nose of the girl had rotted away, and her chalky skin was peeling off of bleached bone. Insects and bacteria had eaten through her cheeks, exposing a set of twisted teeth. Her half her upper lips was gone, leaving her skeletal face with a sneering expression. The eyes were eaten away, and so a pair of hollowed sockets gazed out into the darkened room. Flies swarmed around her open chest cavity, as white maggots threaded in and out of the rotting intestines. Globs of puss oozed down out of his sternum. The pussy yellow globs dripped down the papery dried skin, and dribbled down to the shriveled toes. Kelly looked away, and saw in the glint of light her plaid bag. That was one good piece of news. But it forced her to wonder why her weapons had been brought here. _What does Lorna or whoever gain from it?_ The bodies here looked like they'd been tortured, and Kelly didn't doubt that the killer intended a similar fate for her and Beckett.

The room was made completely out of steel, as if part of an old factory had been transplanted out of the turn of the 20th century. The floor rocked back and forth beneath her feet, as the metal groaned. Overhead the chains clanked together as the tide rolled underneath her. _Boat_. Kelly thought. They were on a boat. _On the water_. Kelly shook her head, that hit to the head must have done more damage than she'd thought. _If we're on a boat, then we're obviously on the water._ However they were only rolling back and forth, so… _We're tethered_. That was good news. _Better chance to escape if we're near land._ Far better than if they were in the open ocean. _Better chance for a rescue_. That was unlikely, but she could never discount the possibility. _After all, I doubt Dean's far behind me_. She hoped he was at the same time she hoped he wasn't. She needed to take the chance to prove herself on her own. She clenched her fingers into fists, and felt as her nails dug into the soft flesh of her hands. Kelly leaned forward, struggling against the ropes binding her to the metal chair. "Beckett!" She hissed. "Beckett wake up!" There was a moan across from her as Beckett began to struggle with his own binds. Kelly's eyes narrowed and sharpened in the brown gloom.

"It's not a good idea to move." Came a voice from behind her. Kelly's head snapped around, and she stared at a curly headed blonde girl. It was no one she recognized.

"Who are you?" Kelly asked. _I'm pretty much on my own here._ And she was already knee deep in shit.

"Charity." The girl wailed. "Charity Wells!"

"Okay, Charity." Kelly tried to keep her voice calm. The other was clearly panicking, and she was having bad flashbacks to H. H. Holms iron box and Jessica's hysteria fits. "Do you know what's going on?" She watched as the girl bit her lip.

"I figured it'd be better if I ran away!" She cried. "My parents are no good, Dad's an alcoholic and Mom's a gambler! I figured I'd have to make my own way in the world, but it's my fault I ain't never finished high school! An' here I is, God musta judged me like Nana allays said 'e would! This is hell righ'? It's gotta be!"

"This isn't hell." Kelly snapped. "We're on the water in San Francisco, and you have to tell me what's going on!"

"I…I don't…"

"Crap monster, you're scaring the poor kid." Kelly's attention moved back to Beckett, as his harsh tone cut through the heavy rotting stench weighing down the air. She examined him closely for the first time since she'd woken up, and was disappointed to discover that he seemed no worse for wear.

"Yeah?" Kelly asked. Her voice was challenging. She didn't like being called monster, when Beckett said it there was a cruel edge. Worse than an insult. It felt like he was cursing her. Internally she cringed away from the word, even if the designation applied. It hurt to be reminded of her inhumanity. _Between Bobby, Ellen, and the Winchesters it's easy to forget how judgmental other hunters can be._ "You think so?" She shook her head, brown hair splaying around her face, bangs tickling her eyes and her nose. She longed to itch her face, and fought in her binds again. But her hands remained tight in the bonds, and the urge itch grew stronger as the tickle on her nose increased. Beckett began to nod, but Kelly cut him off. "Sorry to disappoint, but she was terrified out of her mind before I turned my freakish gaze on her."

"At least you admit you're a freak." Beckett snapped. Kelly smirked at him. "Doesn't matter anyway, cause I'm making you a top hunting priority when we get out of here." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Your monster ass is going down, bitch."

"What?" Kelly asked, her eyes wide with mock shock. "When did I grow a monstrous ass?" She rotated her head as far as she could, and craned back to look at her behind. "It looks about the same size to me."

"You're an animal." Beckett snarled.

"What do you mean?" Charity whimpered. "Who's the monster?"

"She's the monster!" Beckett yelled. He hopped in his chair, and he rocked so hard that the back of legs of his chair lifted off the floor and he tipped forward. Kelly laughed.

"Oh god! Yeh mean she's gonna kill us?" Charity cried. Kelly ignored her and turned her attention back to the body. It was her luck to be surrounded by imbeciles. Her upper lip curled back to expose a canine and she growled softly. Having her weapons here was worrying. What did their kidnapper intend? She forced herself to examine the tortured decomposing bodies once again. Perhaps there was some clue buried in those terrified expressions. Kelly swallowed.

"I'm going to kill Lorna if I get my hands on her." Kelly said. Her fists clenched tighter.

"Lorna?" Charity whispered. "You mean Lorna Pimm? That sweet old lady who runs Personel and Pimm's Charity Home and Help Center for Teen Runaways?"

"Old lady?" Beckett asked. "You mean middle aged thirties and overweight?"

"No." Charity said. "I mean old, as in white hair and wrinkly, carrying a cane old, hunched over old! Oooooooooold! Why would Lorna do this?" She wailed. "I know I haven't been the best! I know I made some mistakes with Joseph! But why? What did I do wrong?" Kelly glanced at Beckett, and the eyes that met hers were just as confused.

"So? Hunter of the Big Bad?" Kelly asked. "Who's our Lorna?"

"I…" Beckett trailed off. "I don't know." He looked past her to Charity. "But I'll figure this out." He promised. Kelly appreciated the earnestness in his eyes, even if none of it was directed towards her. "We'll get you out of here." Kelly swallowed a retort. She felt that it was a bad idea to promise anyone anything, especially when they were still all tied up. _Yeah_. She thought. _Hopefully before one of us dies._

000

Matchstick Motel

San Francisco, California

Dean Winchester woke to his cell phone going off to the head banging beat of ACDC's "Hell's Bells". Struggling against the sheets he lay tangled under, his legs kicked back and forth, as his bare feet rubbed against the scratchy fabric. Like all the motel beds he'd adjusted to sleeping in over the years, this one's bed sheets were bordering on threadbare. They were itchy and if he wasn't certain that they had been recently washed as part of a professional motel chain, Dean knew that they'd probably be flea infested. Yanking back the comforter, he managed to free his arm from the twisted sheets and grabbed his phone. He'd been distracted by the great ring-tone, and before he answered, he took the opportunity to enjoy his favorite part of the song with a decent fist shake and banging of the head as he rocked out to the beat. This was his usual routine, and in the fog of just waking up, it was the only thing his mind could manage, until, quite suddenly, as he watched the name flash on the screen of his cell, that it was Ellen. Then his sleepy brain understood. Ellen only called with information relating to Kelly, or when she wanted to hear updates about their search for Kelly, or when she was worried that they weren't doing enough to find Kelly. Either way, it was always about Kelly. Dean put the phone to his ear. "Hello?" He asked. "Ellen?" Coughing up phlegm after sharply inhaling the excess dust hiding in the comforter, Dean pounded his chest. After his throat was clear, he waited to hear a voice on the other end of the line.

"Dean honey?" It certainly was Ellen.

"Yeah." Dean answered. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Sitting up, he reached for the shirt he'd discarded at the end of the bed. He looked across the room trying to locate his jeans jacket. "Ash found something?" He saw it hanging mournfully off the back of a nearby chair, and the wide open window. Someone, probably Sam, had shut the curtains. Dean yawned. What time was it?

"Apparently." Ellen replied. "Just stuck his head out of the back, said he missed something on the first run through." Dean raised his eyebrows. It wasn't like Ash to be sloppy, but he knew that even miracle workers could make mistakes. Ash was, after all, only human. "Seems Kelly did use one of those fraudulent credit cards you boys ordered her." Dean could hear the disapproval behind Ellen's words as she said "fraudulent". He knew she didn't appreciate him corrupting Kelly or bringing her into a life of con artistry and crime. Still, Ellen knew how most hunters operated, and Dean knew she wasn't about to judge him on virtue of that alone. "She used it at a Sports Supply store."

"What was she buying?" Dean asked. "Ammo?" He hadn't realized it was legal to sell bullets in San Francisco. _You'd think the hippies would have set up laws or some bullshit like that._

"And a pistol." Dean heard the shuffling of paper, and realized that Ellen was looking at Kelly's purchase report. He wasn't surprised that Ash had managed to get it, these sorts of things were cake for the hardened hacker, but Dean who never could find his way around a computer and who only used the internet for jobs and porn was still mildly impressed. Even though he'd never admit it to Ash's face. "A Walther P99." There was a pause. "Good gun." Ellen added.

"Bond's gun?" Dean hadn't been aware that Kelly was a fan of the old movies. Or the new ones, but… _Who sold her the Walther P99?_ The damn thing had a tendency to jam, and like all compact guns it's recoil could be hard on the hands. He didn't have a problem with her using it, but there were certainly more suitable guns out there. _Better matched to her size and weight._ Dean paused. _Wasn't she using the 17L Glock 9mm pistol like Sam?_ It was a good gun. He preferred the 1911 Colt for it's steady handling, but he didn't begrudge his brother using the 17L. It was a good gun. Still, he understood Kelly's need to establish her own martial identity with a distinctive handgun. _But the Walther P99?_ He climbed out of the bed, and walked across the threadbare rug. Grabbing a pen, he cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear. Pulling the pad of hotel stationary towards him, he listened as Ellen complained.

"It's not a bad gun, Dean."

"I'm a sucker for the classics." Dean replied. "What's the address?"

"It's a small place on the corner of 43rd and Jared Road. Downtown near Haight Street." Ellen said.

"The hippie street?" What the hell was a gun store doing there? Dean shrugged. _No better place to hide than in plain sight._ That was what his father always said. Dean shook his head, trying to clear a painful memory. "And the Friscans haven't burned it down?" Screw what Sam called the inhabitants of San Francisco, Friscans sounded cooler.

"Apparently not." Ellen said. "Where's your brother, I don't hear him stumbling about in the background?"

"Sam went down to the local morgue." Dean pulled back the curtain and peered out into the motel parking lot. There beneath a steel gray sky and thin yellow rays of sunlight sat his baby, the 1967 Chevy Impala. _Must've walked._ Dean himself couldn't imagine braving the streets of San Francisco on foot for any length of time. But then, gays made him nervous. "Checkin' out the recent killings." _And to decide if this really is a werewolf._ He heard Ellen snort.

"It's fine if you boys want to pretend you're just working a regular job." Ellen said. Her voice sounded amused and gravelly through the receiver. "But don't expect the rest of us to buy it." Ellen, like Bobby, knew the real reason the Winchester boys were in San Francisco was impatience. _She's right, what if Ash figures out that Kelly's on the other side of the country?_ Dean tried to clear his head of doubt, but it clung to his thoughts like sap dripped onto the Impala's hood. Unshakable. "The shop's called Morrison's Backwoods Sport Supply." She said. "Gary must've put more than a few charms on it to keep the protesters off." Dean listened as she laughed.

"Thanks for the info Ellen." Dean said. Having gotten what he needed, he was prepared to hang up the phone and move on, but the older woman on the other end of the line stopped him.

"I don't know how he stands to make a decent profit, or keep that hole in the wall running in a city that hates the NRA."

"You know the owner?" Dean asked. With a head shake, he copied down the directions she'd given him. With the Impala in the lot, he'd be able to check in on the lead right away. He was impatient to get moving, but Ellen wanted to keep talking, and Dean wasn't about to stop her. No matter how much he wanted to find Kelly.

"Old man used to be a hunter." Ellen replied. "He drifted through my place on more than a couple of occasions." She paused. "That was before he decided retire and make a living selling the arsenal he'd stockpiled. Gave me a Winchester Shotgun when he did. He worked with…" Ellen's voice trailed off and Dean knew she was remembering her husband. She'd lost him on when a mission turned bad. He'd been the bait, and John Winchester hadn't been able to save him in time. Dean knew that Ellen didn't blame their father or them for what happened. Even then, he understood that she was unwilling to talk about the past. Her desperate desire to keep Jo out of the hunters life was evidence enough, and he knew that if she had a say in the matter, she'd be keeping Kelly out of it too. "We were never close." Ellen finished brusquely. "But if I remember old Gary, he had a mind like a steel trap. If he's seen our girl, he'll remember." Dean nodded. A girl of Kelly's age, weight, and height would probably be an uncommon sight buying a gun anywhere except Texas, and she'd especially stand out in San Francisco.

Dean swallowed. "Thanks Ellen." There was another long pause, and Dean almost thought the line had been disconnected when Ellen spoke again.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"We're all countin' on you to bring our Kelly home safe and sound." Dean's heart warmed a bit with her words, but he couldn't help flinching away from the extra weight of added responsibility. He wondered if Bobby had told Ellen that he'd slept with Kelly. It was likely, but somewhere inside himself Dean hoped Bobby hadn't. He didn't need to carry anymore blame for her running away. _If it were anyone else, I'd just let her go._ Dean thought. The way he'd done with Cassie. _Just let go._ But the thought of living without Kelly ate away at him, and after what the Crossroad's Demon said, Dean was half tempted to find her and secret her away someplace safe until everything had blown over. _Kelly and Sam._ Dean knew they were all caught up in the current, but if he had to Dean would spend his entire life fighting to keep the girl he loved and his brother from being washed down river. Still. _What's dead should stay dead._ There were moments when Dean wished his father had never made that deal to save him. It was something he'd only ever talked to Sam about deep in the night after their adventure with the Hellhounds, long after Kelly had fallen asleep. _What's dead should stay dead_. He took a deep breath. "Dean, honey?"

"Not a problem." Dean said. "I'll save her." Dean's mouth twisted wryly at the irony in his statement. _Yeah, because I've done a bang up job so far._

"Yeah." Ellen paused. "Ash's sayin' we're out of peanuts so I've gotta go." Dean could still hear the left over emotion in the older woman's voice. She sounded like an old and worried aunt. "Don't want the place crumbling around me."

"Yeah." Dean said. "See ya, Ellen." Then he listened as the line went dead. He put down the silver cell and stared at it, his fingers tightening around the plastic edges. His thumb slid over the bumps of the numbers and he pressed END. Then, instead of sliding his phone back into his pocket like he usually did, Dean opened up the file on the phone labeled Contacts. He began flicking through the numbers. It took several long minutes for him to get half-way down his contact list and find what he was looking for. Dean Winchester ran his free hand through his closely cropped blonde hair, and stared down at the emblazoned white letters glimmering back at him on the screen. _My girl._ It read. Freely, Dean's thumb hovered over the green button on his cell, threatening to press SEND. Dean had called Kelly three times over the past week she'd been missing, and while his personal count was nothing compared to his brother's, who was prone to calling the girl each time he thought of her, it still bothered him. He was after all, Dean Winchester, playboy extraordinaire. He never gave out his cell phone number, because he never expected to be contacted the next day. He'd only ever dated one woman, and even for those few short months, Cassie had been the one who'd done all the calling. Now he found himself in the ridiculous situation of being forced to call. _Of being whipped._ He understood the reasoning behind her cell phone being shut off. When on, she could be tracked through the GPS chip in her phone, and it was clear that Kelly Jones didn't want to be found. He supposed that with her constant habit of running away when things got uncomfortable, he shouldn't be surprised. Still, he, like everyone else who counted her as family, hated the idea of her being out on her own. Dean wanted Kelly where he could protect her, and keep her safe. It was a strange feeling, one that was very different from the brotherly protection he felt towards Sam. The sense of duty that was brought along by being a member of the Winchester family. Dean couldn't quite get over the embarrassment of being reduced to leaving Kelly messages on her voicemail. Mostly it was a stuttering admission or an angry questioning of why she'd left him. He was angry. He was uncomfortable. The whole situation had him turned upside down, and he was still struggling to find which way was up. Even more frustrating was his forced admission that he sucked completely as a boyfriend. He didn't have Sam's gift with comforting or emotive demonstration. He couldn't fathom the sensitivity it took for the spontaneous pronouncements of adoration that Sam was capable of putting into a five minute message. Hell, Dean Winchester had trouble saying 'I love you'. The only time he'd managed it had been in a fit of sexual passion, and as Sam was always quick to remind him, no woman ever took expressions of love said during sex seriously. Dean didn't like discussing his 'feelings'. He was inclined to a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am mentality that centered itself sinfully along the lines of lust and, on occasion, gluttony. He wasn't a settling down kind of guy. He hated any kind of forced reflection, and when he was upset he preferred to channel all his aggression into hunting. That was Dean Winchester's way. That was what he was comfortable with. But Kelly hadn't been part of that life plan. Her staying hadn't even been part of the general one, and though it had crossed his mind, he'd figured the universe, though cruel, wasn't sadistic enough to continue to force a lonely and tired girl on a path to Armageddon. He'd been wrong. Dean had simply wanted to give Kelly one incredible night, one she'd never forget, and send her home to her waiting family. He believed that if they loved her as much as he did, they were probably tearing their hair out with worry.

Dean couldn't deny that he was happy she had stayed. Even though those thoughts brought on waves of guilt. He knew he was being selfish. He didn't care. He'd discovered that the old phrase "out of sight out of mind" no longer rang true for him. If anything he thought of her more when she was away, than he did when she was riding in the back seat. _Distance makes the heart grow fonder._ Dean snorted at the sappiness of the saying, but he couldn't deny the truth in it. As much as he fought it. He would not be reduced to pining whipped man. He was Dean Winchester. With a growl, Dean closed his phone and jammed it back in his pocket. He would try her again another time. When he was in a better mood. Dean ripped off the piece of paper containing the address of Morrison's Backwoods Sports Supply off the pad and pulled on his black Metallica tee. Stuffing the paper into the pocket of his jeans jacket, he slid his arms through the sleeves and walked out of Room 22 and into the crisp California air. It was winter, already early December, and they were getting close to Christmas. Not that the Winchester brothers celebrated. It had never been an important holiday in their family, and normally their father was always working. Still, everywhere around him Dean could see the Christmas cheer as everyone from the Penthouse clientele to the homeless strung up twinkle lights in their windows, on their steps, and around their trashcans. Dean inhaled a deep draft of cold air, and headed down the stairs to the parking lot. The 67 Impala was parked exactly where he'd left it, when they'd driven into San Francisco that morning. Dean checked his phone. It was now three in the afternoon. _Sam should be done with his investigation by now_. But since he hadn't called, that gave Dean time to follow up on Ellen's lead. Stuffing memories of Kelly into the back of his mind, Dean crossed the asphalt and fished his keys out of his ride side pocket. He was keen on keeping any thoughts about his girl, other than sexual plans and fantasies of his intentions after finding her, out of his mind. If anything, Dean Winchester hated feeling sentimental, soft, or squishy. He left that up to Sam. His keys went in the lock, and heard the satisfying click as the door swung open, and he slid inside. _Four days until the full moon leaves plenty of time to find Kelly and the werewolf._ The monster they were hunting was only starting to get active, and if Dean was lucky he'd narrow down where Kelly was hiding out by tonight. Dean twisted his keys and listened as the engine roared to life. Journey blared out of the speakers as he shifted the car into reverse, and gently pressed down on the gas, listening as his baby rumbled backwards. Listening as the band sweetly crooned the lyrics to 'Lights'. _In this city,_ Dean thought. _It's the only acceptable soundtrack._

000

"So this body turned up in his office?" Sam asked. Next to him, he watched as Moira Kim, the morgue specialist examined the body. The older woman nodded. She'd been disgruntled when he'd asked to see it, claiming to be FBI, and told him that three other detectives were already looking into it. Still, he'd managed to convince her. _Even without the clean pressed suit and tie_. He was posing as an agent sent to investigate the serial killer-esque murders. Moira Kim, a stunning Chinese woman in her late thirties had been taciturn in the beginning, but after a few hours of facing off in a tete-a-tete she'd opened up to him. Even including that the local press had nicknamed the killings, the Moon Murders. The body lying on the table with heart ripped from his chest was a local business man named Jason Banks. "And they've all been like this?" He continued. "With their hearts torn from their chests?" Moira lifted a perfectly waxed black eyebrow. He could see surprise over his correct assessment flittering across her face.

"Yes." She said. Wiping her hands on her lab coat, Sam noticed her perfectly French-tipped nails. _Odd for someone who works in the morgue._ Still, he didn't mention it. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." Sam said.

Moira nodded. "Yes every time around the full moon we get a couple bodies like this, normally they've all been women. Hookers turning up in the water down by the docks." She shook her head. "Except this time it's a man."

"Curious." Sam said. He half-expected Dean to be standing next to him, ready to smack him upside the arm. Except his brother wasn't there. _He's napping_. That or furiously searching the city for clues about Kelly, Sam wasn't entirely certain which. "I also got some vague reports of teenage bodies turning up in the Bay? Do you think they're related?" Sam knew it was a long shot, the blotters he'd read never mentioned the teens having missing hearts.

"No." Moira Kim shook her head. "It's doubtful, those killings don't fit this guy's pattern." Sam looked down at her. _Though they make a pattern of their own._ He realized. Still, it sounded to him like a regular law enforcement problem, not the kind he, Dean, or Kelly specialized in. "But originally these bodies were only turning up by the docks, and in the bay. This guy's either getting bolder or he's branching out." Sam nodded. _That means there could be two wolves._ From what he knew about werewolves, they tended to only hunt members of the opposite sex. His father had theorized that it had something to do with the latent aspects of the sexual side of the human psyche, but Sam had never looked into it too closely.

"These victims look like they were attacked by a wild animal." Sam observed. Moira nodded.

"I just don't know of any kind of animal that would do it." She shook her head. "I'll put it in my report as a dog, but I swear I pulled wolf hairs off the body."

_Bingo._ Sam thought. "Can you tell me anything about the homeless teens turning up in the bay?"

"Most of the detectives don't think anything of that." Moira replied. "But it's really very sad. They believe it's the usual, homeless teen gets taken advantage of and dumped when they're no longer useful. Some of the younger officers are trying to look into it like Officer Jenkins, since there have been a few more than usual, but.." Moira trailed off and looked up at Sam helplessly. "No real circumstantial evidence to go off of."

_Nothing that sounds like our kind of business anyway._ Sam swallowed. He hated hearing about people killing people. It was disheartening. _At least Kelly's body hasn't turned up_. That had been one of the first things he'd checked when he'd come down here. Of course, he'd labeled her as a valuable witness in an ongoing murder investigation, so Moira Kim hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. "That's unfortunate."

"Jenkins believes that the killer is pulling from the Teen runaway homes, but as I said, there's nothing solid to go off of. Just a rash of young bodies between the ages of fifteen and eighteen." Moira put her hand to her mouth. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. "I shouldn't be talking about this." She glanced at Sam. "You'll have enough trouble with the Moon Murders, Agent." She said. "Our best detectives are on it, but they haven't turned up any leads."

"Who found the body?" Sam asked, shuffling the dead teenagers into the back of his mind as he looked over the dead body of Jason Bank once again.

"His secretary." Moira said promptly. "A woman named Madison Sinclair."

"Thank you for your time." Sam said. "I should get back to my investigation."

"Not a problem." Moira said. She turned the cart holding the body away, preparing to put it back into storage. She kept talking even as Sam turned to go. "I simply feel bad for Officer Jenkins. He's been worried sick about this young twenty-something brunette he met after she wandered in looking for her runaway sister." Sam paused. "He wanted to help her and I heard from Officer Gray that he even offered her a place to stay with his wife while she searched. Poor kid didn't have any money, just a plaid bag she wore hung around her shoulder. Turned him down on the spot though." Moira tapped her lip. "I wonder where she is now." Sam started to turn around. "Probably ended up in one of the homeless shelters." It was at this point that Sam Winchester realized that Moira Kim was a blabber, and he now hoped to take full advantage of the situation by asking her a few more questions.

"Did Officer Jenkins happen to catch her name?" He asked.

"I remember it was something like Caitlyn James, or was it Kasey Johnson?" Moira turned to look at him, seemingly unconcerned by his sudden intrusion into police affairs. This was something she could freely talk about. "She arrived on a Greyhound bus I know that. Officer Jenkins said she was one of the scruffiest young women he'd ever seen. Corey Jones? Connie? Kelly!" She exclaimed. "That was it. Kelly Jones." She met Sam's liquid chocolate brown eyes. "Her name was Kelly Jones."

A/N: Tell me what you think! ^_^ I have the next chapter in rough draft form so I'll get it up as soon as possible. I hope you all had a merry christmas, and maybe you'll get another chapter before the new year!

Special thanks to WinchesterxBoyz! I always love the reviews you give me.

Review, review, review. ^____^


	30. Chapter 30: Lorna Who?

Chapter 30: Lorna Who?

"Sure, I remember." Gary Morrison said. Dean leaned across the glass countertop, his arms resting above an assortment of black handled pistols, and a Winchester shotgun. The old man, his hands gnarled rubbed the glistening metal casing of a Beretta 93 automatic pistol. It was an Italian gun. The ninety stood for it being nine millimeters in length and the three meant it was the third model. It fired 9mm Parabellum ammunition in three shot bursts at a rapid rate. Dean cocked his head to the side. It was also a gun that was desperately out of date, one no longer listed in the Beretta military and law enforcement catalogues. Even though it was still in use by some in Italy, or so he heard. Several hunters liked the Beretta, but Dean had never gotten into them. He still preferred the Colt 1911. American made guns were more reliable in his opinion. "Don't get a lot of customers in looking for the special stock." Morrison added, his watery blue eyes following Dean's gaze to the pistol. "You want a make a purchase?" He asked. Dean knew that Morrison was joking, the old man in a large felt cowboy hat, jeans, and a blue flannel shirt had a voice that took a very caustic turn when he asked something he thought was funny.

"Just the info." Dean said.

"No, s'pose you wouldn't." Morrison shook his head. If Dean had to guess, he'd have said that the old man was somewhere in his mid seventies. He had a film of white gray stubble bursting out of his tall cheek bones, and a full head of silvery hair that came down to his shoulders. Dean wondered if the old man had even begun balding, but with the cowboy hat covering his head, Dean didn't feel like guessing. Morrison stood at a bear-like height of six foot four, and there was a curvature in his spine that made him hunch. It was probably an old hunting wound, like the three scars that cut from the middle of his left cheek up towards his ear. They looked like they'd been made by talons. "Not with that 19ll military issue you've got stuffed in the back of your pants." Morrison had a thick Texan accent, but even with his redneck swagger he had clear pronunciation. Dean raised his eyebrows.

"You saw that." He coughed.

Morrison raised his eyebrow in return. "Son, I ain't never met a hunter whose gun wasn't far off." Dean nodded. "But you'd best buy a holster from me for the thing, or your liable to blow your buttocks right off."

"Hasn't worked so far." Dean said. He glanced around. They were in the back of Morrison's Backwoods Sport Supply. It was a tiny shop. _And for a hole in the wall it's bristling with skis, fishing rods, and snowboards. _Nothing that Dean Winchester really needed. Between each display there was a head of a young white tailed buck was nailed to the wall, and behind Morrison a rack of moose antlers hung beneath a kayak over tall wooden case holding an assortment of hunting rifles. After Dean had dropped Ellen's name, Morrison had assured him that he kept the best merchandise in the back, including an assortment of silver bullets, holy water, and wrought iron rounds. "Anyway, about the girl."

"Don't get a lot of pretty things like her in here." Morrison paused. "Most lasses her age come in here looking for the latest ski equipment toting Daddy's credit card." He gave Dean a toothy grin. "But they pay the bills, them and the local gun nuts."

"Gun nuts?" Dean asked. He couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice, as Morrison put down the black handled Beretta.

"They're more of 'em round here than you'd think." He shrugged. "And the safety freaks who want somethin' they can protect themselves with. Battered women and the like. Buy up half my stock, even if they don't know how to cock the darn things." Dean was glad Sam wasn't here, he'd making some bullshit comment about how just having a gun made people feel safe. Then he would have to respond. _Having a gun you can't use doesn't make you safer, Sam_. Mentally he smirked. _I don't know._ He could hear Kelly say thoughtfully. _They make great clubs._ Dean paused. _Damn._ He was a lost cause. _Now I'm imagining conversations with her_. How much worse was this going to get? _I'm turning into a thirteen year old girl._ He thought. _With facial hair and a kick ass car._ Still, he knew the truth. A thirteen year old girl was still a thirteen year old girl. _Fuck._ "Didn't think your girl was a hunter at first." Morrison laughed. "That purty petite body of hers," Dean felt his hackles raise at the compliment. "Would make her a mouthful for anythin' from a vengeful spirit to a wendigo." He laughed. It was a great loud laugh that echoed through shop, rattling the snowboards and tackle on the walls. Freed dust in the overhead ceiling drifted down to clog the air, and a shard of plaster shaken loose by the bellow hit Dean squarely on the head, coating his blonde hair and shoulders with white powder as it crumbled from impact. Dean raised a free hand to brush off his head. "But she surprised me with that arsenal she's carryin' round in that plaid bag of hers." Dean snorted. If Morrison was impressed by what Kelly had in her bag, then the old man would be surprised by the munitions in the back of the Impala. _As Sam says we've got enough firepower to settle a civil war in Indonesia… Where ever that is._ Morrison continued. "Traded in a nice 17L Glock 9mm for the Match." The old man smiled with the memory. "Told her, well, I told your girl her little hands could handle it's recoil better." Dean smirked.

"Must've been a sight." He always liked seeing Kelly get patronized. Fireworks, explosions, and TV references tended to follow.

"Was." Morrison shook his head. "She bet me half off the Walther P99 if she could put three bullets through the heart of my dummy." Dean raised an eyebrow. "Got a small shooting range in the back."

"Did she?" If Dean remembered, Kelly couldn't reliably hit the broadside of a barn unless it was something supernatural. Morrison's lips twitched.

"No." Morrison picked up the Beretta again, along with the same dirty cloth, and began wiping down the handle. "But I could see she knew her way around a gun, even with the terrible hand-eye coordination." Dean smirked.

"That's my girl." He said.

Morrison didn't even blink. "So I gave her a small discount and threw in some free rounds." He paused. "'Course if the little minx had told me she was a friend of Ellen's I'd've given it to her free."

"Really?" Dean asked, his hands deep in his pockets. "Free?" His eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline and then he said. "So if she'd said she was a friend of Ellen's…"

"Men get discounts on items twenty percent off." Morrison said. Dean laughed. "Kid looked like a drifter, down on her luck, pretty dirty with some ragged clothes. Had her eye on the P99." Dean snorted. "It's a fine gun." Morrison snapped.

"For a secret agent." Dean muttered. He really wished Sam were here. At least so someone would get his jokes. Not that he missed being punched in the arm or having Sam exclaim. _Dean!_ Dean smirked. _Seriously Dean_. _Dean, Dean, Dean!_ Sam was always saying his name. _Sounding mildly annoyed. _ Dean fought a grin. _Always means a job done good._

"Like I said, she looked like a drifter. Dressed like the average hunter."

"You wouldn't be able to describe what she was wearing?" Dean asked. Morrison's bushy silver eyebrows once again lifted. "Didn't think so." He said. Taking his hands out of his pockets. He looked down at the guns for a long moment and then he turned his hazel gaze back to Morrison. "Any idea what she was hunting?" He asked. "Cause that would really throw me and my brother a bone."

"Want to find her as soon as possible eh?" Morrison asked. "Then you know that the best place to look for a hunter is at their stakeout." He shook his head. "I'd like to help you and your brother out, Dean. I really would. I knew your father, and he was a damn fine hunter. Shame about his death." Dean swallowed. Being reminded of John Winchester's departure from the living still cut at him. _Especially since he did it for me._

"I can feel a but coming here." Dean said.

Morrison took a deep breath. "But you're girl didn't say much. Kept to the subject of guns." He rubbed his forehead. "Sorry. She's a nice gal, and I'd like to help you."

"Yeah." Dean said. "Thanks." _And this was a waste of time. _He thought as he turned to go. He was halfway down the aisle towards the exit when Morrison called.

"Wait." Dean turned. His hands still deep in the pockets of his jeans jacket, and he raised an questioning eyebrow at Morrison.

"Yeah?"

"She asked about the murdered teens turning up in the bay, around the shipping yards. I told her there wasn't anythin' really Supernatural about 'em, but she was goin' to check it out anyway." Morrison shrugged. "That's all I know. Probably ended up in a homeless shelter, even though I offered her a place to stay."

"Homeless shelter?" Dean asked.

"If nothin' turned up on her credit cards then yeah." Morrison said. "I'm bettin' she went to a homeless shelter." _Makes sense with it being runaways who are dying._ Dean thought. He wasn't normally the kind to put two and two together like that. _Normally I leave it up to Sammy and Kelly._ But he wasn't an idiot. At least not often.

"Probably using herself as bait." Dean said. "That sounds like her." They shared a similar tendency to jump into a situation half-cocked. _As if that wasn't proven by the fiasco in Gary, Indiana_. If it hadn't been for Sam, Dean wasn't sure if he or Kelly would have made it out alive. _She held it together though._ And she probably deserved more credit than he was ever likely to give her. _Tough_. She was still capable of being bookish with Sam, even if she had a much shorter attention span. His fingertips brushed the cool plastic of the cell phone, and once again he fought the urge to call her. He didn't want Kelly to know he was close, because it could easily trigger off the instincts that made her run. _Be easier if I knew what made her run in the first place._ Though he still had a sneaking suspicion it had been the sex with him. _No matter what Sam says._ Well, if she hadn't liked it, then… _She'll have to have another go round on the Dean Winchester Express._ And he'd take her straight up to pleasure land. _Plus if she runs, we may not have time to chase her._ Not between the werewolf and Sam's increasingly freaky connection with the Yellow Eyed Demon. "Anyway, thanks." He said. This time he really meant it. "This might help."

"Always glad to help out a friend of Ellen's." Morrison said. "Bill got me out of a lot of tough spots." Dean repressed a flinch at hearing the name of Ellen's husband. "Do anything to help the family and you Winchesters are famous of course."

"Yeah." Dean said. He'd started backing towards the door.

"And if you're goin' to look for your girlfriend, I'd start where they've been findin' the bodies." Morrison called. Dean blinked.

"Who said she was my girlfriend?" He asked. Kelly wasn't his girlfriend.

"With the poker face yeh get every time she's mentioned, no one with half a brain'll believe she's just your cousin, son." Morrison said. He suddenly sounded very wise, and Dean was reminded how old the man was. "Now get a move on. I've got a date comin' tonight, and I don't need 'im scared off my a handsome young fella like yourself." Dean suddenly didn't need any explanation as to why the grizzled old hunter had retired in San Francisco. A leering wink from Gary Morrison was enough to send Dean lurching out the door at a near dead run. Behind him, he could hear the bear-like man's raucous laughter.

"No way in hell is Sammy believing this." Dean muttered as he stood on the busy street, and pulled out his cell phone as the cars whizzed by in front of him. His finger moved over the two, the number he kept Sam under for speed dial. But he looked back at the blocky white lettering on the screen, the words forming 'My Girl'. Should he try her again? Had she cooled down? Was there a chance that this time her phone would be on? Dean took a deep breath. He forced thoughts of Gary Morrison out of his mind, and he started to press down on the send button. His cell phone buzzed, rocking out to the head banging beat of Hells Bells it shook in his surprised hands. Dean looked down at the screen. It was Sam. "What?" Dean asked as he put the phone to his ear. He listened to Sam's excited voice for a minute. "Yeah, I can pick you up." He glanced out at the traffic. "Alright Sammy, I'll see you in thirty." Dean knew city traffic, and it was wise to bet against getting anywhere speedily. Hanging up, he looked down at his cell phone again. He cycled through the numbers again, and when My Girl came up, he hit send. There was a long agonizing pause, and Dean wondered if he'd once again get stuck with the standard answering machine quote. He took a breath, and to his surprise the phone started to ring.

000

Kelly continued her attempts to wriggle her wrists free from the binds of the chair. Between the looseness of the knots and the dull aching throbbing from the flesh on her wrists, she knew she was getting close. Both hands had a great deal more mobility now than they had earlier. _And I'm willing to bet that Lorna never thought to search our bodies for weapons._ Even if she had, Kelly was certain that there were a few she hadn't found. _Not that I need them with my bag… think Jones!_ She needed the knife she kept in a sheath up her right hand sleeve to cut her way out of the chair. Her weapons wouldn't help her at the moment, in fact, thinking about them was a distraction no one in the room could afford. Blood trickled down Kelly's wrist, making her inner forearm warm and sticky. In the cool metal room, she suppressed a shiver, and hoped that the mangling of her flesh would be worth it. _If I can escape and get to my weapons then I can stop Lorna._ But could she do it with Beckett threatening to shoot her in the back of her head? Suddenly a buzzing sound filled the room. Kelly glanced down, her pocket was vibrating. _What the…_ Had she forgotten to turn off her cell after she'd checked her messages?

"You're phone is ringing." Charity said. Kelly swallowed a retort about the obvious, but she was more amused by Beckett.

"Obviously not.' Beckett said. "I don't have a cell phone."

"Then what do you think is causing the buzzing?" Kelly asked. Her voice innocent.

"It's probably just some idiotic wasp that found it's way in here by mistake." Beckett replied.

"Found it's way in?" Kelly asked.

"Yes." Beckett said.

"How do you live without a cell phone?" Charity asked.

"Into my pocket?" Kelly asked. Her voice was a little stronger this time, and she ignored the girl behind her.

"Yes." This time Beckett sounded less sure. Kelly tried to keep a smirk off her lips, but she knew her expression was that of the cat who'd gotten away with swallowing the canary. _Smug_.

"I mean I wouldn' survive without one!" Charity exclaimed. "How do yeh talk to peple? I mean how do yeh comuncate?" Kelly snorted.

"Yeah Beckett how do you comuncate?" She asked. Her voice imitated Charity's uneducated mangling of English syllables. She glanced at Charity. "Maybe he comuncates with the buzzing bee that managed to find it's way into my pocket."

"'M not stupid." Charity snapped. "I can recognize the sound of a vibrator."

Kelly tilted her head, as she continued working to free her wrists. "Hear that Beck-ster, she's smarter than you."

"My phone isn't with me." Beckett snapped. "And I understand what a vibrator sounds like." His eyes went to Kelly's pockets. "I just want to know what imbecile brought their cell phone along on a mission?"

"Well if it's not Charity's phone." Kelly said. Her voice was filled with malicious patience. "And it's not your phone." She wriggled her left hand a little more, the bonds almost widening enough for her hand to slip out. "Then I wonder whose it could be." She wished that she could tap her lower lip for emphasis. "Whose phone is vibrating in my pocket…"

"Neil Young's?" Charity asked. That comment made Beckett stop glaring at Kelly, and glance at Charity in bemused wonderment.

"Ah!" She lifted her bound wrists mockingly. "It must be Neil Young's." Her brunette tendrils escaped from her ponytail and slid down to fall across her mahogany eyes. "Or maybe Lorna Pimm snuck it in when we were unconscious. I'm sure she has a good reason for calling me."

"Lorna wouldn't do that!" Charity exclaimed. "She's a sweet old lady!" Kelly sighed. "Besides." Charity added in a softer voice. "She said she'd let me go if I was good, and I've been good." The young teenager's voice trembled as the room shifted and the metal groaned. _What?_ Kelly wondered. Charity clearly knew more than she was letting on.

"Lighten up, bitch." Beckett snapped.

"Considering that your planning on putting a bullet between my eyes," Beckett opened his mouth but Kelly continued to steamroll over his objections. "Or in the back of my head the minute we free ourselves, I don't see how you've managed to get yourself out of the derisive zone."

"Maybe considering that if you were nice to me I'd…"

"Let me live until we saw sunlight, and then you'd put a round in the back of my head." Kelly said. Beckett's face turned a dark shade of red, and his chest puffed out as he struggled against the restraints. She smirked. "So I'll get my punches in now if you don't mind."

"Well at least you give me enough credit to kill you." Beckett grumbled.

"No." Kelly said. "I give you enough marks to threaten, but you're out of your league on trying to make good."

"Like hell!"

"'M confused." Charity wailed.

"Look Becks, you couldn't even exorcise a demon." Kelly said. _Almost got it._ She thought as her left wrist moved back and forth, ready to wriggle loose. The cell phone ceased it's rumble in her pocket, and Kelly wondered if she should turn it off. _At this point them tracking me by satellite wouldn't be such a bad idea._ But would Ash be able to pinpoint her location in time? Kelly had her doubts about technology.

"Yeah, but with you I just need to point and shoot."

"You don't even know what I am." Kelly reminded him.

"And I bet a simple bullet'll still drop you." Becket replied. Kelly laughed. She couldn't help it. She laughed loud, she laughed long, and she laughed hard. "What?" Beckett asked. He looked up and over at Charity. "What?" He asked again, but the younger girl just shrugged. "What?" He yelled.

It took a few more minutes for Kelly to calm down enough to manage words. Tears streaked her cheeks. "Sorry." She coughed. Then she paused. "No, not sorry." She said, smirking at Beckett. "Not at all."

"I repeat the question." Beckett said.

"Becks." Kelly said.

"Don't call me that!" Beckett growled.

"Becks." She repeated. "When have you ever met a supernatural critter that was dropped by a single bullet?" Beckett paused for a long moment. He bit his lip. Kelly kept her snort internal as she watched him process.

"Then you'll be the first." Beckett said. Kelly laughed again. She laughed until her giggles descended into a fit of coughing, she pounded her chest to clear her throat, and looked back at Charity.

"You mentioned something about Lorna promising to let you go if you were good." Kelly said. Beckett began to open his mouth, but Kelly put up her hands again. "Ah, ah, Becks we're being serious now." She glanced back at Charity, suddenly earnest. "Tell me what she told you." Kelly's eyes flicked to the bag beneath the bodies as Charity opened her mouth. _It's weird. _The weapons. It seemed odd, or incredibly careless that Lorna had brought the weapons bag with them. _It's not light either._ Surely the woman had gone through it. She had to know what was in the bag. _So why bring a heavy arsenal? Why leave me with my cell phone?_ Oftentimes what looked like a master plan wasn't, but Kelly didn't want to take a chance. _Or miss something because this baddie is just sloppy._ She thought, trying to turn her attention back to Charity. The girl mewled for a few moments, before finally, she started to talk.

"Garret swore all the time y'know." She started.

"Who?" Beckett asked. _For a knight in shining armor he could definitely use a few pointers in chivalry._ Kelly thought. Her throat tightened, and she tried to think of home. Instead all she got was gray fog. _Not even voices, there used to be voices._ She shook her head. This wasn't the time for that.

"Garret was my best friend." Charity said. Her voice was small, and it seemed to drop in volume with each word she spoke. Kelly could practically see the young teenager shrinking in on herself as she thought about her friend. _Oh this didn't end well._ "I met him on a bus coming into the city, and we decided to look for a place to stay together. We went to a few homeless shelters, but Garret couldn't stick in any fer long." Kelly took a deep breath. "'E always got inna truble." For a moment, Kelly could see something of who Charity used to be. _Young, well educated._ What had happened? "But we got a chance when Lorna offered us a place to stay. She made us promise to be gud." Kelly could hear a sob forming at the bottom of Charity's vocal chords. "We was gud. I was gud. But Garret wasn'. 'E hated Lorna's. 'E swore alla the time, an he threatened ta go, said she cudn't make us into cardboard copies o' respectacle kids." _Here it comes._ Kelly thought, and sure enough a loud sob escaped Charity. "But Lorna, she, she says that bein' bad is a one way ticket to hell." The girl whimpered, her head ducking into her lap as she fell as far forward as her restraints allowed. "This is hell ain't it?"

"No." Kelly snapped. "This is a boat." She slipped her hand free, and glanced at Beckett. He was still enthralled with Charity and her small shaking frame.

"Be kinder!" Beckett snarled at Kelly. She slid her hand back up into the restraints as his eyes returned to her. "Can't you see she's been through hell."

"Even if she isn't already in it?" Kelly asked. Her voice was hard. She glanced back at Charity. "Lorna killed Garret didn't she Charity?"

Charity shook her head. "No! No! We was gunna run again, and then the night we were s'posed to go Garret wasn' in his room." She looked around wildly, like she was reliving each moment. "I turned to sneak back to mine, I figured 'e'd gone on witout me." She looked up at Kelly with eyes brightened by tears. Even with the brine and scents of molding rotting bodies assaulting her nose, Kelly could tell my the salted scent of her tears how frightened and sad Charity was. "Then I dark shape came cross my vision and I tried ta scream. Hand caught me mouth, and then I remember waking up here." Charity whimpered. "I shoulda listened to Lorna." She said. "I shoulda been gud." Then the girl buried her head into her lap again and her shoulders began heaving with huge sobs.

"We're on a boat?" Beckett asked. He glanced at her. She could almost see new found respect in his eyes.

"Look whose coming late to party." Kelly said. Beckett stiffened at the antagonism in her voice. "Yes we're on a boat."

"But…"

"Can't you feel the shifting current? The swells of the tide beneath your feet?" Kelly asked. She didn't bother trying to filter the incredulous tone out of her voice. She was enjoying watching Beckett's face turn puce. "We may be on a big boat, and we're probably at port, but this is definitely a boat."

"So we're by the docks." Beckett said.

"Duh."

"Don't patronize me!" Beckett nearly yelled, as his cheeks turned white. "If we're near land then we can escape. It's not as hopeless as if we were stuck on a moving boat."

_There's a chance we could get help._ Kelly realized. _Dean and Sam can't be that far behind me._ Or had they not come looking for her? Maybe they were better off without her. _Probably_. But she could use their help. _Well, they can track me through the GPS now_. Did they have that long? Kelly stiffened as the latch clicked, and the metal squealed and groaned as the heavy door behind Charity was pushed open. _No._ She thought. _Not long at all._ Her free hand tightened in the bonds. She called on her senses and felt her eyes sharpen in the gloom. She inhaled the thick scent of rotting skin, flesh, and brine more deeply. Fighting the urge to hurl, she focused on the heavy footsteps entering the room.

"Who?" Beckett began, but Kelly didn't turn her eyes away from the screaming rusty hinges, and the door. She was nearly ready to kick him, but she knew that at this point, it wouldn't do any good.

"I'll give Miss Jones five points for guessing boat." A deep voice said. Kelly swallowed, the tonal patterns were familiar, and she fought to shrink away from the sound waves as they echoed through the room. _Timothy?_ She asked herself. _No I sent him to hell_. "But I suppose that's to be expected, she is the brightest of you lot." Kelly looked up into his heavy lidded eyes as a massive body lumbered into the room. _He sounds like Lorna._ But he wasn't, the smell was different, and it carried with it a taste of sulphur… _Shit._

"So?" Kelly asked. "Does that mean I get a cookie?" The head snapped to her, and she felt her skin crawl.

"A gold star." He said. Kelly raised her eyebrows and adopted a sullen expression.

"That's all I get for being at the top of the class?" She asked. Then sighed dramatically. "Too bad, I wanted a sweet treat."

"I'm giving you a stay of execution." Lorna/Timothy snarled, as the huge body stepped forward. Kelly felt the metal creak beneath his weight. _It can barely hold him. But what's going on? I sent Timothy to Hell? How did he get back so quickly._ "Be thankful." Kelly raised her eyebrows. "Especially after that stunt you pulled, sending me to hell." The ship tipped back and the walls screamed. "I didn't like that."

"But you found a new body." Kelly said. "We should chat about how you did that."

"I don't think so puppy." The man said. "I don't care what Azazel wants you for, that and that alone is worth tossing your decaying corpse to the hell hounds." She listened as he paused. "But I suppose I could have some fun with it first." He moved forward and Kelly felt him reach for her. A meaty finger slithered down the side of her face, and Kelly's skin shivered beneath it. She swallowed.

"I bite." She quipped.

"I expect you to." He replied. Kelly looked up into his pitch black eyes. _You son of a bitch._ She thought. _I'm going to do the job right next time._ Hearing jewelry clink on his wrist, Kelly forced her eyes to move to the heavy gold bangle Lorna had worn. _Okay so he's in Lorna's body_. That much was obvious. _So what is Lorna? _Behind them, Charity gibbered. Out of the corner of her eye, Kelly found Beckett gaping at the man. _Great, why am I always on my own?_ She missed Dean. _Damn._ She felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She missed Dean. "It's such a pity that you're naughty behavior got you into this mess." Kelly gasped as he removed his finger. She watched as his lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Oh well, _God's_ will I suppose."

"I can't get over the way you speak." Kelly said, finding her voice again. "So precise, delicate even, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were…" The heavy hand came out of the gloom and smacked her hard across the face. Kelly's head fell forward and she resisted the urge to rip her hand free and shove her blackened claws into his eyes. _No._ She thought as Charity screamed. _No, I can be patient. Let him think he has the upper hand, believe that I'm defenseless._ She could live with that. For the moment.

"Welcome to Hell, Miss Jones." She felt Timothy whisper in her ear. It had to be Timothy. _Timothy and Lorna together? Scary combination. _"You know this is the punishment for bad children who run away from the light of Jesus's forgiveness." Kelly could hear the laughter in his words as he twisted his large grimy fingers around the back of her ponytail, and yanked her head back. _Okay, this is reminding me a little too much of Holms._ She thought. "And bad children must be punished." He whispered, as his pitless black eyes stared down into hers. "They must be." _Timothy's playing this for show._ She thought. _But Lorna must really have been off her rocker._

"Are you going to tell me that Timothy was a sweet cherubic angel of the Lord and I had no business handing him his death sentence?" She felt the demon hiss, and something shift.

"He was a bright light!" It was a woman's voice who was screaming at her now. " He was an example of all those who sought Christ's redemption!"

"He was a demon." Kelly said.

"Yes." The male voice of Timothy was back now. Still. He sounded shaken. "He certainly was."

"The spawn of Satan." Kelly continued.

"Oooh, how you tickle my ego." She felt his meaty hands grasp her throbbing cheek again. Kelly's eyes turned molten gold as she stared up into his. "Your projection doesn't scare me my dear." He said. "Perhaps if you had a handler." Kelly swallowed. "And if you were six centuries older."

"You killed Timothy." She said.

"No." The demon patted her cheek. "My fair girl, you killed Timothy." He smiled. "And I enjoyed watching you do it. I can see why Azazel has big plans for you. You're hardly the type I would peg for him, but oh, you'll look scrumptious in chains." He pressed his heavy lips to her forehead, and Kelly fought back her disgust. "I don't know." He sounded thoughtful. _A thoughtful demon is never a good sign._ "Should I let him have you?"

"Why not?" She asked.

He slapped her again. "I should snap your filthy neck!" The woman screeched. "I should snap it! Snap it! For bringing the Devil into my home!"

"News flash." Kelly hissed. "He was already there you schizo!"

"You sinners!" The screeching continued. "It's your problem, I try and I try, but it's no good. Why should I waste my time saving your ungrateful souls! I give you a roof, food, shelter! And what do I get in return? Sin! Drugs! Sex! More sex! Sex! Sex! Sex! Overt heresy! Direct heresy!"

"Not to mention holding the Lord's name consistently in vain." Kelly added. The woman/man slapped her again.

"I'll be gud!" Charity whimpered in her chair. "I'm sorry! Garret and I didn' mean nothin'! I told you I was gunna marry 'im! I swear!" _So the girl's off her rocker too._ Kelly thought, thankful for once that Beckett was silent. _Great._ "We just wanted some comfort and…" Kelly watched the man/woman, Timothy/Lorna, and felt something within her rise towards the surface. Hot and angry. Lorna's hands seized the back of Kelly's head.

"Murder!" She shrieked. "Adultery!" She shoved Kelly's head forward and yanked it back. _Whiplash…_ Kelly thought. Then Lorna released her and turned towards Charity. Her heavy footsteps hammering into the floor. "In my house!" _Shit!_ Kelly tried to straighten. "MY HOUSE!"

"No!" Charity screamed. Kelly didn't need heightened senses to know what was coming. "I'll be gud! I'll be gud!" Her voice rose to a tenor pitch, and Kelly could hear those vocal chords break. "Just don't!"

"Filthy vermin! Spreading sin!" Kelly struggled.

"No." She croaked. Pain spiked through her scalp, remnants from where she'd been grabbed. _God no._

"Don't!" Charity screamed. "DON'T!" There was a sickening crack, and Charity was silent. Kelly couldn't bring herself to look at Beckett. The young man's eyes were heated and angry, and she could feel his shock. _That's why._ She thought, squeezing her eyes shut. _That's why._

"Why'd you do it?" Beckett asked. Kelly could feel him scrambling to make sense of it. _There isn't any._ They had a crazy demon in the body of a crazy woman. _Man…_ Kelly swallowed. _I need Dean._ Hell, she needed Sam. She stared at the floor, numb. Her cheek throbbing, her scalp aching, and she couldn't guess where her hat had gotten to. _My fault._

"Because she was part of the disease." The female voice continued. "The disease of the system, a cancer in the body of the Lord. Part of the problem plaguing the souls of the saved in San Francisco. An impurity that needed to be dealt with."

"So you dealt with it!" Beckett snarled. "You!" Kelly swallowed. She could hear the body of the man turning, and heading back towards her. His footsteps clanging on the heavy metal, groaning beneath the boots. "What gives you the right?"

"Divine right." Timothy was back. "Mr. Cole." He'd adopted the tone of a school-teacher reprimanding a naughty child. He grasped Kelly behind the head again. "A lesson you'll soon learn if you ever want to see sunlight again."

"I'd rather die." Beckett spat. _Good Beckett. _Kelly thought. _I know your upset, but let's lower your chances of survival. See how that works._ She bit her tongue. Now was not the time to rile Timothy. _But soon_.

"I love a melodramatic hero." Timothy laughed. Kelly felt those pitless heavy lidded black eyes fall on her, she swallowed as a finger came under her chin and roughly tipped her head back. "Don't you puppy?" Then Kelly felt him jam his thick lips against hers. Pressing her lips together firmly, she felt the white hot anger inside of her begin to boil. Deep down, below the darkest part of her being Kelly released a primal roar. Timothy pulled back. "My how the mighty have fallen." He said. He reached around the back and pulled out the Walther P99. _That's my gun!_ Kelly's lips contorted into a snarl, as Timothy released the safety and cocked the gun. He leveled it at her chest. "Why don't we see what puppies dream?" Kelly closed her eyes.

There was a bang.

A/N: I know, I know, I left you hanging. Don't worry there will be more soon, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave me reviews, because I love reviews, and I don't get enough of them. Besides I like to know what I'm doing well, what needs work, and if Kelly is working.

Well, anyway, I should tell you, since we've reached the thirtieth chapter that DTRH was originally slated to be only 30 chapters long. (See how well I underestimated myself), but we're only through half the content I have planned to throw at you my darling readers. There will be more twists, more turns, and more revelations in the future. So keep a wary eye out!

The next: Chapter 31: You're No Prince Charming

As always leave me reviews.


	31. Chapter 31: What Was, What Can Never Be

Chapter 31: What Was and What Can Never Be

"I found a lead." Dean said as Sam opened the door and climbed inside the 1967 Chevy Impala. The younger Winchester slid over the black leather seats and glanced at his brother in surprise.

"That's funny." Sam said. "So did I." It had taken Dean thirty minutes to fight through the uphill and downhill San Francisco traffic, before finally making it to the local Police Department. Not that Sam minded. It had given him more time to grill the local officer who had met Kelly when she'd first arrived. Not that he'd managed to find much. Just some names of the shelters Officer Jenkins had visited while looking for her. Sam had also managed to confirm his theory that every Police Stations coffee was made with tar instead of coffee beans. That had been the one point at which he'd wished Dean could have arrived sooner. _Before my throat turned into a sad example of third degree burns._ Sam scratched his throat. "I got the names of a few homeless shelters she was staying at." Dean raised his eyebrows.

"I got something better." He said.

Sam shook his head. "Why am I not surprised." He muttered. "Anyway, the witness who found the body of Mr. Donovan is Madison Sinclair." Sam continued as he lifted his research off his lap.

"The marketing schmuck who got eaten by a werewolf?" Dean asked. He wanted to get down to the docks and start looking, but first he needed clarification, like he always did whenever his brother opened his mouth.

"Yeah." Sam said. "I got her address, she lives close." Dean's hazel eyes widened. "And here's her number." Sam added, he pulled a small slip of paper out of his pocket. Dean wondered why his brother wasn't keeping it with the rest of his research.

"So did you get the receptionists number too?" He joked. "Or did they just show you a picture?"

"Shut up." Sam said. He shoved the number back into his pocket. "It's not like that." Dean paused for a moment, and then he looked back at his brother.

"You actually saw a picture?"

"Yes." Sam said. He sounded embarrassed.

"An actual picture?" Dean asked again. Sam's cheeks started turning red. "What did you look it up on the internets or something? They have her, what's called? Her Myspace address?"

"They had one on file alright, from the crime scene." Sam snapped. "And what's the big deal anyway? So what if I saw her picture?"

"Is she pretty?" Dean asked.

"Shut up."

"She is pretty isn't she." Dean said. He nudged Sam with his elbow.

"Can we get back to business?" Sam asked. There was a note of desperation in his voice that Dean found highly amusing. He glanced at his brother. "What were the better leads you found on Kelly?" Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow piece of lined paper that had obviously come off a notepad. He handed the folded piece to Sam. "What is this?" Sam asked.

"Directions." Dean said as he started the car.

"Directions to what Dean?"

"The docks." Dean said. "I called Ash and found the GPS location of Kelly's phone. "

"And she's here?" Sam asked. "On a retired fishing boat?"

"Yup." Dean said. The Impala thrummed as he shifted into reverse and backed out of his parking space, heading into out and into the busy traffic.

"I thought Kelly's phone was off."

"It was." Dean said.

"How did you know it was turned on?"

"I called it." Dean said. Then he reached forward and flicked on the radio. Foreigner's 'Cold As Ice' blared out through the speakers, and as his brother began banging his hands on the steering wheel, Sam took that to mean that they were at the end of the discussion. But his mind whirred with questions. Dean had called Kelly? When? What had they talked about? Had they talked? Had he contacted her? How did he know if her phone was on if he didn't? Sam took another long look at the expression on Dean's face. It was serious. _He really doesn't want to talk about it._ Sam thought. Not that he could blame his brother. Sam didn't want to think about the darker possibilities with Kelly either. _But sometimes I just can't help it._ He loved her. He really did. But at times like this he sometimes wondered. _Do I love her the same way?_ Sam glanced at Dean, who was still banging out the drum beat on the steering wheel as they headed into the late afternoon traffic. Rush hour would be starting soon, and Sam knew that Dean wanted to get downtown to the coast before then. _Or else it'll really take hours before we get there_. He glanced at the speedometer and noticed that his brother was going faster than the speed limit. Not something that was unusual for him. Still. Sam leaned back. _Who wouldn't be eager about seeing Kelly?_ But that also forced him to ask a hard question. With everything that had happened between Dean and Kelly, and the likelihood that the two of them were going to get together, despite Sam's own feelings for her. Was he?

000

"Oh my god!" Beckett exclaimed as Kelly slumped forward in the chair. "You shot her!" More of Kelly's brown hair slipped out of her ponytail as her head fell forward, and the hat tumbled off onto the cold steel floor. The man who sometimes talked like a woman, who sometimes talked like a man glanced at him.

"She really picked smart teaming up with you." He said. His voice droll. "Really, you've got a knack for getting the details just right." Then the man stuck the pistol into the waist of his pants, and stretched. Beckett's eyes flicked back to Kelly. It was true she was a monster, and a part of him knew it was destiny to have to kill her. _But honestly, I thought she was invincible._ He tried to find her face between the long strands of hair. Had she passed out from the shock? The man, their enemy crossed the room and tipped back her head. Kelly's eyes didn't open as he did so, she was completely passed out. Beckett saw the blood stain growing on her shirt from where the bullet had entered. It was in her chest, just to the right of her heart. He hoped it hadn't penetrated any of the valves in the muscle. Beckett felt that the only one with the right to kill Kelly after all the suffering she'd put him through was him. The man looked pleased, or looked like he was pleased. Beckett couldn't make out much in the gloom. Then those pitch black eyes turned back to him, and the man said in a very calm voice. "I'll leave you to think about things." Then he turned and headed back towards the steel door. "Call me if she wakes up." Beckett opened his mouth to reply but as the door slammed shut and raucous laugher echoed to his ears, he knew it was better if he simply kept his mouth shut. The footsteps retreated down the hall, and Beckett leaned forward in his chair. He'd been working hard to free himself from his bonds but so far it'd been to no avail. He needed a knife of some kind to cut them. _If only I could reach my knife._ He looked down at his bonds again. _Maybe I should ask her if she's okay?_ But she was unconscious and shot so what was the point? Well, at least, that was what he thought when a knife came flying across the room to land his lap. "What the…" He trailed off, as he looked over to see Kelly staggering to her feet. The ropes holding her right hand were now on the floor, and cut into two separate pieces. He could see the blood trailing down her arms, as the dark crimson stain around her wound was expanding. She took a shaky step towards him. "You know, I really need my hands free to cut." He called to her. "So the knife is doing me little good." He watched she smiled.

"Tough." Kelly coughed. One foot moved unsteadily in front of the other, and she crossed the few feet separating them to collapse onto her knees. Her arms rested on his legs for a minute, before she reached for the knife. Her hands shook as she picked it up. "Gotta…" She trailed off, and Beckett looked down at her glowing yellow yes. _Where the hell does she find the strength to keep moving?_ He wondered. Why hadn't she gone into shock? That was a mortal wound she was nursing, and here she was in front of him acting like she'd only been shot in the leg, instead of a major artery. "Not… a lot…of…" Kelly whispered. The words came out of her mouth unsteadily, and she coughed. "Time." She finished after a few moments, as Beckett worked his hand free.

"Give me that." He snapped. Snatching the knife with his newly freed hand, he turned his body to start working on the one still bound. She frustrated him so much. She was a monster, and yet... _Why does she have to act so human?_ "You're in no condition to…" He trailed off as he looked down at her. Kelly's other hand had moved to her pocket. He wondered what she was trying to do, hell he had half a mind to grab her, and force those hands onto that openly bleeding wound. Yet here she was. Acting like she was about to die without a care in the world.

"Call." She said. Beckett was about to ask who, when she dumped the silver flip phone onto his lap. "Tell him…" She gasped. "Tell him I'm sorry…" She looked up at Beckett with pleading eyes, as the blood stain widened around her heart. Her heart was pumping the blood out of her body. For a normal human, Beckett knew, it would be minutes before she went into shock and died. Even if they could get her to a hospital, there was no telling if even then they'd be able to help her.

"Hey." Beckett started. "Monster that's a mortal wound." He leaned forward, his right hand freed. Reaching out to grab her shoulder, he paused at the warm smile that widened on her lips.

"Yeah." She coughed. "I know." Then Kelly Jones slumped sideways. Beckett wasn't fast enough to catch her before she hit the steel floor. The cell phone clattered to the ground as he jumped forward, his arms closing around her limp body. _She was faking it when that man was looking at her. She wasn't passed out._ Now he was losing his chance to kill her. Beckett looked down at the knife in his free hand, he dropped it, and pressed the flat of his palm against the wound in her chest. Suddenly he was surprised, her heart was still beating. It was weak, but beating. _How the hell…_ Propping her up in his lap, her body heavy, and her head rolling back like a rag doll, Beckett reached for the phone.

"Who the fuck do you want me to call?" He asked. "Idiot monster. Why should I do one single stupid thing for you?" Instead he opened the phone, there was one missed call blinking on the screen. Beckett swallowed. Had she meant them? "Tell him you're sorry?" He asked, looking down at her pale face. She looked sweet when she was asleep. "Sorry about what?" He put the phone down, his hand still putting pressure on her. "I should be calling an ambulance." Not that he knew where they were. Instead his thumb was hovering over the send button. "The hell am I doing?" He put the phone down. "I'm not calling a complete stranger." He picked it back up. This time he noticed a name underneath MISSED CALL. It named the caller. Beckett swallowed. "For fucking real?" He asked out loud. He looked down at Kelly. "Fuck." He said. "You have some strange friends monster." This couldn't be who she wanted him to call. Could it? "Who would have thought that you, a monstrous beast would know ace hunter Dean Winchester." He glanced down at her again. Was it just him, or had she grown paler? "All right." He muttered. "Whatever." They could use backup on this anyway. _And maybe her phone has some fucking GPS._ He needed help. "And who better than Dean Winchester?" He muttered. Seconds later, Beckett Cole did the unthinkable. He pressed send.

000

She woke to rays of the sun lancing in through her window, getting past the cream white gossamer curtains that hung closed beside her bed. Groggily, Kelly Jones stretched and yawned. Her head was pounding, horribly, but other than that she felt… _Fine._ Her hand moved to her chest, expecting to meet blood slick skin, instead she found a smooth tee. She wiggled her toes. _Am I wearing socks?_ She lifted her head off the soft pillow and looked down towards the edge of the full sized bed. The white comforter felt like heaven compared to the scratchy motel blankets she was used to sleeping under. _Fortunately those are never flea infested._ Sometimes it felt like it though. _When I wake up all itchy._ Kelly paused. "Wait." She muttered. Bed, white comforter, no enemies in sight. "Where the hell am I?" Where was Lorna Timothy? _This can't possibly be on the boat._ She'd been shot. Then against her better judgment she'd risked life and limb to help Beckett escape. _Will he call Dean?_ Probably not. Beckett hated her, and the message had been really cryptic. _I just need to figure out where I am_. She thought, sitting up. _And why I'm sleeping with socks on_. Hell, or even how she'd managed to find pajama pants.

"So you're finally awake?" Kelly looked up to see a tall brunette woman leaning in the doorframe at the far end of the large room. She had curls that draped around her high cheekbones, and her lips were painted a soft rose petal pink. She was wearing a smart two piece green business suit with a pencil skirt that came down to her knees, and high heeled black pumps. She seemed to be amused. Her hazel eyes seemed to pierce right through Kelly, before they swept down to the floor, and her eyebrows wrinkled in distaste. Kelly blinked. "How long do you plan to play lay abed?" There was a touch of laughter in her voice, as she walked into the room. "Silly girl, everybody's downstairs waiting for you." Kelly swallowed as she continued. "They've been here for over an hour, don't you want to celebrate with them?" A warm smile graced her features, as the amusement seemed to reach her eyes. _Mom?_ Kelly couldn't find her voice. _Mom?_ She asked again, feeling like a plank had just struck her in the face.

"Mom?" She whispered. Tears welled up at the edges of her eyes.

"Yes?" Her mother asked. Seeing the look on Kelly's face she walked into the room, her lips pursed. She didn't stop moving until she came to sit at the end of the bed, and Kelly tucked her knees up to her chest, as her mother reached out and put her hand on Kelly's cheek. "What's wrong honey? Are you feeling sick?" There was so much sympathy in her eyes that Kelly barely held back the tears. "Should we call off the party?"

Kelly blinked. "What party?" She asked. Her eyes moved off her mother, trying to hide her shock, confusion, and overall uncertainty. _Who painted these walls pink?_ She wondered, momentarily sidetracked by the grand dresser and the large oak desk. Then she glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall.

"You're birthday honey." Her mother said. Patting Kelly's cheek, as her daughter glanced back at her. "What's the matter? You seem distracted?" _Of course I am, Mom._ Kelly thought. _I figured I'd never see you again._ A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed. _I thought I'd never see you again._ She reached out and pulled her mother into a bone crushing hug. Tears leaked out of her eyes, as she buried her head into her mother's shoulder.

"It's been so hard." Kelly whispered.

"I know." Her mother patted her head. "It's been hard for all of us. I haven't been able to think of anything else since your father passed. I know he would have wanted to be here, celebrating your twenty first year with you."

"Dad's not here?" Kelly asked.

"No honey, he passed away last week. That's why you came home from school." Her mother said. Kelly lifted her head to look at her mom. She met her hazel eyes, and saw the sadness there.

"I knew you needed me." She said. "I'm okay." Kelly inhaled her mother's scent, it was so comforting. It felt like her memories were returning, like she'd never left. _Like I never ran away._ As if everything that had happened with Sam and Dean was just a dream, or a hazy memory.

"I know." Her mom said. She smiled warmly.

"I just had a strange dream."

"What was it about?" Her mother asked, as Kelly swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and sat up straight.

"Supernatural." Kelly said, and watched as her mother frowned.

"You and Caitlyn have been watching too much of that show." She snapped. "I can see why it'd give you bad dreams."

"Not bad Mom." Kelly said, wondering what she'd done wrong. _This can't be happening. Am I really here? Am I really home?_ "Just strange." Her mother laughed.

"Well, if I have to hear another conversation about who's dreamier I think my head might explode." Her mother shook her head, her perfect curls staying in place as she stood. "I don't know Sam and Dean, but I swear the trouble those two boys cause me." _If only you knew._ Kelly thought. A small smile came to her lips as she thought of the two brothers bickering. _I guess they're lost to me now_. She crossed her arms, the elation at being home sinking into depression. _Why am I sad?_ She wondered. _I was the one who ran away from them!_ But… _Never seeing Dean again…_ Kelly wiped the corners of her eyes. _When did I get so attached to him?_ It had only been a dream right? Kelly laughed. After all, her mother expected her too, didn't she?

"Well, you know Dean's just a hunk a hunk of burning love." She said. Expecting her mother to smile, she watched as she frowned a little.

"That's odd." She shook her head. "Last night I heard you arguing with Caitlyn about Sam." She glanced at Kelly. "I thought he was the one you fancied."

"My liking Dean is a secret." Kelly said, and she put her finger to lips. "Shhh, it's funny to watch Caitlyn explode." Her mother reached out and rubbed the top of her head.

"Twenty one and still ready to bicker like a five year old." She said. "What did your father and I do wrong?"

"You gave birth to me?" Kelly asked. This time her mother really did laugh.

"Since you're feeling better, why don't you come downstairs." She said. "Everyone wants to see you." Kelly listened to her mother's heels clack as she headed for the door.

"I'm really home." Kelly swallowed. She stood and walked across the room to her dresser. Pulling out a clean bra, set of underpants, and shirt she changed out of her sleep clothes. Grabbing yesterday's jeans off her chair, she pulled them on and turned to the mirror. "Good enough." She laughed, then she stopped. A lump formed in her throat as she lifted her fingers to touch the top of her right cheekbone, right beneath her eye. The scar that had been cut into her cheek by H.H Holms was gone. "It was all just a dream." Kelly said. "Wasn't it?" But the lump in her throat wouldn't go away. "Oh, Dean." She whispered. Looking down at her feet, she tried to swallow again. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and slipped down her cheeks. "I'm home." _Did I die?_ She wondered and looked up into the mirror, a golden eyed black dog stared back at her. _No_. Kelly turned away, and hurriedly exited her room. She walked into the white hallway and slipped past three other rooms before she made it to the stairs. She looked out the window, the sun was already halfway across the sky, and sinking further. "How long did I sleep?" She wondered. _It looks like it's about twelve. Or one._ She stepped out onto the landing and looked down.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The words exploded up the stairs, and Kelly took a step backwards in surprise. _Wow._ She thought as she looked at the small group gathered at the bottom of the stairs. _Who knew my family had a huge set of lungs._ She certainly hadn't. But she smiled, as her little curly haired sister came bouncing up the stairs. _Caitlyn's seventeen._ Kelly thought, not sure why, as a set of beautiful arms came flying around her neck, and nearly knocked her off her feet.

"Whoa tiger!" Kelly laughed.

"I'm so, so, so, so sorry!" Caitlyn wailed. Uncomfortably, Kelly lifted her hand to pat the back of Caitlyn's head. "You're right, Sam is a total babe. I was a fool for not seeing it earlier!" She looked up at Kelly blinking beautiful long black lashes over wide hazel eyes, as her bangs curled across her forehead. Kelly swallowed. Her sister had beautiful porcelain skin. _If it wasn't for the freckles on her nose, she'd look like a doll._

"I'm glad you came to your senses." Kelly said.

"Well, there's a new episode on tonight." Caitlyn said. "So I will definitely change your mind! I'm totally going to have my victory!" Grabbing Kelly's cheek, she pinched it and dragged it sideways. Kelly chuckled, leaving her sister so surprised that she let her go. "Mom said you weren't feeling well." Caitlyn complained. "But I think you've had a total personality transplant." She stepped back and took in Kelly's outfit. "I mean you didn't even like, dress like you!" Caitlyn looked back over her shoulder, and Kelly saw the small group still gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Her mother, uncle, grandfather, little brother, and older brother were all watching them with amused expressions. "Am I right?"

"You did dress funky sis." Her older brother. _Mike_. Kelly remembered. "I gave you that Metallica tee as a joke. Never expected you to wear it." He snorted.

"I think it looks good on her." Her mother said.

"Not to go out to bars." Mike said.

"Are you blind Jackie?" Her uncle. _Uncle Mack_. "She looks like a neon sign."

"It's not a bad thing for the young to get into the old." Her grandfather admonished.

"Thanks Gramps." Kelly said. Startled, he looked up with her. Embarrassed, Kelly ducked her head behind her sister. "So?" She put her arm around Caitlyn. "What are we doing for birthday celebrations?"

"Oh! We're making you a huge birthday dinner, and then Mike's going out to get you alcohol so we can get you stone smashing drunk!" Caitlyn laughed. "I have a camera, and it's my job to take pictures." Kelly saw the disposable camera in her pocket. She looked back over her shoulder. The black dog was still there, staring at her passively. _It hasn't even changed position…_ She thought.

"Do we have a dog?" Kelly asked.

"No!" Caitlyn laughed. "I know you want one Kel, but Josh's allergic so Mom's always going to say no."

"Right." Kelly said.

"So?" Caitlyn asked. "You ready to get drunk?"

"Not tonight." Kelly said. She started pushing Caitlyn down the stairs, away from the black dog. _I don't want to go back._ She was happy here. She walked down the stairs with Caitlyn, and felt herself become fully absorbed into her family again. Still, she knew the dog's eyes were in her back. _I can fight it_. She thought, and she did.

Later around the coffee table Kelly found herself laughing with her sister. It was eight o'clock and she'd been surprised by how fast the day seemed to get away from her. "I still say that Dean is the best!" Caitlyn said, grabbing the remote away from Kelly. "And I only admitted I like Sam because it's your birthday!" Kelly laughed.

"Oh yeah?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah." Caitlyn said. Leaning over, Kelly put her arm around her sister's shoulders.

"Well, then I have a birthday secret for you too." She whispered. "I think Dean rocks too." Caitlyn gaped for a moment. The she took a deep breath.

"Man!" She exclaimed. "I wish you'd saved that for my birthday." Kelly leaned back and looked at the screen of the television. The commercials were ending and Supernatural was about to start. "Will you tell me it again on my birthday?" She asked. Kelly watched the familiar forms of Dean and Sam as they appeared on the TV. _Somehow it seems so much less real watching them onscreen._ She thought.

"Sure." She said. But Caitlyn waved at her to be quiet.

"Shh!" She said. "The show's starting."

"Sorry highness." Kelly laughed. She sank back into the pillows, completely and utterly content, until her eyes moved to the left. The same black dog was sitting beside the TV. "I'll try to be quiet." Caitlyn hit her with a pillow. Kelly pushed it away laughing, but her laughter died in her eyes as she looked at the dog. She was still the only person who saw it. _Obviously, cause everyone else is acting so damn normal._ She swallowed. Deep down, she knew what it wanted. _I can't do that._ She thought. _I can't._

A few minutes later, once the show had cut to commercial, Caitlyn turned to her. "Is it really true that you're not going back to college?" She asked.

"Not for a while." Kelly said.

"Why not?" Caitlyn asked. Kelly looked into her sister's eyes, and saw a mixture of disappointment and excitement. "You only got into this show so you could keep in touch with me, and now you won't be interested anymore cause you'll see me all the time."

"That's not true." Kelly laughed. Her eyes slipped back to the left of the TV trying to find the dog, but it was gone. "I'm hooked!"

"Really?" Caitlyn asked.

"Really." Kelly replied.

"Then I guess not going back is okay." Caitlyn said. "Oh!" She grabbed Kelly's arm. "It's starting again."

"Great." Kelly said. "But I'm getting thirsty, so I'm gonna get a drink." She stood, knowing that Caitlyn was too wrapped up in watching Dean move across the screen to care. Not that Kelly could blame her. Walking into the kitchen, she opened the fridge and pulled out a coke. Popping the lid on the can she put it to her lips.

"You're really not going back?" Her uncle asked. "I know you're mother asked, but…" He shook his head. "I don't know. You've never seemed like the type to follow orders." Kelly glanced at him.

"She needs me right now." She said. Her voice was soft, and she put the can down on the counter as her uncle walked towards her. "We need to get through this as a family."

"You believe that BS?" Her uncle asked. "This is your life, you shouldn't be sacrificing it for the happiness of others."

"I'm not." Kelly snapped. "I'm happy here." She glanced out the window, and saw the black dog in the backyard. It was looking at her. Calling to her, so strong. It was hard to resist. She shook her head angrily. "I'm happy here!" She said. "This is where I want to be!"

"Right." Her uncle said. "You keep saying that." Kelly took a step back, then she turned heel and left her soda on the counter. _What's wrong with staying here?_ Dean and Sam could take care of themselves, they didn't need her. _Can I stand only seeing them on a television screen?_ Never able to touch them or love them? _God I'm getting sappy._ She thought, sitting next to Caitlyn.

"Where's your soda?"

"I forgot it!" Kelly snapped.

"Touchy." Caitlyn said. "Okay, happy birthday, I won't talk to you." Kelly felt her sister slump into the couch, and they remained silent for the rest of the episode. As it finished, Kelly stood, and let her sister squeal over the next episode of Gossip Girl. She moved through the room, ignoring her older brother and her younger who were both deeply involved in a game of hearts with her mother and uncle. Glancing out the glass doors leading to the porch, she saw the black dog. Swallowing, Kelly walked across the hardwood and pulled the door open. She stepped out onto the porch, and walked to the steps, she sank down onto the steps. They watched each other for a few minutes, before Kelly's temper exploded.

"Is it a crime for me to be happy?" She yelled. Angrily grabbing a rock from Josh's fort, she hurled it at the dog. The animal stepped sideways to avoid it, and then sat again continuing to stare at her. "Is it wrong?" She met the animal's molten yellow eyes, and then her head fell into her hands. "I don't want to go back." She whispered. "I don't want to go." She looked up at the dog again. "I don't want to go!" She yelled vehemently. "So why can't you just leave me alone!" Tears welled up at the edges of her eyes, and they leaked out down her cheeks. "I don't want to go back." She whispered. "I never want to go back." It hurt to much there. "I want to be safe." _A place where there's no evil plans._ She thought. _No pain. No fighting. No death._ "Dean." She murmured. "I'm so sorry." _I'm not strong enough. I gave this up once. How can I do that again? How can I leave them again? I love them._

"Kelly?" A voice interrupted her thoughts, and Kelly looked up to see her grandfather stepping onto the porch.

"Gramps?" She asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question." He said. "It's late." She could feel his eyes going over her face. "You should be in bed."

"Can't sleep." She smiled up at him winningly, but the concern in his bright blue eyes told her that he wasn't fooled.

"It's been hard, hasn't it." He said, walking out. She listened to his bones creak as he sank down beside her. "Your thinking about school aren't you?" Kelly looked back out at the backyard. The black dog was gone again. _But it's only so long until it comes back._ She thought sadly. When she didn't reply, he nodded. "I know it feels like you're giving up."

"No." She shook her head.

"You feel like you're running away." He said. Kelly swallowed.

"You do know how to hit the nail on the head." She said.

He laughed. "Being old will do that to you."

"I guess." She smiled. Then she glanced up at him. "Mom needs me here." She said. Looking down at her hands, she listened to him sigh.

"You're too young to be thinking about taking on so much responsibility." He said. "James wouldn't have wanted this for you." He put his wrinkled and leather hand on her shoulder, Kelly shivered. "You know that."

"I'm needed here." Kelly said. She knew she sounded stubborn. "It's not too much responsibility, I can handle this and more Gramps. I know…" She trailed off, realizing suddenly how much like a kid she sounded. "I know I can."

"I don't doubt that honey." The fingers tightened on her shoulder. "You've always been strong." Kelly looked up at him, a tiny smile trying to fight it's way onto her lips, as she examined his moustache.

"Yeah?" She challenged. "How do you know that?"

"Because James told me." Her grandfather said. "He always believed in you, said you were the smartest of his brood."

"I think Josh takes that credit." Kelly quipped, and her grandfather smiled.

"Smartest mouth anyway."

"I'll take that." Kelly said. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Kelly looked out into the night sky, her eyes moving to the tree line of their property. There was nothing behind those trees, just a fence, and the next property. The next house. She shook her head. They were so alluring. It felt like they were calling to her.

"He always believed in you." Her grandfather said. "He knew you were meant for great things, even with all your setbacks. Even…" He broke off, and Kelly looked up at him. "He wouldn't have wanted you to make this place your life." He said. "Of all his children, he was the most certain that you would go out into the world and make it your own. He saw great things ahead of you."

"He did?" She asked. Turning her eyes away from the forest, she looked into his blue eyes.

"Yes." Her grandfather said. "He knew that you would do great things." His hand moved to her head, and he rubbed her crown. Laughing, Kelly looked down at her knees. A lump rose in her throat. "And." Her grandfather cleared his throat. "He would be most disappointed at your hiding here."

"I'm not hiding!" Kelly snapped. "I want to help you!"

"What can you do that Caitlyn, Mike, or Josh can't?" He asked. "No, it's not your time yet, sweetheart." He rubbed her head again. "You can't stay here."

"But…" She began.

"There are other people who need you more than us." Kelly looked up into his eyes surprised. "Didn't you have a boyfriend at school?"

"We broke up." Kelly said. "Then I got the news, and I had to come home." _I wanted this._ She thought.

"Ah." He said. "Love is hard, I'm seventy years old and I still don't understand it." He paused. "You're not running from that are you?"

"A little." Kelly said. Was it okay to talk about Dean here? Should she? She missed him, that was clear. "I met a guy."

"Oh, a boy." Her grandfather laughed. "I don't know if this old man is qualified to talk about this." Kelly glanced at him and met his warm smile. She smiled back.

"I love him so much." She said. "I never told anybody about it, but when he's not around I ache." She closed her eyes. "But he frightens me, he's never been in a relationship before and…" She trailed off. "I don't know…"

"You don't know if he can love you the same way?" Kelly nodded. Resting her forehead on her knees, she tried to ignore the darkness creeping along the edges of the trees. Was the dog coming back? "Well, how will you know if you don't give him a chance?"

"I don't…" Kelly started.

"You're afraid of getting hurt." Her grandfather said. His voice kind as he looked down at her. "I understand that, when I lost your grandmother I swore I'd never love again. But there was this one day when I saw Arabella May standing down by the San Francisco docks with her beautiful yellow parasol, and I couldn't help it." He smiled, and Kelly was warmed by the emotion in his memory. "I had to ask for her number. And you know, it was the best four years of my life post Margarie."

"Did you love her?"

"Yes." He nodded. "With all my heart, but not the same way I loved your grandmother. You shouldn't run from love, sweetheart." He said. "Because when you're ready to turn around it probably won't be there anymore." Looking into her eyes, he added. "I'd hate for you to miss out on life's great opportunities because you're afraid." Kelly opened her mouth to object, but her grandfather laughed again. "I know honey, you're not afraid of anything, but listen to an old man will you?" Kelly nodded.

"I will." She said.

"Good." He smiled. "You shouldn't run away, and you shouldn't be afraid of leaving the people you love behind."

"But…" Kelly started.

"You're family loves you, baby." He said. "We will no matter what you do, or who you grow to be." His eyes didn't leave hers. "We love you." Then he stood. "You know where you belong, Kelly." Her grandfather said. "My old joints are making me creaky." He said, laughing. "I'll leave you to your thoughts." Kelly listened to the porch boards creak as he walked back towards the door. "I know you'll make the right decision." Then he disappeared inside.

"But I don't want to make the right decision Grandpa." She whispered. "I want to make the wrong choice." The wind picked up, and Kelly looked out over the green grass of the back yard. She swallowed. The black dog moved like a shadow out of the trees and walked towards her, and she sensed a change in it. _It's time._ She thought and stood. Walking down the stairs and feeling the dampness of the grass between her toes, she met the dog midway. It came to her, the height of her midsection, and sat, looking up at her with cold yellow eyes. They glowed softly as the moon moved overhead. Shadow struck the yard, and Kelly sighed. "I don't even get to say goodbye do I?" She asked it. There was no response. Kelly turned her head, and looked back at the lights of the house. Inside her mother, uncle, and brother were sitting on the couch laughing. She looked up to the second story and found her little brother's bedroom. The lights were off, and she knew he was already asleep. Her brown eyes found the next window, and her sister. She swallowed the lump. There was a shadow there, and Kelly could make out her sister's profile. _Caitlyn_. She thought. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I wanted to finish the season with you too." Her eyes met the hazel pair, and she watched them widen as she turned away. "I'm ready." Kelly said, stretching out her hand. It rested on the dog's head, and she met it's eyes. "I'm ready to go back." She said. This time her voice was stronger. She looked back up at the window, but Caitlyn was gone. "I'm ready to become who I'm meant to be." Kelly said. Beneath her hand the dog barked, and Kelly collapsed to her knees, throwing her arms around it's neck, she buried her head, and her tears into it's shoulder.

"KELLY!" Kelly looked back over her shoulder, and she saw her family standing on the porch. Tears slipped down her cheeks as Caitlyn ran a little ways onto the lawn. "Don't go!" She cried. "Don't leave me again!" Kelly shook her head.

"I have to." Kelly said. She looked down at the dog. "I have to." The dog looked up at her. "Take me home." The dog barked, and Kelly felt the world go black. Then there was pain. Unimaginable pain.

AN: Okay, so I lied. The next chapter 32 is "You're No Prince Charming", and it will include Dean and Kelly's reunion, along with the completion of this arc. But I figured Kelly getting shot was too good to pass up, and some of you have asked questions about Kelly's backstory, so, yeah. Anyway, leave me reviews. You know I love them.

Chow!


	32. Chapter 32: Truth and Reconciliations

Chapter 32: Truth and Reconciliations

His cell phone rang. "Who the hell is that?" Dean asked as Sam reached forward to try to find the phone. "I got it Sam." Dean exclaimed as his brother's hand moved towards his pockets.

"You can't answer the phone while driving Dean." Sam said. His voice was neutral, as Dean dug around in his pockets for his phone. "It's not…"

"When do I ever stick to the safe side of the street Sammy?" Dean asked. "Got it." He said, as his fingers closed around the vibrating phone. Flipping it open, he stared at the name flashing in white lettering on the screen. Dean sucked in a deep breath. _Kelly?_ He thought. After all this time, why was she calling? Forgetting to breathe Dean hurriedly put the phone to his ear.

"Dean!" Sam's voice cut through his thoughts. Dean looked up, the light ahead of them had turned red, and all the cars were slowing to a stop. He was about to ram the front end of the Impala into a champagne colored Dodge Caravan carrying a full motley crew of family members who were probably heading for the local zoo. He hit the brakes. The Impala's tires squealed as the car slid forward. "Dean!"

"I know, Sam!" Dean snarled. The car came to a stop, centimeters from the Caravan's silver bumper. Sam let loose a sigh of relief.

"See." He said, glancing at his brother. "This is why you don't talk on the phone while driving." Dean ignored him, instead, he answered his cell.

"Kelly?" He asked. Sam head snapped sideways to stare at him with open mouthed shock.

"That's Kelly?" Sam asked. Dean ignored the question, and instead tried to focus himself completely on the voice at the other end of the line. There was a long pause, and then a male voice crackled through the speaker.

"Is this Dean Winchester?" Dean's heart thumped in his chest. What was a man doing answering Kelly's phone? Who was he? How did he know her? _Is she sleeping with him?_ Dean felt an irate surge of jealousy at the thought. Kelly was _his_ girl.

"Yeah. Who the hell is this?" Dean growled. His fingers tightening around the phone as he leaned over the wheel. In the background Foreigner roared "You're as cold as ice…" Dean tried to keep his attention on the light which had just turned green, and he pressed down a little on the gas, letting the Impala inch forward along with the rest of the traffic.

"The real Dean Winchester." The voice sounded dubious.

"Yes dipshit, where's Kelly?" Dean snapped. His knuckles whitened as he clenched the wheel. Sam glanced over at him, worried. This was not the wave of euphoria he'd been expecting his brother to experience over Kelly's sudden call.

"That's not Kelly?"

"Shut up, Sam." Dean snarled. "We're working this out."

"Oh, hell!" The voice exclaimed. He sounded young, maybe mid twenties. Younger than Dean. There was a certain degree of excitement in his voice that Dean didn't find wholly comforting. Where was Kelly? "It is you! Wow! I cannot believe this monster actually knows Dean Winchester!" Dean let loose a frustrated growl and then thrust the phone at Sam. _I can't deal with this crap._ He thought, turning his attention back to the road. The man on the other end of the line sounded like a fan boy, and if there was something Dean Winchester hated more than anything else, it was fan boys. Confusing overcame Sam's features as he put the phone to his own ear.

"Who is this?" He asked. "Where's Kelly?"

"Jeez." The voice cried. "Is this Sam Winchester?"

"Yes." Sam took a deep breath, trying to burn the impatience out of his voice. If this person had Kelly's phone, then they obviously knew Kelly or knew where she was. _And Kelly's too proud to call us except in case of emergency_. Sam knew that. _So what is this about?_ And why was this person so excited that they were the Winchester brothers? _He's not from another world too is he?_ Had the falling of people from one reality to another moved up to include boys? _Is that what Kelly found?_ But then why wasn't she talking to them herself? "I'm Sam Winchester."

"Man, I never believed that this monster actually knew the two of you." The voice said.

"Monster?" Sam asked. Worry overtook his tone. What did this guy know about Kelly?

"Monster?" Dean growled. He glanced at Sam. "What's going on?" Sam shook his head.

He covered the receiver. "Hasn't told me anything yet." Sam said.

"You got a name?" Dean asked.

"Not yet." Sam replied. He paused, then glanced at his brother again. "Why?"

"Because I need to know who to kill." Dean replied, glaring at the road in front of them. The Impala lurched as it picked up speed, and cut across the right lane into center traffic. Sam could feel his brother's impatience in the jerky movements. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to tell Dean to slow down.

"I mean I've heard all kinds of stories from some of the other hunters, but actually getting to talk to the two of you…" The voice was still babbling, and Sam tried to find fragments of patience. "You're dad was one of the best hunters there is…." The voice trailed off for a second. "Sorry, was." There was the sound of swallowing. "Wow, that's all I can say. Wow." There was another pause, and Sam tried to jump in again, only to find himself cut off. "Why haven't you killed her yet?"

"That's complicated." Sam responded, his own voice getting shakey. "Do you know where she is?" Sam responded.

"The monster bitch?" The voice asked. He sounded baffled by Sam's concern. "She's lying right in front of me."

"Is she there?" Dean asked, and when Sam nodded, he exploded. "Well, why isn't she talking then?"

"I'm trying to staunch the bleeding." The voice said and Sam paled. _Kelly's hurt?_ No wonder she'd called his brother. _She has my number…_ _ Why didn't she call me?_ He swallowed. _Because she's dating Dean_. Or something like that. Kelly had always called him first though. _What's changed?_ She'd slept with Dean. _Does that mean our entire relationship has changed?_ Sam swallowed.

"Could you put her on?" He asked. Dean was still driving, and Sam didn't need his brother going ballistic overhearing that Kelly was hurt.

"No." Was the response. Dean glanced at his brother.

"Well?" He asked.

"She's unconscious." The voice said at the same time. "The demon, man, lady thing, whatever she was. He or she shot her. Couple of inches off her heart. I'm trying to keep her alive, but while her pulse is strong, I'm worried the bullet might have collapsed a lung. Her breathing's getting shallow."

"She's got a collapsed lung?" Sam exclaimed. "Can you get her to a hospital?"

"The hell is going on Sammy?" Dean asked. His eyes swerving off the road to glare at his brother. Sam tried to ignore Dean's penetrating gaze as he looked out across the freeway towards the bay.

"No." The voice said. "And even if I could, I don't know if I'd want to." Sam swallowed. He opened his mouth to snap back, but the voice cut him off. "If you were any kind of hunter, you'd feel the same way, she's a monster and that makes her an abomination."

"She's not…" Sam snarled.

"Monsters die." The voice said. "That's our job, that's what we do Sam Winchester. I thought your father taught you that."

"Kelly isn't like them." Sam said. "She's different."

"Sure, she is." Came the very dry reply.

"If you think she should die, why are you stopping the bleeding?" Sam asked.

"There's bleeding?" Dean demanded. "You know what Sam, fuck the traffic safety laws, we're getting there now."

"The demon wants her dead, I want to fuck with the demon." The voice said. "Ergo she needs to live."

"What's your name?" Sam asked. The reply came after another long pause, and Sam heard a moan through the phone. It sounded like Kelly. He could hear the rapid breathing, and another moan. He was glad it was him listening to it and not Dean. _Dean would probably take it the wrong way._ Of course Dean had a mind that tended towards mixing porn with reality. _And jumping to a sexual conclusion isn't off the deep end for him._ Besides… _Kelly's sounds…_ Even if she was gasping for life, it was a major turn on.

"Beckett Cole." There was another short pause. "Why?"

"My brother needs to know who to kill." Sam glanced at Dean. "He says his name is Beckett Cole."

"Oh, he's gonna die." Dean said. There was a malicious smile now finding his way onto his features.

"Just don't crash the car before we get there." Sam said, covering the receiver with his hand again. Dean snorted, and revved the engine to cut in front of a green Subaru Forester. The SUV swerved a little as they jumped ahead, and Dean's eyes scanned the exit signs looking for the right one. "This guy deserves to be taken apart by his spleen."

"I don't think you can actually take someone apart with the spleen, Sammy." Dean said. "But that's a good attempt at the dramatic."

"What?" Sam asked. "My threats not up to par?"

"I wouldn't say that." Dean shrugged. "But sometimes they do make you sound like a wimp."

"Well forgive me for not having the same brawling instincts as you Dean."

"I'm a straightforward kind of guy." Dean said. "With a better understanding of anatomy." He paused, then smirked. "Especially female anatomy."

Sam groaned. "How long until we get there?"

"You mean how long before his number's up?" Dean asked. "Twenty minutes, tops."

"In this traffic?" Sam exclaimed. He waved at the line of cars extending off towards the Bay Bridge. "Are you kidding?"

"Sammy." Dean said, completely serious. "I am nothing, if not a miracle worker."

"She'll be fine, Dean." Sam said, noting the maniac glint that was sparking in his brother's eyes.

"I don't know about that." Beckett said from the telephone, and Sam looked down to realize he'd taken his hand off the receiver. "Even with me applying pressure to her chest the blood's seeping out, that and her temperature is dropping." There was another pause and Beckett said. "She's starting to shiver. There's a lot of blood, Winchester."

"Keep her with you!" Sam yelled. There was another pause, and then Beckett replied in a droll voice.

"Hard to do that when she's unconscious." He sounded like he was laughing. "Damn, it's a lot of blood." There was another pause. "It's a lot. Maybe the bullet did puncture an artery, I don't know. If it collapsed a valve then there's nothing we can do for her…she's…"

"Sammy?" Dean asked. "The hell is going on?" Sam was about to answer when suddenly there was screaming. _Kelly's screams_. Sam could recognize those anywhere. For him, they were incredibly distinct.

"Holy!" Sam could practically feel Kelly's body bucking through the phone, twisting and vibrating. Then there was a roar. "SHIT!" Beckett exclaimed. The line went dead. Sam dropped the phone. It fell through the air, arcing to land on his jeans. It bounced off his lap to lay between his legs. Sam could only stare at it and wonder. _What just happened?_ Was Kelly dead? Was Beckett dead? What was that roar? He swallowed.

"Well?" Dean demanded.

"The line's dead." Sam said. "I don't know… I don't know what happened Dean." He glanced at his brother, but Dean's eyes weren't on him, they were on the road, and Sam felt the car shifting into an even higher gear. "This isn't good."

"Thank you, Sam." Dean snapped. Sam could hear the stress in his brother's voice. "Thank you for giving us the most obvious statement of the year." Then Dean turned the car savagely, and they barreled down the off ramp towards the bay and the wharves.

000

She was exploding. Her body bending, contorting, spasms shooting through her arms as her fingers condensed, sharpened. She screamed. Head thrown back, she writhed on the floor. Liquid fire shooting through her veins as her bones groaned and crunched together. Bending. Twisting. Reshaping. Steel. Did she lay against steel? It was cold. Cold was good. Light exploded. Spots the color of red, black, orange, yellow, and gray dotted the expanse before her eyes. Each pulse was unbearable as it shot through her body like avenging needles. Pain jabbed into her elbows, rocked her sides. Was there a face above her? Familiar. Dangerous. Scream. Blackness. Just the dark. She knew the dark. It was comforting there. Safe. She screamed. Agony. Fire filled agony. Shoulder rotating in it's socket, neck elongating, becoming, fingers shrinking, hurting. Bones. Creak. Groan. Compress. Twist. Something new. She was new. New. Aware of everything, she was suddenly aware of nothing. Nothing except the pain. Pain that drove needles into her eyes, pain setting her nerves on fire, lightning wracking and burning across her back. She was Sherman's March. After she passed nothing would remain. A husk of what was. She would be. Aware. A fly clung to the open eye across the room, it's wings rubbing together, buzzing in her ear. A gasp above her head, short bursts of breath, terror. She could smell it. Rotting, decaying, acrid flesh. She swung. Her body, not yet ready, fell upon it's belly and she writhed. Writhed like a mouse caught in the jaws of an adder. Screaming. Was she screaming? Her voice was dead. No sound emerged. Was this her voice? Desire. Choice. Destiny. Pause the screaming cacophony of unearthly choirs resonating through the cosmic twists. Universe. Purpose. Hunt. The Hunt. A feral roar welled up inside her soul and she remembered.

_"I can't do this anymore!"_ Words echo through her. Chasing away the doubt as memories coursed through her streaming blood. _"I can't stay here!"_ Night, darkened by rain clouds. The grass is soaked. A girl runs out through a door and down off the porch, to the silver truck that stands in the drive way. _"I don't want this!"_ Don't want this. Don't want this. Don't. Rain slicked streets. She sticks a key in the ignition. The engine revs. Droplets of water trickling down her cheeks, across her lips. She licks them. Slam. A door closing. Another voice. Her mother's voice.

_"If that's how you feel then don't come back!"_

Don't come back. Don't come back. Don't. A roaring engine. Hitting the gas. Backing out of the driveway and around a curve. She hydroplanes. Screaming. The truck slams into the barrier edge. The metal groans, twisting it gives way. Rolling, falling, the car goes over the cliff. Darkness.

Don't come back.

Heartbeats shivering in a case of bones. There is only the Hunt. The Hunt. The hunt is left. Demons. Death. The Hunt. A monster screams. Bones groaning, creaking, shifting. Shape is gone. Liquefied. There is the Hunt. Only the Hunt. Nature of the true self. Humanity extinguished to the Hound. Howl. The Dog rises. Exploding. Hunt. Purpose. Hunt. Monster. Hunt. Rip, tear, claws, teeth, grinding bark. Eternity. The Hunt. Give to the Mother.

Don't come back.

Pain. There is pain in the change, in shifting shape. Pierced. A bullet in the chest. Silver make. Monster. Blood. Gone. Demon. Hunt. _I must hunt._

Slowly, the Dog opened her eyes. Her tail, long and black, swished the air behind her as she lifted her head. A slender muzzle pointed straight ahead, as her black ears swiveled back and forth, attuning themselves to every sound. Flies buzzing around a decaying corpse, water lapping against the hull, the creaking groan of metal as they shifted against the dock, each echoed through her sensitive ears. Excess water splashed against the steel floor down the hallway. Slam. Lumbering footsteps, three floors up. The Dog inhaled. All other scents faded away, except for one. Her prey. The others she left in a jumbled mass smells as she detected the faint traces of sulfur clinging to the oxygen. Sulfur. _Demon_. Demon meant. _Prey._ The Dog growled. It loosed from her throat in a ripple of sound, uncontained by the hollow halls of the ship. Determined the Dog stood as the boat rocked beneath her paws. Her newly formed legs shook, like a newborn filly standing for the first time. She felt out of balance. Uncoordinated. Clumsy. She whined. Too long had she slept, her true self confined by her damaged psyche. She had not known the truth. She had been confused and frightened without a purpose. Everything was new. With a soft whimper the Dog tucked her tail partially between her legs and lowered her head. She was alone. There was no Binder here to keep her stable. No master for whom she could hunt. She was incomplete. Newly born and alone. Vulnerable. Behind her, she heard the scrambling of feet, gasping breath, and the Dog smelled fear. That was also new. She turned her head, black lips curling back to expose long white canines. They glinted in the murky light as she examined the man trying to find his feet. He was a hunter, she could smell it, but he was not hers. The Dog was concerned. Where was her Binder? Her soul partner? She was lost with no connection and was too young to know how to make one. She stepped back. Revulsion coursed through her. He was not hers.

"Monster?" The voice croaked. The Dog knew the man had a name, but names were fluid in her mind. They had no shape, no form. She understood his identity. He was the Bastard. The Bastard was useless to her. She wanted the Lover. She did not contemplate these things in words, only in emotion, feelings, and base instincts. Words and names clouded the mission, they interrupted the Hunt, the purpose for which the cosmos turned. The Hunt. The Dog growled in response to his words. Then she turned, once again inhaling stale air. Her nose wrinkled as she reclaimed the scent of her prey. The acrid stench of sulfur clung to the molecules of oxygen in the air, permeating the metal walls. It had not spent much time here. Only pausing recently before retreating. It had injured her. This she understood. She leapt forwards, her body still aching from the transformation, her feet were clumsily tripping over one another as they adjusted to traveling on all fours. She could feel the weakness of her form. This troubled her. She belonged to the cosmic. Her breed as old as time, her kind had been shaped and formed for the purpose of the Hunt. To guard the Spirit Paths and the passageway to the Underworld. They had many names in many cultures. The ancient Greeks had labeled her people as a singular animal, a three headed black dog. Guardians of the Dead. Hunters of the Unclean. They carried the escaped souls back to hell, and hunted those who refused to go. They were ancient, old. But she was new. The Dog understood the grand history of her heritage, it traveled through each pup as a genetic memory. Along with the knowledge of her duty and the revelation of her purpose. She could not exist as Dog without a Binder. Still, she was Hound and Hounds could do nothing other than Hunt. Sweeping past the human's quivering form, she stalked to the closed metal door. Touching her nose to the cool steel, she shut her black lids over blazing eyes and whined. The note struck a chord through the heavens, reverberating back to her. There was a groan as the lock on the metal door clicked and swung open. The Dog jumped forward. There was no lock that could hold a young barghest. It was part of the magic of their being. The Dog paused a moment. Such magic was easy, but had she not been bound to her physical form she knew she would not have needed it. Still, she was to young and to weak to take soul shape. The Dog did not consider this for very long. Instead, she ran.

000

As the road came to an end at the waterfront, the Impala pulled to a creaking halt. Shuddering as Dean lifted the emergency break, the steel frame of the car relaxed as the tires sank into the pavement. Overhead the sun was dipping into the western hemisphere, staining the long fluffy gray strips of cloud pink with it's fading light. At the edges of the horizon the sky turned from blue to violet as the day sank towards night. In the east, Sam could see the moon beginning to rise. It was now three days off of being full, and Sam hoped they'd find Kelly soon, before the chance to catch the werewolf expired. He swallowed, still troubled by the thought of expedience. He didn't notice that Dean had left the car, until the driver's side door slammed shut. Sam climbed out after his brother, and stopped to stare down at the empty dock. Warehouses lined the edge of the water, but there were no boats tied to the wharf. _I thought she was on a boat._ Sam thought. Had they gotten lost? Dean started off with intent, and Sam followed him closely. His eyes examining the numbers of the warehouses they passed, trying to get some clue into where his brother was going. Dean didn't bother looking at them, and that made Sam wonder how the hell his brother knew where to go. He followed him for ten minutes, trailing a few paces behind, and shining his flashlight on each door. Where was Kelly? Should he try calling Beckett again? Sam swallowed. He patted down his jacket pocket, and then realized he'd forgotten Dean's cell in the car. _Smooth Sam._ He thought as he followed Dean down the deserted wharf. _Very smooth._ "This place is eerie." Sam said, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah." Dean replied. "Like something straight out of a Freddie Krueger movie."

He lifted his hands and made clawing motions. "Freddie versus Jason: Revenge at the Docks."

"Could you at least try to be serious Dean?" Sam asked. "Where are we going?"

"To the only boat on the wharf Sam." Dean said. He lifted his hand and pointed. "See." Sam looked up to see a chicken wire fence surrounding what looked like a junkyard.

"I don't see a…" Then his eyes turned out to the bay and he saw what looked like a thirty foot tall retired fishing boat. It's gray hull was rusting, and he could see oil running down it's sides into the water. Suddenly feeling stupid, Sam demanded. "Why didn't the police ever search that?"

Dean shrugged. "Maybe they dump the bodies somewhere else." He said. "Either way, we're going in there." They came to a stop at the edges of the fence, and Sam put out his fingers and touched the wire. Electricity sparked against his hand, burning him.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed and let go. "How?" He asked. "We can't climb it."

"How else do you think Sammy?" Dean said. He walked towards the water. "The only other way we know how." Then he dove into the lapping green brine. There was a loud splash as the water broke around him, and he disappeared under it.

"Right, because picking the warehouse lock would take too much time." Sam muttered. Still, he followed his brother.

000

The Dog raced through the corridors, jerkily sliding around the sharp turns as she followed the smell. She was in the bowels of the ship. Her prey was above her. The Dog sought stairs. All around her echoed screams and pleading cries. She knew they were simply leftover from the atrocities committed in this place, and their ghostly whispers did nothing to halt her progress towards the surface. She did not know whether the hunter had followed her or not. She knew it was distinctly impossible for him to keep pace, as he lacked her balance and the help of two extra legs. Slowing as she approached the staircase leading to the deck, the Dog inhaled the fresh scents. Clothing littered the stairwell, and she identified a strange perfume. She knew this smell, and also the face it now belonged to. Her prey and this scent were now one in the same, with the demon possessing the body. But the body was also not human. This made it prey. The Dog climbed quickly and easily with long legged strides as she bounded from one small step to another, until finally she reached the top. She paused on the landing before the closed exit to the open air and the deck. A large pool of blobby skin and fat lay discarded in front of her, and the Dog did not have to lower her head or sniff it to know who it belonged to. _Shapeshifter_. The pieces were clicking together. Her ears twisted forwards, and she sensed her prey approaching. A low growl billowed out from her vocal chords, and she became a black shadow slinking forwards. Again at the door she whistled, and the lock clicked. The door slid open, and the Dog stepped out into the open air. Night was coming on, she could smell the changes in the air as it grew colder. Wind ruffled her fur, and a dark shape stepped before her gaze. The Dog snarled, her head lowering, and her ears flattening against her skull as her lips curled back. Her tail stiffened out like a bottle brush, and her legs locked in place. Her eyes rose to the face of the lumbering man and his pitch black eyes. _Demon. Prey._

"So." The familiar voice said. It sounded lazy, as a hand waved the barrel of a gun in front of her eyes. "You made it." The dog barked, and snapped at the gun. The man drew his hand back laughing. "You can't hurt me in this body." He informed the Dog. "But I can hurt you." Taking a step back, she watched as he leveled the gun at her again. "I knew it would take more than one bullet to drop you." He said. "But can you come back from a shot between the eyes?" The Dog rumbled. She knew what to do. Instinct pounded in her brain, thudding against her senses. Strike, it told her. Strike. She roared and lunged.

000

Dean flinched at the sound of a gun discharging. Grabbing the ladder rungs he hauled himself out of the water and began to climb. Sam was not far behind him, Dean could hear him splashing against the waves. Wet clothes clung to Dean's skin as his hair plastered against his skull. Water dripped down his forehead, and the salt stung at his eyes. He climbed, hand over foot, up the side of the hull. Breathing heavily he paused as his hands tried to slip loose from gripping the rusty steel rungs. The ladder groaned beneath his weight and he felt his body threatening to fall as the boat rocked towards him. _Damn it._ He thought as he rushed upwards. _Damn it._ He was not going to lose her again. Not again. Not so soon after he'd finally managed to find her. He wasn't going to let her run away. _And I'm the only one who gets to put a bullet in that fine ass._ Anyone who thought differently would find themselves on the opposing side of his pistol. Dean clamored up the side, yanked himself over the edge, and slid onto the deck. He could only be surprised by what he saw.

000

Kelly knelt on the deck. Her eyes searching the rusting steel coated with large nets sprawling out from the left. In front of her lay the Walther P99. Aching, she reached for the gun. Shivering fingers secured the handle in her grasp, as she ran her index finger over the safety on the barrel, and stood. Her muscles flinched and shook as she moved. Her quadriceps and calves complaining as she straightened upwards, gun in hand. Behind her, a man lay on his back, as if he'd been knocked over. His arms spread eagled, and she could feel the hatred in his eyes. Hatred nearly overtook horror as his gaze burrowed into her spine, but Kelly relaxed her shoulders, and turned around.

"You!" He cried. "You! How could you?" Every motion she made caused her muscles to spasm. It felt like her nerves were on fire as she turned her head to look down at him. It felt like every inch of her had ruptured, and it was only on strength of will that she managed to stand. "Monster!" She flinched. "Abomination!" Spit flew from his mouth as he struggled to sit up. "What did you do?" He roared.

Kelly forced her aching facial muscles into a smile as she responded. "I guess that means we've got something in common."

"You ripped the demon out of me." There was a shift, and now a woman's voice emanated out of the man's mouth. Kelly suppressed a chuckle, even though the whole thing looked absolutely ridiculous. "One good deed doesn't make you any less the spawn of Satan." She hissed and Kelly sighed.

"You know." She said. "I could just continue to stand here and listen you froth at the mouth about God, vengeance, and Satan. About how I'm evil, and how I'm going to hell for all my sins." Kelly leveled the gun at the man as he struggled to his knees. "Or, Lorna, I could just put a bullet in your chest and call it even."

"Bullets can't kill me." Lorna hissed. "I'm blessed by God."

"Huh." Kelly said. She looked at her gun and then back at Lorna. "That's the rub isn't it." She swayed a little as she pointed the gun at Lorna's chest. "You'd think silver was my poison pill." She shrugged and gazed down at Lorna. "What do you want to bet it's yours?" Then she pulled the trigger. Pain rocketed up her wrist from the recoil, and her fingers nearly dropped it. Still she hung on and bit her lip, not wanting to cry out. Then she lowered the gun as a northerly bay cut across her skin. She stared into the empty glassy eyes of the Shifter now lying spread eagled on the deck. The man who had been Lorna Pimm. "Have fun in hell, Lorna." She coughed. "Say hi to Lucifer for me."

"Kelly?" A very familiar voice said from behind her. Kelly swallowed. Shock swelled through her breast, and she whipped around to meet a pair of beautiful hazel eyes. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she saw the concern in his eyes, his disheveled face, and his soaked form. Water dripped off of his boots onto the deck, and his jacket clung to his sides as his three layers of shirts bubbled off his chest. _How can he stand in that?_ She wondered as her lips parted, and her eyes widened. Her hand rose to where the bullet had pierced her chest, but there was nothing there, no pain, nothing. Was this another dream?

"Dean?"

A/N: I think there was some confusion in the last chapter. When I said the end of the arc, I meant the end of this particular arc, AKA Kelly on her own. We're actually about half-way through the first Book of Down The Rabbit Hole, and if you ever think I'm ending it early again just remember Season 2 Finale, Azazel Final Battle. Anyway, I hope that clears up any misunderstandings caused by my lack of clarification. I suppose the title You're No Prince Charming would have worked for this too, but how can I convince you that I'm not ending the story unless I keep dangling it like a carrot in front of your noses? I swear the next chapter will be You're No Prince Charming, and it will be Dean and Kelly's reconciliation.

As always, thanks Guardian Music Angel for her lovely reviews, and a special thank you for Winchesterxboyz. I swear I'm writing these chapters for you, just so I can get the reviews. ^_^ Anyway, the next installment is being drafted, and unless I'm unable to sleep tonight should be up soon.

I love reviews, I love getting reviews, but even if you don't the chances are I'll still be writing anyway. Chow!


	33. Chapter 33: You're No Prince Charming

Chapter 33: You're No Prince Charming

Her body swayed a little bit as her muscles fought to keep her upright. She was not fainting in front of Dean. She absolutely was not. Not after she'd come this far. Not after she'd sworn to prove herself as a hunter. _Not after I said I wouldn't go back._ She swallowed. _But I did._ She gazed at Dean with wide brown eyes. _I came back for you_. The words resounded in her mind. _Do you even still want me?_ She forced a cocky smile onto her tired lips, as she tilted her head casually to one side. "What took you so long?" She asked. Her voice nonchalant. Her balance tipped and she nearly staggered sideways, luckily Dean didn't seem to notice.

"Rush hour traffic." He replied. His voice dry as his eyes ran over her body. "It's a bitch." Swallowing loudly, Dean allowed a quintessential smirk to grace his frozen features. _God damn she's sexy._ Here she was, gun in hand, standing in front of him like one of his late night fantasies. With the baddie casually dispatched to the side, she gazed at him with her beautiful brown eyes, her expression cool as the silver Walther P99 hung languidly in her free hand. Dean was first to admit that the gun did not fit into the scenario, he'd have preferred her with a Colt or a Beretta. Still, there was one thing this vision in front of him had gotten dead on. Here, like in 99.9 percent of his dreams, she was utterly and completely naked. Dean licked his lips, fighting the urge to swiftly close the gap between them, take her in his arms, and press her sweet mouth to his. He wanted to touch her, hold her, taste her. He wanted to… Wait. Realization struck him like a hammer blow to the skull, leaving him rattled. _She's naked._ That didn't quite fit. For all he wanted to shake his head, Dean didn't. His mind was working furiously to find some solution for why Kelly would be hunting on a retired fishing boat without clothes. Dean cleared his throat. Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe he was just so happy to see her that he was imagining her naked. Yes, that had to be it. Dean Winchester was after all a master at stripping away clothes, whether it be physically or mentally. And he was almost always right in his imaginings. _Except one drunken night during Spring Break in Orlando._ But that was another story. He tried to force himself to admit that it would be fairly easy to imagine her naked. After all, he'd seen her without clothes before. On that steamy night in the Impala before she disappeared. Had her disappearance been due to the bad sex? Dean paused. No, that couldn't be it. He was a master in the sinful art of lust. _Even if I haven't gotten any in a week_. Compared to the three and a half month long dry spell before this, that really wasn't so bad. _And Kelly's here_. So he had a chance to rectify the situation. _Unless I piss her off._ But what were the chances of that happening? _Pretty damn good._ He was never having sex again. This time Dean really did shake his head. He wasn't a fan of thinking, and lately whenever he did, even if it was about sex, it tended towards the morose. That was depressing. Dean paused as Kelly cleared her throat impatiently. She couldn't be naked. She couldn't be standing in front of him, all her clothes gloriously missing with gun in hand, and not know. Dean looked up and let his eyes run over her again. Her lightly tanned flesh, bordering on pale white around her tummy and thighs was covered in gooseflesh. Her breasts were perkily curving upwards with the pink nipple standing erect. Either from arousal or from the cold. He'd like to think it was arousal, and he followed that line of self-congratulation. He was about to step forward when he noticed the amused twinkle glittering in her eyes. Dean swallowed again, his throat suddenly very dry. Nothing good every came from that twinkle. This he knew. It either lead to raucous nights filled with debauchery, revelry, and lots and lots of sex, or… _It means my ass is about to be chewed out, spit on, and hung over a fire_. However, the prospect of his heart being ripped out and stomped on was offset by the reality of a very naked Kelly Jones standing in front of him.

"Funny." She said. Her tired lips formed a smile, and she rocked a little on the balls of her feet. "That's funny." Still, it occurred to Dean that Kelly was a very bright girl. Not as smart as Sam, but she understood how to do the whole research thing, and she had more patience than he did. So that left the question... _How is she not noticing?_ There was one thing Dean was sure of. _She'd know if she wasn't wearing clothes._ So, had someone put her under a spell? He took a deep breath. He hated witches, warlocks, and sorcerers of every kind, but if someone had cast a spell that made Kelly wander around with her clothes off, he'd personally extend a hand to thank them. Dean smirked. Right before he stabbed a knife into their gut for the offense of seeing her naked. A harsh cough brought him back to reality. He looked at her, and was met with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm a funny guy." Dean said. He swallowed. It was time to force himself to see reality. _In three seconds this lovely vision will be replaced by a bruised and bloody girl in desperate need of hospital attention._ He thought as he tried to keep his eyes on her face. And he, in hero form, would be ready to sweep her away and personally tend her wounds. _Girl, hurt, in hospitalizing condition_. His eyes ran over her sexy take charge stance, and his heart skipped a beat. _Not managing well._ In truth, he didn't want the vision to end. He was sad to see it go. Still, he knew for the sake of his sanity that it had to. _Three, two, one…_ He blinked. No change. He blinked again. Still no change. He swallowed. _I am in deep, deep shit._

"I know. It makes you cute." She laughed. Her voice shook. She watched Dean, carefully trying to gather his response. He was a defensive guy, and while some emotions were easy to read on the surface, he tended to have more circling underneath. Kelly wouldn't have been so careful except that these emotions sometimes bit, and Kelly had learned to watch her step when it came to Dean. _Still, he looks…thunderstruck._ It was almost as if someone had taken a crowbar to the back of his head. _Without the blood and unconsciousness_. Suddenly she realized that his eyes had descended towards her cleavage. Kelly shivered. Damn, she was cold. "Dean?" She asked. Her arms still hung away from her body. The sea breeze picked up again and her entire body quivered. Her feet were numb. Her toes felt like icicles. Was she wearing shoes? _Maybe they came off in the transformation._ That she remembered. Vaguely. "Is there something on my neck?"

She'd sounded mildly perturbed when she asked the first question and he knew he wasn't making it any better. _Great, four minutes into a reunion and she's already pissed at me_. Dean didn't know how much more pissed she was going to get, and he had no intention of finding out. _But she needs an answer._ He thought. _No honey, I'm not staring at your neck, I'm staring at your cleavage._ That probably wouldn't fly well. Kelly didn't look like she was in a humorous mood. _There's nothing on your neck._ Dean thought. _Keyword: nothing._ He tried to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, there were so many dirty naked puns he could exploit. _And none of them will earn me the right back in her bed._ His future sex life was on the line here. Dean snickered, he couldn't help it. It defied his essential nature to let this one go. But when he tried to answer, all the great lines got tangled up in his throat so that the first word out of his mouth was a stunned sounding… "Naked." Dean blurted. _Smooth, Winchester._ He thought. _Very smooth._

Kelly paused. Stunned for a moment. Then she looked up at Dean again. "What?" She demanded. Dean watched, heart thumping, as her eyebrows contorted into a frown, the black hair knitted together, and the fading light glanced off her brown eyes, giving them a yellow cast. _That's new._ He thought. He figured he'd try this again.

"Honey, baby, babe." He swallowed. None of those pet names sounded right.

"Yes?" Kelly asked. Her hand clenched into a fist. She was very tired, and Dean being cryptic wasn't helping. _What does he mean I'm naked?_ Honestly, wouldn't she know if she was naked? Kelly paused. _I am very cold._ Maybe less clothing had come through the transformation than she'd thought. _But I can't be totally…_ Because that wasn't possible. _I'd _know.

Dean at the same time was having his own set of difficulties. "Kelly." He said. "You're butter's been cooked, the chickens have flown the coop, you forgot your underwear. And you're pants." He swallowed. Why was this so damn hard? Normally he'd be telling jokes about now. Well, he was cracking jokes, but he was supposed to be cracking clever ones! _Damn it!_ He watched as Kelly frowned. "You're very sexy, honestly you could be on the cover of Playboy with that…." He coughed. "Naked body and if you want to move to a nudist colony I'm right there with you." _Where's Sam when I need him?_ On second thought… _I don't want Sam to see Kelly in the nude._ That was a pleasure he wanted to keep for himself.

"What do you mean?" She snapped. "I'm not."

"Babe, honest to god, you're naked." Dean said. She stared at him. The wind brushed across her skin and she shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself. Dean watched as a look of startled realization crossed her features, and she blanched.

"Dean!" She yelped. "What did you do with my clothes?" Her right arm rose up to wrap around her breasts, and her left dropped to cover her genitals. _Right, it's my fault I found you naked._ Dean thought as he hurriedly began taking off his wet jacket. _Always blaming me_. Some covering had to be better than nothing. _And in any other situation she'd probably be right._ He was dallying. _But it's not like I can magically zap off her clothes with crazy mind powers._ Dean paused. _That would be cool._ It was Kelly's anxious voice that brought him back to reality. "Dean!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to kill you for this!" Gooseflesh had spread out across her entire body. He paused, watching as she comically hopped from one foot to the other.

"Yes, but seeing you like this means I can now die happy." He said.

"Dean!" She growled. "Give me the jacket."

_She's never going to forgive herself for this_. He thought, laughing. "You know, I really wish I had a camera." He said. "Capture the moment." Then as a booted foot struck the metal siding, Dean was struck with a sobering realization. _Sam is coming up behind me… _ He'd have to cut the moment short and give her his jacket. _Even so, I want to see how far I can take this._ He smirked, then a less pleasant thought crossed his mind._ Where's the man with a death wish? Beckett?_ He had to be around here somewhere. Dean wondered. _Did the demon get him?_ Or would Dean still get the chance to beat Beckett into human colored paste. Plus blood. Blood was a bonus.

"Then we can scrapbook it and sing happy hippi ya-yas." Kelly said as her teeth started to chatter. "If I don't murder you in your sleep first." Her fingers, toes, legs, and skin were all numb. Each second spent out in the chill San Francisco air made her skin tighter. _This really is a fantasy come true._ Dean smirked as he watched her bounce up and down. _When reality's this good, who'd ever confuse it with porn._ Well, Dean would, but it would now be so much more amusing.

"Kumbaya mi'lord." He hummed. "Kumbaya."

"Dean!" Kelly hissed. "I swear to god, if you ever want to have sex with me again you'll stop laughing and give me clothing!" Dean couldn't help it. He just couldn't get the grin off his face. His amusement however, didn't mean much to Kelly, who was still hopping between one foot and the other like a stork. Her left arm had given up on her genitals and was now wrapped firmly around her chest, as she rubbed herself trying to restore feeling in her fingers.

"I'm pretty sure this is almost worth that possibility." Dean chuckled.

"Throw me a line." Kelly said. "Throw me the jacket. Throw me anything!" Shivering from head to toe, she rubbed her arms vigorously. "Please, Dean." She snapped. "Don't make me beg."

"You beg?" Dean asked. "I haven't had a chance to see that yet."

"Dean!"

"You're adorable." He said. For all his earlier concern, after finding her in such an uncomfortable position, he couldn't help lording it over her. He held the jacket up in front of her. Kelly trying to maintain some sense of dignity didn't lunge for it. "You really are."

"God, I swear…"

"Hey I can live without the sex." Dean said. Kelly raised an eyebrow at him, and he did so in return.

"No you can't." She said.

"No, I really can't." He smirked. "But I'm getting the feeling that you're nearly as horny as I am." Kelly glared at him as she hopped. He paused and grinned, then he looked down at the jacket. An idea latched onto his brain waves. It was a terrible idea. _It might just work_. "And I might be out of line here—"

"You are."

"But I feel inclined to barter this jacket for a relationship." He dangled the sodden jacket in front of her like a carrot.

"Dean!"

"Be my girlfriend." Kelly stopped bouncing and stared at him. Her jaw came loose, and hung open as she stared at him.

"That is the most unromantic thing I ever heard." She exclaimed. "And I'm pretty sure that Sam is coming up behind you, and…"

"He's not as good a swimmer or a climber." Dean said. He still held the jacket loosely in one hand.

"I'm sure that you don't want Sam to see me naked." She said. Her arms tightened around her chest. _He can't say no to that._ She thought. She was dizzy, and it had nothing to do with the repetitive rocking motion of the boat. _No._ Be his girlfriend? _I can't be his girlfriend!_ She loved him, she'd come back here for him… _Well, to find who I really am, but still!_

"That's true." He said. Kelly forced her numb skin into a grin, thinking she'd won. But then Dean retracted the jacket when it came within inches of her numb fingers. She knew she couldn't grab at it. If she did, she'd fall over. "But I want you more." Kelly looked up into his eyes. Seeking his sincerity, she sucked in her breath.

"Dean!" She yelled.

"Yes?"

"This is stupid!" Dean held out the jacket again and Kelly eyed it longingly.

"Are you saying you don't want to be my girlfriend?" He asked.

"No." She said. Her voice mutinous. Dean smirked, and started to hum Kumbaya. He knew he was wearing her down. _And I'm going to take massive shit for it later._ Where was Sam anyway?

"So?"

Kelly stuffed her hands into her armpits, trying to regain feeling in her fingers. _Oh, god. I can't believe he's doing this to me._ She thought, biting her lip. He was looking at her with raised eyebrows, classic smirk on his face. _I don't want to let him win._ She thought grinding her teeth. _But is there really another option? _She paused. _I could let Sam see me naked._ That left her open to a very uncomfortable set of days. _And Beckett can't be that far behind me._ If she remembered correctly, she'd left the door open. She shivered again, this time from disgust. The thought of Beckett seeing her naked… _Ugh…_ The worst part was… _I really do want to be his girlfriend._ But did he really have to strong arm her into it? A mutinous voice piped up in the back of her mind. _How else could he be sure you wouldn't run away?_ Kelly bit her lip, her eyes flashing. _I won't do it._ But her own desires and her mouth betrayed her. "Okay." She grumbled.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Okay!" She exclaimed. "I'll be your girlfriend!"

"Really?" Dean honestly hadn't expected that to work. "So from this point on you'll tell me where your going?"

"Dean." Kelly said. "You are my boyfriend not my mother." Dean snorted. She had a point. Kelly held out her free hand pointedly, while still protecting her chest with her other arm. "Give me the jacket."

"I don't know." He smirked. "I'm really liking this view."

"Dean!" She cried. Exasperated she hopped towards him. "I'm freezing my ass off!" Dean snorted again and stepped forward, this time with intent to help.

"Okay." He laughed. "Okay, I'm helping." He kept humming Kumbaya as he crossed the deck towards her. Grimacing Kelly glared at him, and that made Dean laugh harder. He was about to reach her, when Sam finally made his soaked and sodden entrance. With mortified eyes, Kelly watched as he climbed over the side, and stood on the deck, water dripping off of his hair and down his arms. He, like Dean, had ignored removing his jacket before he'd jumped into the water. From booted toe to his fine head of shaggy brown hair he was completely soaked in seawater. His brunette bangs clung to his forehead, dangling in his eyes. Kelly sucked in her breath and clutched herself more tightly. Still, shock held her frozen as Sam's eyes turned towards the two of them.

"Jesus, Dean." Sam spat. "You couldn't think of a better way to get on the ship. I mean, there was a ramp on the dock, and it would have taken four more minutes to climb using that…" Dean came to his senses as Sam was talking, but couldn't step in front of Kelly before Sam's eyes found her. The girl felt a flush suffuse her frigid cheeks as his brown eyes traveled across her bare form. Kelly's eyes dropped, as embarrassment flooded her. Then, finding new resolve she lifted her chin and looked up at Sam defiantly. _I will not be ashamed of being naked._ She thought. _I will not be ashamed of being naked._

"Sam this has a perfectly reasonable explanation." Dean said. Calmly he maneuvered himself in front of Kelly, knowing full well that he'd probably end up taking the blame for her being pantless, shirtless, bra-less, and panty-less, not to mention shoe-less. He figured that now was the best time to deflect any of Sam's enraged assaults onto himself. _After all, she's my girlfriend._ Coerced into it, certainly, but still, she had agreed. _And that makes her mine_. Dean waited for Sam to vocalize his indignation. Instead, Sam could only utter one word.

"Naked?"

This was too much for Kelly. Having spent the day being tied up, shot, and then forced through a very painful transformation, she couldn't help it. She fainted. "Dean." She mumbled, reaching out, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I think…" Made it out of her mouth before she lost consciousness. Dean, who had turned at the sound of her voice, dropped his jacket and managed to turn around in time to catch her shoulders before her head hit the steel deck. Lowering her naked and worn out form to the deck and trying to avoid any sensitive spots, he worried about how cold her skin felt beneath his fingers. Gently, he pulled her into his arms, and wrapped his wet jacket around her shoulders. He pulled her limp arms through the sleeves, and zipped up the front, hiding her upper body from more prying eyes.

"Nice going, Sammy." He said. Lifting her up in his arms, Dean let her head rest against his shoulder. "Now it'll be harder finding out what the hell happened."

"If you'd gotten the jacket around her before I'd gotten up here." Sam snapped. "Then maybe she wouldn't have fainted!"

"Oh so this is my fault?" Dean demanded. Adjusting Kelly's weight in his arms he glanced down at the Walther P99 lying on the deck. She'd obviously dropped it when she'd passed out. _Must be exhausted._ Her being tired didn't change that they were going to have a talk. Or at least, they were as soon as she woke back up, on the boat if necessary.

"It is your fault, Dean."

"Just because I wanted to enjoy…" Dean trailed off. "You're right, it is my fault." He glanced down at Kelly sheepishly. _I made her hold out this long over a very important question._ He leaned his head down and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"You're a pervert, Dean." Dean looked back up at his brother and raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'what else is new?'. Sam just shook his head, but Dean noticed that he didn't offer to hold Kelly. _Good, because she's my girlfriend_. The older Winchester hugged her sleeping form close to his chest, and his fingers tightened around her shoulders. _Is it just me or has she gotten heavier?_ That was a strange thought, because she looked lighter. In the week she'd been gone her cheeks had become more hollow, and any roundness they'd once possessed was gone. Her fat seemed to have been eaten away, leaving her looking gaunt. There was also a strange new patterning in her skin tone. If Dean hadn't known better, he'd say it looked an odd representation of fur. Dark brunette hair swept down off her shoulders, and into his fingers. Was her hair darker? Softer? Dean swallowed. When did he start noticing crap like this?

"Wow." Sam and Dean turned at the voice. Beckett Cole stood in the opening of the doorway leading down into the lower parts of the ship, a plaid bag slung over his shoulder. The two brothers half expected the 'wow' to be about them, but then they noticed that his eyes were on the dead man lying on the deck. "Wow." Beckett repeated. His eyes going over the bullet hole in the man's chest, right in the heart. "Never knew dogs shot bullets." His expression was so stunned that Sam glanced at Dean questioningly. "Mongrel really did it." Dean frowned. His temper flaring as he looked at Beckett.

"Hold her, Sammy." Dean said. Loathe to let her go, he turned and offered the half-naked girl to his brother. "I have a promise I need to keep." Sam accepted the sleeping bundle without question. He was careful to keep his eyes off of her sensitive parts, though even thinking about looking at them made him blush. He realized the same thing Dean had when he touched her skin, she was very cold. _Truthfully if I couldn't see her chest rising, I'd say she was dead._ Her lips were tinged blue, and her skin was a very pale white. If it wasn't for the strange markings in her tan, Sam would have said that she was hypothermic. Not that he was pre-med. Sam swallowed. There were dark raccoon rings beneath her eyes, and they seemed sunken. Her cheeks were gaunt and hollowed, and even in his arms her arms seemed thinner. He shook his head, she looked utterly exhausted. He repositioned her so that her head was tilted into his shoulder, and his fingers slid through her dark hair. Against his chest, she mewled softly, making deep whining noises in the back of her throat. Even in the serious situation Sam couldn't help but chuckle. It was good to have Kelly back. He hugged her against his chest protectively. He'd heard the conversation she'd had with his brother, and while that saddened him a little, it wasn't surprising. _I'm just glad Dean finally admitted it._

"Sam and Dean?" Beckett asked as Dean started towards him. The other man swung his bag off his shoulder and tossed it at them. "Figured she'd need that." He added. "So much good weaponry in there, didn't seem right for the corpses to have it…" He trailed off as Dean strode past the bag, seized him by the collar and levered him into the steel wall.

"What the hell happened!" He snarled. This was one of those times where Sam knew he should be yelling at his brother to back off, but as he glanced down at Kelly's exhausted face, Sam couldn't see any reason to make his brother back off.

"Hey, calm down." Beckett said. His body had left a serious dent in the siding, and he was trying to crawl out of it with dignity. However, this was next to impossible with Dean still hanging onto his collar.

"Calm down?" Dean snarled. "Calm down?" He shoved Beckett higher up the wall. "You said she was shot!"

"And there's not a scratch on her." Beckett replied. He coughed as the collar tightened around his throat. The fabric of his shirt, stretched, and ripped leaving him with small holes near Dean's hand. Still the older Winchester didn't put him down. "Don't you find that a little strange?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "I do." He lowered the other hunter back onto the deck, still holding him firmly in one hand, his right fist clenched tightly.

"Dean." Sam said. Dean paused, he glared at Beckett one more time and then dropped him. Dean glared at Beckett.

"But it's Kelly." Dean said, as he looked at Beckett. "And everything about her is a little strange." Beckett glared at Dean, then he spat excess spit and blood onto the deck. Wiping his mouth, Beckett looked past Dean to where Sam was holding Kelly. An odd expression crossed his face, and seeing it Dean banged his fist into the wall to remind the other hunter of the conversation. "You are going to tell me everything that happened." He said. "And I mean everything, or I swear I'll stab you now and leave you with the other corpses for the police to pick clean."

"Sure, sure." Beckett said. "But do you really want to do it here?" He glanced around. "I mean while the little bitch is freezing to death?" Dean couldn't help it. He hit him.

"Don't call her that." Dean said. His voice casual, but there was anger behind it. Beckett glanced up at Dean, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're really sweet on her aren't you." Beckett said, massaging his jaw. "I didn't think it was possible that the great Dean Winchester could fall for a…" He didn't have time to finish the sentence because Dean hit him again, this time on his nose. Beckett yelped. As Dean turned, Beckett's hands came up to protect his already swelling nose. Dean walked back towards his brother, picking up Kelly's bag as he went. He glanced at Sam.

"That felt good."

"It's one way to get your aggression out." Sam agreed. Wondering when Dean was going to ask for the girl back, Sam tried to refocus his attention on Beckett, but Dean's next comment made it hard.

"It's good." Dean said. "But there are more enjoyable ways." He glanced down at Kelly as he said it, and Sam groaned.

"Dean." He said. "You don't get flirt points when the girl's sleeping."

"How can you be sure she's actually sleeping?" Dean asked. He glanced back at Beckett.

"Because if she wasn't she'd be on her feet kicking your ass." Sam replied. "You know her."

"And forcing me to comply by dangling sex in front of me like a carrot on a stick." Dean said.

"No, you'd do it out of a sense of gentlemanly responsibility." Sam snapped.

"I'd do it for the sex." Dean said. His lips quirked as he glanced at his brother. "Because the sex is good."

"Dean, you only had it once." Sam said. This conversation was taking a very uncomfortable turn for him, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to follow it to it's conclusion. Especially since he knew where it would end up. _In a dark and dirty place._ But that was the recesses of Dean's mind.

"And it was good." Dean nodded.

"Hey!" Beckett called. "if that's the best _Dean Winchester_ can do, then I've got to wonder what it is everybody keeps talking about."

"You really want to get hit again don't you?" Dean said as he looked at Beckett.

"Look, how about we all go back to the hotel and talk this out." Sam said. His arms were starting to ache. It wasn't that Kelly was heavy, but holding a human being for any length of time became uncomfortable. _One hundred and twenty pounds of dead weight._ "Kelly's practically gone frigid, and…"

"She needs clothes." Dean finished.

"Somehow, I noticed that on my own." Beckett snapped. Dean bristled, he didn't like this hunter. "Well, since the Shifter is dead, and God only knows what happened to the demon…"

"That was a shifter?" Dean asked. "How do you know?"

"I saw the pool of skin it left lying behind that door."

"Demons and Shifters don't usually tag team." Sam said as he adjusted Kelly in his arms.

"They never tag team Sam." Dean corrected.

"This one was possessing the Shifter." Beckett said.

"Possessing?" Sam asked.

"Can we go?" Beckett asked. "It's cold, and I'm pretty sure the mongrel is only getting colder now that she's shed her doggy form." Dean was about to make another crack about breaking Beckett's nose, and breaking his jaw, but he was too stunned by the addition to the conversation to manage it. It was Sam who spoke first.

"What?" He asked.

"You're friend." Beckett said. His words slow, as if he was addressing a group of grade schoolers. Sam didn't appreciate being treated like a child. "Transforms into a black dog." He raised his eyes at the shock on both of the brothers faces. "Come on, you did know that." He paused. "Didn't you?" Then he snorted. "This is too good! The Winchesters protecting a monster. Who knew there'd be a day I'd see that." He looked them over, as Dean's face grew angrier. "Man, what would your dad say?" Dean handed Sam Kelly's bag.

"Hold this." He said, and stalked back towards Beckett.

A/N: Tell me, how did you like Kelly and Dean's reunion? Sweet? Sappy? Believable? Leave reviews, I love reviews. They make me happy! ^_^


	34. Chapter 34: Confessions

Chapter 34: Confessions

Kelly woke curled up on her side, lying beneath a set of itchy sheets and a very warm comforter. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes. _Where am I?_ She wondered. Rolling onto her back, she yawned and stretched her arms. Her entire body ached and some numbness still lingered in her fingers, toes, and made her skin feel stiff. Her nails were tingly and her mind mumbled an incoherent _Mmm…_ She started to sit up. Then, she stopped. _Ship, Shifter, change…_ The words reverberated through her tired mind as it fumbled towards waking. _I was naked_. Kelly gasped and grasped the sheets around her. The images were hitting her clearly now. _I got shot_. She'd dreamed about home, or did she actually go? Kelly couldn't be sure on either count if one was more real than the other. They both seemed like reality. _But I came back._ The lump reformed in her throat, and she tried to swallow it. The memory of her family standing on the porch calling out for her not to go left a bitter taste in her mouth. _I didn't belong there._ Then, she'd changed. _I chose my fate in this world._ She'd come back for Dean. She loved him. _I changed._ She'd given in to the other side of her nature. But, the time she'd spent as the Dog only left a confusing jumble of competing sensory details. There was little other than the memory of her purpose that stuck with her. She had a basic understanding of her nature, but she knew it was more complicated. _I still don't know why I'm really here._ There were gaps, even in the generational memory the Dog had access to. _That I have access to._ It behooved her to think of the Dog as a creature separate from herself. _It's more like my subconscious, the animal side of me._ She paused, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to search what had happened. _What happened to the demon?_ When she'd woken up as herself, Timothy had been gone. _Only Lorna, the Shifter, was left._ Kelly had finished her. Then, then… _Dean saw me naked._ A mortified flush turned her cheeks a rosy red as the embarrassment came flooding back. _He saw me naked!_ Her mind freaked. However the subsequent panic following this realization was swiftly and abruptly halted by the more logical side of Kelly's brain. _He's already seen you naked._ It reminded her. _On a hot steamy night in the Impala. He helped remove your clothes._ Kelly's cheeks grew hotter at the memory. _That's right._ So, why was she freaking out? _Because Sam saw me naked._ Panic struck. A second wave of embarrassment washed through her, leaving her skin warmed but her soul mortified. _Sam saw me naked._ The thought repeated itself. _Sam saw me naked!_ Kelly's fists clenched beneath the covers.

How had this happened? _The change removed my clothing._ She thought, recalling the fuzzy details of what had happened when she changed shape. _This is going to be an awkward couple of days._ Or however long it took for Sam to forget what he saw. Kelly sighed. _I can't believe I fainted._ She'd been trying so hard to prove that she was a competent hunter. _And then I get shot, lose my clothes, and faint._ "I must look like a real damsel in distress." She muttered. Her eyes flicked back up towards the ceiling. _And what prompted Dean to blackmail me into agreeing to be his girlfriend._ If everything else was a little fuzzy, that part she remembered clearly. _This is such a nightmare._ Her worst dream actualized. _Not dating Dean._ But waking up naked on a ship with her peers. _It's like every high schoolers worst nightmare._ Without the teachers or the gym class. _Be my girlfriend._ He'd said. _Was he kidding?_ She shook her head. _Dean's been drinking a little too much of the electric acid kool-aid._ She paused and shook her head. He'd dangled a damn jacket in front of her, and all but forced her to agree to be his girlfriend. Anger surged through her gut, burning white hot and she nearly leapt out of the bed, ready to make him bloody. When she remembered that underneath the sheets, she was still naked. "Dean!" Kelly yelled. She sat bolt upright, careful to take the comforter with her. Tucking it under her armpits so that her chest was safely covered, she looked around the room. "You bastard, where are my clothes?"

"Here." Kelly's head snapped to the left at the sound of Sam's voice. She watched as he picked up the plaid duffle bag laying at his feet, and carried it over. Kelly met his eyes as he deposited it in front of her, and she found them unreadable. A chill swept up her spine. She'd always gotten along well with Sam. _Until I got terrified, ran away and betrayed the people I loved._ She didn't blame him for being angry about that. _I would be too._

"Thanks." She mumbled. Reaching out with her free hand, Kelly grabbed her belongings and pulled them towards her.

"No problem." Sam said, his tone clipped as he turned and walked back to the small table by the window. Kelly peered and saw that he was cleaning his guns. The pieces were set out on the small wooden table, they glinted beneath the light cast by the incandescent bulbs overhead. Sam sat back down and picked up a dirty rag. Kelly sucked in a breath, it looked like he'd been at this for some time. _He's angry at me._ But why? Was he angry about what had happened? Had he overhead her conversation with Dean? Kelly had always wondered if Sam had feelings for her, but she'd never received clear enough signals to be sure. _Did he and I missed it?_ If she had it didn't surprise her. _After all I missed Dean's._ While Kelly was aware of a lot of things, she'd always been bad at parsing apart the difference between friendship and attraction.

"You okay?" She asked. Kelly kept her voice neutral, but her genuine like of Sam seeped into the words. After all, she cared about Sam. She cared a lot. _I just don't love him_. If Dean wasn't around, she probably would be in love with Sam.

"I'm fine." Was the curt reply. Kelly sighed. _Yes, he is definitely mad._ Biting her lip, Kelly bent over her plaid duffle and began searching through the clothes. She pulled out a navy top, black bra, matching underwear, and some ratty oil stained jeans. Her hand came to rest on the boots she'd gotten from Ellen. It was still her only footwear, and she was glad they'd made it back into her bag. _Beckett must have packed them_. Unless either Dean or Sam had gone wandering in the lower bowels of the fishing boat. _Which might explain how I got my stuff back._ Kelly glanced back at Sam, and sighed again.

"Sam." She said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. He could hear the sincerity in her voice and it struck a chord in the more tender part of his soul. _She does sound sorry._ He thought, as his anger began to abate. _And she doesn't even know what she's apologizing for._ He knew it was unfair for him to be angry, but after the relief of discovering her safe and sound, all his other emotions had quite literally exploded in his face. There were a lot of things he regretted. _Like not telling her how I felt._ Even if it only meant he'd been rejected. _I'd feel better if I had the courage to come out and say it._ But he couldn't. He had to move on. She'd chosen Dean, and as much as that hurt, even though he didn't really understand why, he needed to respect her choice. There was a long pause between them, and Sam listened to the rustling of the sheets. _She's changing._ Sam didn't like the silence between them, it felt heavy and uncomfortable.

"I'm not angry." He said. Kelly's head popped back out from under the covers and he heard her snort. Sam looked down at the rag in his hand, trying to stop the smile that was forming at the edges of his lips. It was impossible to stay angry at Kelly for any length of time. She had a candid charm that melted away defenses, and if that didn't work her frankness would knock down any remaining barriers. She sneezed, and inside himself Sam couldn't help it. He laughed. Sam looked up from the table and over at Kelly, the edges of his lips twitching. She sat up and raised a questioning eyebrow. Sam laughed, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her.

"Yes, you are." She said. "And I deserve it." She pulled her legs out from under the sheets and crossed them. Sitting Indian style, she perched at the edge of the bed, her eyes on him. "I really do, Sam."

"Now you're starting to sound like Dean." He said. Putting the gun barrel and the rag down, Sam fully turned to face her. He was suddenly very aware that since shouting for his brother at the beginning of the conversation, Kelly hadn't mentioned him. _Even though he's her boyfriend._ Sam thought. It left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, but it was getting better. _Kelly always was good about spending time with both of us._ She was friends with both him and Dean. _But she treated us like separate individuals._

"That's a bad thing?" Kelly asked. Sam watched her mouth quirk, and he knew she was joking.

"His style doesn't suit you." Sam said. He watched her smile broaden a little bit as she leaned back into the pillows. "And no, you don't."

"I do." Kelly said. "I abandoned you guys." Her knees tucked into her chest as she sat forward, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I ran away." Kelly bit her lip, and Sam realized that she wasn't apologizing for hurting his feelings. _She's upset by her decision._ But was that really it? She was a very different girl from the one he'd known three months ago. Hell, she was different from the girl he'd known a week ago. _She's changed._ That bastard, Beckett Cole had said that Kelly transformed into a large black dog. _And that explains why she was naked on the deck._ She was stronger, tougher, and there was confidence in her movements now. A confidence that wasn't there a week ago. Somehow, she seemed less fragile. "And I'm sorry about that." She met his eyes, and for the first time Sam could clearly see the change in her eyes. They had lightened, and the insides of her irises had a permanent yellow cast that glinted more brightly beneath the overhead bulbs.

"Dean and I were pretty pissed about that." Sam agreed. "In fact we still are." Kelly's head tilted, and Sam suddenly realized that she only felt remorse over the pain and worry she'd caused them. _She doesn't actually regret leaving_. It didn't stun him the way it should have. He understood needing to get out on ones own. But the fact that she hadn't trusted them, hadn't trusted him, hurt.

"I know." She said. "And I'm going to make up for it."

"You should have trusted us." Sam said. "You should have at least told someone where you were going. Ellen's had half the hunters on the West Coast out looking for you, and Bobby's been beside himself." He stared at her. "He thinks you're leaving was his fault." Kelly blinked, and then her expression saddened.

"If I'd realized…" She trailed off, then she looked up at him. "No." She shook her head. "Sam you and I both know that if I'd told Ellen, she would have told you, and you would have come." Sam opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "I'm not going to make excuses for the choice I made. But the reality is that even if I told you guys not to look for me, you would have anyway." Her expression gentled, and the creases of her face softened as she said the words. Sam looked down at his hands, knowing that she was right. "I needed time away from this to think." She said. "And I don't regret coming out here." She looked down at her fingernails, and then she lifted her brownish yellow eyes to examine his face. "I am sorry if my decision hurt you, hurt Dean, and hurt Bobby. You guys are my family, and I love you. But this was something I needed to figure out by myself." _And besides that I didn't know where I was going._ She paused. _Not after I woke up on the bus after the Yellow Eyed Demon talked to me._ But how could she have explained that? Those threats the demon made on Dean's life still came to the forefront of her mind whenever she thought about the yellow eyed son of a bitch. _And I'm not going to risk him hurting the Winchesters._ They were too important to her.

"We could have helped you." Sam said. He genuinely didn't understand. He had a grip on what had driven her to go, and he knew that if Dean had known where Kelly was well… _No power in heaven, hell, or on earth could have stopped him._ But why didn't she want their help?

"I needed to know who I was." Kelly said. "I had to test myself without you, Dean, or Bobby watching my back." She looked at him, her eyes earnest. "A part of me always felt suffocated when I was hunting with you." Sam swallowed, she was making sense. "I was always protected, and you never…" She paused. "I wanted to be able to help you." She said. "Both you and Dean, I wanted to stop feeling like a tag-along and start feeling like a member of the team."

"You are a member of this team." Sam said. But even as he said it, he knew that a part of it wasn't true. _Dean charged in blind in Iowa, we tied her up and locked her in a car in Mississippi._ Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"I know you two are the Dynamic Duo, like Batman and Robin." She said. Her voice was patient. _I know why she's talking about this with me_. Dean still saw her as someone who needed to be protected. _And she's ready to start doing the protecting._ Sam didn't know much of what had happened on that boat, but one thing was clear. _She handled herself._ She'd killed the baddies and saved the day. _Without our help._

"I'm not a Robin." Sam snapped. He listened as Kelly laughed, tossing her darkened hair back over her shoulder.

"Listen to the metaphor, please." Kelly grinned. "All I'm saying is that you've gotta let Batgirl into the group." Sam laughed.

"And if we do that," Sam looked at Kelly. "Does it mean you won't run away again?" Kelly smirked and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned into the pillows. Her lips twisted mischievously. She knew, like he did, that she'd have a harder time convincing his brother. _But I can't help but agree with her._ It meant they'd have to change their playing style. _But…_ Sam returned her smile. _It'll be nice having someone else to rely on._ He was also certain that Kelly wouldn't break up the team dynamic.

"I make no promises on the disappearing act." Kelly said. Her tone was lighter now, and Sam knew she'd jumped from serious to whimsical. "But I'll try to let you know where I'm going." She winked at him. "Until then, you're stuck with me." Sam laughed.

"We'll try to keep up." He said.

"You better." Kelly replied. "I hate people who slow me down." Suddenly, her brow knitted together into a frown, and her lips pursed. She looked around. "Speaking of sods who slow me down," She said. "Where's Beckett?" She hadn't really expected him to stick around. _And I have serious doubts about him putting a bullet in my brain with the Winchesters around._ But knowing Beckett… _He probably tried to get them to do it for him._ She wasn't surprised when a very satisfied and amused expression took over Sam's face.

"Dean's taking care of it." Sam said. _Oh, he pissed off the wrong people._ She thought as Sam started to chuckle.

"What happened?" She asked. Dean taking care of Beckett could really only mean one thing. _One of two, either they struck up a great friendship, or Beckett got himself beat up._ She couldn't say she felt sorry for his fate. The other hunter was a cocky pain in the ass. _He's not stupid, but he's not more careful he's going to wind up very dead._ And then he'd never fulfill his promise of putting a few rounds between her eyes. _Still most everything that comes out of his mouth is hot air._ She didn't really like Beckett. _In fact, he's so incompetent I don't feel all that sorry._ Maybe a few rounds with Dean would teach him a worthwhile lesson. She could only hope.

"Dean beat him into a bloody pulp." San said. "He was pretty pissed after the phone conversation…"

"Phone conversation?" Kelly asked. "You mean Beckett actually called you?"

"Well, he called Dean." Sam said, and Kelly sighed. Loudly. "Did you tell him to?"

"Yes." Kelly said. "I was bleeding out, and I didn't know what else to do. So I freed Beckett and told him to call…" She paused. "Someone, you guys I think, before I passed out." She glanced up at Sam, a wicked smile on her lips. "Dean really hit him?"

"Several times."

"Over my honor?" That had her giggling. Sam couldn't help it, his smile widened. What had happened between Dean and Beckett was marginally serious, but Sam also knew that the other hunter wasn't likely to report what happened.

"He also insulted our dad." Sam said.

"Then he deserved his beating." Kelly said. She knew it was taboo to talk about John Winchester around his sons, especially Dean. No one had ever taken the time to fill her in on the details though. _I should know._ But like everything about her previous life, except the recent dream and the car crash, it eluded her.

"What happened on that boat Kelly?" Sam asked. Kelly's ears perked as she listened to the silencing of a rumbling engine. _Is Dean back?_ The thought sent butterflies humming through her stomach. Her insides flipped topsy-turvy and her eyes shot to the door. How would she greet him? Were they really dating? Had it been a joke? Should she be mad about that stunt he'd pulled on the boat? Well, yes, she was still angry. Kelly shivered excitedly. _Dean._ The name reverberated in her skull. Swallowing a deep breath and tearing her eyes away from the door, she glanced back at Sam.

"We should wait until Dean gets here." She said. "Before we talk about that." _This is probably something he'll want to hear._ Kelly knew it would be a long uphill battle before Dean finally treated her like an equal. _And he wouldn't be in love with me._ The man had a strong protective instinct. Sam nodded as the lock on the door clicked, and Dean Winchester walked inside.

"I dropped him off at the hospital." He said as he entered. "He'll be fine after a little anesthetic." He seemed oblivious to her as he walked across the room. Kelly's eyes found his bloody knuckles. She sniffed, curious. Kelly wasn't surprised to discover the blood wasn't his. "And the doctors'll need to reset that shoulder." He walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet. Before the water was even warm he stuck his hands under it. Slowly, the blood started to wash away. He was so intent on his hands that he didn't hear Kelly come up behind him. The next thing he knew her fingers were moving down his arm, as she took hold of his wrist.

"What happened?" Kelly asked. Her body was pressed close to his and Dean sucked in a deep breath.

"Nothing." Dean said. Kelly reached past him and grabbed one of the white hand towels resting on the counter. "You're pal Beckett's face just met my fist."

"Multiple times." Kelly responded. Her voice was very dry as she wet the towel and started to wipe the blood off of his knuckles. "Give me your hand." She said.

"I'm fine." Dean replied.

"Give it!" She snapped. Dean complied, and she led him back to the bed. Sitting him down, she sat beside him and started cleaning off his hands. Dean smirked.

"If you think that looks bad." He said. "You should see the other guy."

"Given that most of this isn't your blood, I don't want to see the other guy." Kelly said. Instead she used the warm cloth to continue cleaning away the excess, and once it was gone, she began dabbing gently at the cuts.

"I didn't realize you cared." Dean said. "Will you kiss it and make it better?"

"Shut up." She muttered. Dean grinned. He knew that if Sam weren't sitting right across from them, he'd be kissing her. Still, he didn't want to rub the relationship in Sam's nose. Still, having Kelly sitting next to him cleaning off his hand nearly made up for it. _Damn am I glad I got the girl._ He thought as she put his hand down.

"What's new?" He asked, looking from his sibling to his girl. At the moment, Dean didn't want to push his luck with Kelly, the girl hit hard when she was pissed. _And I object to getting caught in a superhuman fit._ It hadn't really hit him yet that he was dating a girl most would be hunting gladly. And somehow it didn't really bother him. He knew that it should, but it didn't.

"Sam wanted to know abut what happened on the boat." Kelly said. She'd gotten up and gone to the sink. The water was running again, and he could see that she was rinsing off the towel. His cuts were still oozing, but they would be scabs soon. Dean raised an eyebrow.

"What did happen out there?" He asked. He watched as Kelly put down the towel and sighed. He smirked.

Kelly looked back over her shoulder. "Bad stuff." She said. "Near as I can tell the Shifter, Lorna Pimm, was torturing and killing runaway teens on the boat." Kelly looked away from them, and Dean watched as she stared at herself in the mirror. "She took anyone she deemed an irreprehensible sinner."

"Well, at least now it's proven." Dean joked. "Kelly, you are a very bad girl."

"Dean!" Sam snapped.

"Well Dean, you'll be joining me in hell." Kelly said. "So I don't get why you're happy." Dean laughed.

"She sounds like one crazy bitch."

"She was." Kelly nodded.

"Where did the Demon come in?" Sam asked. He'd picked his rag up again, and was cleaning the barrel of his Glock 17L 9mm. Kelly squeezed the water out of the towel and turned around. She lifted her hand, and brushed her bangs back behind her ears, before crossing her arms.

"The demon lead me to the house." She said. "Which is where I met Beckett." On the queen sized bed closest to the bathroom, Dean snorted. Kelly watched him shake his head and mutter something about a 'dumb fucker' but she decided not to pry into it. Instead she continued. "We ran into the demon later when we were searching the house."

"And I'm guessing at this time, he didn't know that you were…" Sam trailed off, as Kelly growled.

"I don't broadcast my status as a nonhuman, Sam." She snapped. "I like blending in." Kelly paused, and then added. "Besides the fewer bullets I have rammed down my throat the better." Sam winced at the last part of the statement. Dean watched her muscles tense as she glanced down at her hands. Then, she moved off the counter and walked to the unoccupied bed. Flopping down onto it, she covered her eyes with her forearm. "When we ran into the demon again, I managed to exorcise it." Dean whistled. "But I didn't do it right or something, because the demon possessed Lorna."

"The Shifter?" Sam asked. Kelly nodded. She suddenly felt very tired. She didn't really want to talk about what had happened on the ship. It was over and done with, and she hated being reminded of it. _Still, they need to know about the transformation._ She owed them that.

"The rest of it's not really important." Kelly said.

"You getting shot is pretty damn important." Dean said. He glanced over her at his brother. Sam nodded.

"And the shape shifting part." Sam added. Kelly laughed.

"Yes." She said. "That I'll talk about it."

"How did you know to load the gun with silver rounds?" Sam asked. "You didn't know she was a shifter going in there right?" Silver rounds were expensive, and hard to come by. Usually you had to order them through a special source or make them yourself. It was very strange that Kelly would have gone into a situation with those rounds in her gun.

"It was dumb luck." Kelly said. She sounded more than a little sheepish. "They were the only rounds I had, so I loaded them into the gun." When Dean raised his eyebrow at her, Kelly shrugged. "I didn't plan on actually using that weapon." She said. "I have the Match, and it's recoil is easier on my hands."

"Beckett didn't have a gun did he?" Sam asked. Kelly shook her head.

"Nope." She said. "And then the Shifter shot me with my own weapon."

"On the boat?" Dean asked.

"Yes." Kelly said.

"Did silver initiate the change?" Sam asked. He sounded sincere, but the question only made Kelly laugh.

"I'm fairly sure it wasn't the silver, Sam." Dean said as Kelly continued to laugh. "It might have been a survival thing. You know, her being on the brink of death."

"Shut up." Sam said. Kelly sucked in a few deep breaths, trying to force the hysterical laughter to stop. When she finally managed it, she sat up and looked at Sam.

"I was dying." She said. On the bed next to hers, she heard Dean mutter something. She glanced at him, and he looked at her. When there eyes met, they both looked away. Kelly didn't want to admit how close she'd come to losing herself, and she was certain that Dean had no intention of contemplating it. "So I made a choice." She looked down at the bedspread.

"And you changed." Sam said. It wasn't a question, hell, it was a statement. But still he had to wonder, what had she given up? Seeing the hollowed cast in her eyes, he was certain that it was a little more complicated than just living or dying. He glanced at Dean, but his brother's eyes were on Kelly. Still, Sam was certain his brother was thinking the same thing.

"Yes." She said. "I became…" She trailed off. There was a long pause, and both men hung on bated breath waiting to hear her answer. "I don't know what I became." She said. Sam began to open his mouth to clarify again, but this time Kelly cut him off. "I know what shape I took." She said. There was a thoughtful expression on her face. "But there isn't really a name for what I am." She looked up at Dean. _What I've become._ She was committed now, to this world. _There's no way I can go home._ After all, here with Dean and Sam, this was home. Kelly swallowed. "Sorry if that ruins the research mode." She said, seeing Sam's hand, which was ritually reaching for his computer drop away.

"Don't worry." Dean said. "Sammy can geek out another time." He glanced at his brother, who frowned. "After all he's practically married to it." He laughed. "Sleeps with it under his bed." Kelly giggled as Sam shouted.

"Dean!" Sam looked from Kelly to his brother and then looked away. "We should get back on topic." He grumbled.

"Whatever you say Grumpy." Dean said. He turned to Kelly. "What else about your mystical dog form can you tell us?" Kelly lifted an eyebrow, she got the feeling that Dean was nearly out of patience with the discussion. _I'll admit I am too._

"This is important Dean." Sam snapped.

"I don't see how, Sam." Dean said. "We're going to see what she can do on the next hunt, and there will be time enough for evaluation there." He glanced at Kelly. "So did this new revelation tell you whether or not you're evil?" He asked.

"I'm pretty neutral." Kelly said. "I exist to hunt the supernatural."

"Then that's good enough for me." Dean said.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sam, we still have a job to finish." Dean said. "And that ones on a shorter time frame."

"What job is it?" Kelly asked. She'd scooted to the edge of the bed, and was looking at them both with curiosity. "Do you know what we're hunting?" Dean didn't say anything about Kelly's including herself on the job. For all that his instincts were screaming at him to tell her she wasn't coming, he knew it was probably better for their fledgling relationship, and his sex life, if he didn't. _Besides that nose of hers can come in handy._

"Werewolves." Dean said.

"Werewolves?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah." Dean said. "Don't you love it?"

"Dean's being a major geek about this." Sam said. He glanced at Kelly apologetically, and she just shook her head. Sam looked back at his brother. "You should seriously stop before you hurt yourself." Kelly laughed.

"Hey, werewolves are bad ass." Dean said. "Sam and I haven't seen one since we were kids." Dean stood, wiping off his pants, he walked over to his canvas duffle bag and pulled out a cartridge. Popping it open, Kelly watched as he lifted out a pure silver round. "And the best part is we already know how to kill them."

"Silver bullet to the heart." Kelly said. "This is getting fairly reminiscent of my near death experience."

"Hey." Dean snapped. Kelly met his eyes as he stood. "It's still a little to early to joke about that." Sam raised an eyebrow. "What?" Dean asked. He brushed off his jacket and looked at Kelly. "I still haven't quite got all of the panic out of my system."

"That's really sweet, Dean." Sam said. His voice sarcastic as he watched his brother lean against the hotel desk. But Dean's eyes didn't leave Kelly.

"He really is geeking out." Kelly said. She glanced at Sam as she spoke. Then she looked back at Dean, mimicking the tone of voice he'd used when he was teasing her on the boat. "You're adorable." She said. "You really are." Sam couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.

"I never thought I'd hear someone refer to adorable and Dean in the same sentence." He snickered. "Man, you are so lucky you got the girl."

"Shut up." Dean growled. "Just what is it about a normal by day, freak killing machine by night that you two don't understand?" He asked, looking from one to the other. Sam only shook his head winsomely as Kelly raised her hand.

"Maybe because I am one." She said in a very small and innocent voice. That made Sam laugh harder, as Dean glowered.

"That's real funny." He said.

"It'd be funnier if it wasn't true." Kelly smirked, crossing her arms as she watched him. She enjoyed giving Dean a hard time, and she found that making jokes about her own apparent lack of humanity eased the tension. Sam just laughed even harder.

"Shut up, Sam." Dean snapped.

"Do we have any leads?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah." Sam said. He straightened. "Madison Sinclair. She found the body of her employer at the office where he died. We think there might be a connection." Kelly raised an eyebrow. "A tenuous connection."

"As in she's connected to the case because she found the body." Dean said. "Sam's got a little crush on her."

"I do not." Sam protested.

"I bet he thinks she's pretty." Kelly laughed. Shaking her head she looked up to see Dean smiling at her. _I forgot how much fun it is to hang out with the Winchesters._ She thought, smiling back. "So?" She asked, a moment later. "Have you talked with her yet?"

"We were going to do that after we found you." Sam said. "Dean made you his top priority."

"Sam!"

"She deserves to know the truth, Dean." Sam replied. Kelly just sighed.

"Well." She said. "You found me." She watched as both brothers glanced at one another, they both looked uncomfortable. Kelly sighed again. "Okay, you two decide whether or not you want to kill this thing before the completion of the lunar cycle."

"Where will you be?" Sam asked. "I thought you wanted to be part of the team."

"I'm going to be in the shower, washing brine out of my hair." She stood and headed towards the bathroom. "If you want my vote it's yay!" She called back over her shoulder. Then she disappeared inside.

"She's…" Sam trailed off, glancing at Dean.

"A handful?" Dean replied. His eyes were still on the door. "That's like saying an enchilada is an enchilada without hot sauce and peppers." Sam raised an eyebrow, but Dean shook his head. If his brother didn't catch the reference he wasn't going to bother explaining. "So, Sammy." He began, knowing he was about to ask for a very large favor. Sam shrugged. He had a decent guess on what Dean wanted.

"Yeah?" He asked. Dean tossed him the keys to the Impala.

"Could you run to a local mini-mart and get me a box of doughnuts?" Dean asked. "The powdered kind." Sam knew better than to get in the way when Dean was about to make a booty call, he also understood that it was best for his sanity if he stayed away. Far away.

"Sure Dean." Sam said. "How long?"

"How? What?" Dean's eyebrows rose as he glanced back at his brother.

"How long should I be gone for?" Sam clarified.

"Fifteen minutes."

"That's all?" He figured that Dean would request an hour. Which would still give them plenty of daylight to find and talk to Madison. Sam hoped they'd get a beat on the werewolf before nightfall. _Then maybe I'd get some sleep tonight._ But they were working a job, and he knew the chances of that weren't likely.

"I can be quick." Dean said. Sam nearly bit his tongue, his brother sounded a little defensive.

"And what if she decides to be difficult?" He asked. Dean paused for a moment and then clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Better make it thirty." He said. Then he headed towards the bathroom. Sam, who was fully capable of recognizing the signs, vamoosed. Dean, intent on his goal, didn't look back as the door shut, and the Impala's engine revved. He paused to listened to the sweet music of the engine. He'd know her hum anywhere. After all, he'd spent most of the past few years fine tuning and working on her. It was the longest relationship he'd ever managed. Dean's hand closed around the knob of the bathroom door, and he listened to the sound of water beginning to run. Still, he waited. Finally, he heard the whisk of the shower curtain, and a happy murmur as Kelly stepped underneath the water. A smirk played on his lips as he turned the knob, pushed the door open, and walked inside. This was going to be fun.

AN: Welcome! The next chapter will be entitled Heart, for the episode it's named after, but don't worry I won't skip Dean and Kelly in the shower. The discussion anyway, I'll leave your imaginations to fill in the naughty details. Sam will finally meet Madison in the next chapter, and there will also be another appearance by the YED, three guesses what he wants. Dean also promises Kelly a date, but will she enjoy it? Things are really heating up now and lots more monster hunting abounds. As usual, tell me how you liked it because I love, love, love reviews. They keep my muse bloated and happy, and when she's happy she chains me to my desk and forces me to write. I kid you not. It's very frightening.

Anyway, feed the muse and she will give you chapters. If you spoil her, she will spoil you. So leave reviews. : P


	35. Chapter 35: Heart

Warning: Dean Kelly shower scene mildly racy.

Chapter 35: Heart

The door shut with a soft click. In the shower, Kelly stiffened. Putting her hand against the checkered black and blue ceramic tiling on the shower wall, she sucked in a deep breath. The tiles themselves seemed to be foreshadowing the inevitable future of her face, and Kelly herself was not looking forward to another scuffle so close to the last. She hadn't even gotten a chance to shampoo the brine out of her hair, yet. _Where are the boys?_ She wondered. Had they left to talk with Madison without her? That form of thinking fit with the way they'd treated her pre-runaway. Now would being post make a difference? _I thought Sam and I came to an understanding._ She thought. A shadow moved across the curtain and Kelly hissed in response. Her fingers balling into a tight fist as her feet slid over the grips on the bottom of the tub, fighting to find a solid hold. _Who is it?_ Maybe Beckett had gotten released from emergency care and had come to get payback. _That or wipe me off the face of the planet._ That thought made her suddenly feel very exposed, as water streamed down over her head, pebbling on her shoulders, before slipping down her chest and following the curves of her midsection. Wet hair clung to her forehead, cheeks, and the back of her neck. Kelly shook her head like a wet dog, water spraying from her hair to catch on the shower curtain. She brought her hand up as the shadow moved back, and the fan began to whirr. Kelly sucked in a deep breath as the curtain pulled back. She held it. Then Dean's head poked through the opening. His mouth curved into a wide smirk as he looked her over. "Boo!" He said. Kelly felt an angry flush rising to her cheeks.

"Dean!" She yelped. Falling back against the wall, and lifting her hand pathetically over her brow to stop the water from streaming into her eyes. Streams dribbled pathetically over the bridge, dripping through the openings between her fingers and onto the bridge her nose. Trails of water formed from the droplets to trickle down the sides of Kelly's nose, running along her cheeks like tears. She looked so sad and adorable with her free arm trying to cover the rest of her naked body that Dean couldn't help but laugh. Kelly frowned, her brown gold eyes growing murderous in their intent as she fought to gather together the shreds of her dignity. Amused to the point of being immune to her angry gaze, Dean removed his jacket and reached his arm into the shower to brush away the water beading on Kelly's chest. He understood that he was risking losing his arm to angry teeth, but somehow he found he didn't care. Instead he left his fingertips pressed against her chest. Watching as the excess water slid down the center of her cleavage, and as the more unlucky trails curved off the sides of her breasts to splash against the shower floor.

"Want some company?" He asked, his trademark leer never leaving his eyes and a smirk remaining fixated on his lips. "I could scrub your back." He raised his eyebrows at her and grinned. Kelly's throat fought to formulate words as her mouth stuttered. She was not going to allow Dean Winchester and his teasing to get the better of her. He leaned forward as the water thundered down overhead, the droplets splashed across his forearm, as he flicked his wrist upwards to run the pads of his fingertips along her collarbone. Kelly's skin shivered beneath his touch. "You know, massage out all that tension that's been gathering in your scalp." He tilted his head to the side, watching her body sway as she bit her lip. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Where's the clever come back?"

"So we're really doing this?" Kelly asked. Her voice sounded strangled, as her heart beat quickened in her chest. Dean raised his eyebrow at her and withdrew his hand.

"Why wouldn't we?" He asked. His expression was quizzical. Had she forgotten their agreement already? He was suddenly thankful that Sam had offered to stay out longer. _If she's going to have selective memory loss, it might take the whole thirty minutes to explain the situation to her again._ Or did she just not believe him?

"I…" Kelly trailed off. In hindsight she wasn't at all surprised that he'd come into the bathroom after her. _That will teach me to lock the door._ Even if she hadn't felt the need to in the past, the agreement they'd made on the deck of Lorna's ship had now significantly altered the rules. _I guess I really am his girlfriend._ She thought back to cleaning the scrapes on his knuckles and withheld a sigh. Kelly tilted her head. "I thought you were only kidding about that." She said. A playful tone finally found it's way into her trembling voice. If he was here to joke with her, then she was going to flirt back. _I never agree to easily giving Dean Winchester what he wants._ So instead, she stepped back underneath the flowing water, and lifted her hair up to her crown, exposing the nape of her neck to Dean's hungry hazel eyes. She was now less unnerved by the passionate heat radiating out of his irises as he stared at her, unabashed and shameless. Slowly, swallowing her embarrassment, she ran her right hand index finger along her shoulder as she turned her back to Dean. "I didn't know whether or not to take you seriously." She said in a small voice. Listening with satisfaction at Dean's sudden swift in take of breath, she was hardly prepared for his arm to come snaking out and grab her. With a sharp yank he pulled her towards him, and falling, her back collided with his chest. His arms enclosed around her naked form as his mouth descended to her ear. His voice rough and passionate he whispered.

"I never kid about relationships." And Kelly's breath sucked itself back down her throat, as his hand rose to sidle it's way down her neck. He sounded completely serious. Silently, she began chewing on her lower lip. "Or love." His arm tightened around her midsection, and Kelly could feel the dampness of her body soaking into his shirt.

"And?" She asked. Tilting her head back, she looked up into his eyes. "Do you love me?" Dean watched as a tiny smile curved it's way onto her lips, and he was thankful that he didn't have to say those three embarrassing words. Instead he could give her a straightforward answer.

"Yes." He said. His hand moved down to cover her abdomen, and her back tightened against his chest, as her head rolled into the curve of his shoulder. Kelly closed her eyes, as Dean kissed her temple. The gentle moment only lasted for a second, because the next, Kelly's elbow was gently colliding with his stomach, and as he gasped for breath, she stepped back into the water. Turning to face him, Dean watched as a mischievous smile lit up her features. Her lips pulling back to reveal beautiful white teeth, and he noticed that her canines were sharper than the average human girl's. Her brown gold eyes glittered as she put her finger to her lips and asked.

"So, Dean Winchester?" His heart thumped steadily in his chest as she said his name. "What will you do to win me?" As the water splashed on the top of her head and dribbled down her across her forehead and through her hair, along her neck to break upon her shoulders. It continued to travel in separating lines down her body, but Dean's eyes were on hers and the hand she extended towards him. Calmly, Dean discarded his over shirt, and then his white tee. Standing before her in nothing but his jeans, he reached into the shower, and taking her hand, pulled her back to him.

"I'll please you." He said, running his fingers from the small of her back up her spine. Feeling the pleasant shake of her skin beneath his hands, he tilted her chin towards him, and lowered his mouth to press against hers. Kelly relaxed into his hold, and his arm tightened around her. The flat of her palm burned against the flesh of his chest, as she stood on tiptoe to deepen the kiss. Dean was a predatory creature by nature, and right now Kelly was his prey. He intended to take her, all of her, and make her his. He pulled out of the kiss, and dipped his head to press his lips against the side of her neck. A gasp escaped from her lips. Dean smiled. He continued to press feather light kisses down the side of her neck, until Kelly finally managed to summon her vocal chords back into her own control.

"I don't know." She said softly, her lips moving against his. Her hand running up his chest, as her arm circled around his neck. "What if Sam overhears us?" From the way she voiced the question it didn't sound like it would be to bad if Sam _did_ overhear them. _Damn, I love this woman._ Dean thought as he attempted to kiss her again, but instead she pulled her head back, just out of reach of his mouth. Dean looked down at her, she was grinning.

"Why?" He asked. Her fingers descended towards the button of his jeans, as he lipped the top of her ear. "Does the thought of having Sammy at the door arouse you?" He looked down at her, her eyebrow rose in response to his question, and her tongue dashed it's way across her upper lip.

"And?" The words came out slowly. "Would it be wrong if I did?" She asked. Her voice was prim and challenging as amusement danced in her brown gold eyes. Kelly's fingers undid the button of his jeans, and moved to the zipper. Dean couldn't help it. He smirked. Reaching out he tucked her wet bangs behind her ear, as he let the pads of his fingertips trail leisurely down her cheek. Electricity sparked and left a burning sensation everywhere he touched, and Kelly gasped. She was barely able to stop herself from leaping out of control and yanking him into the shower with her. Instead, she stood stock still, and only allowed her fingers to move as they unzipped his pants. Dean's forehead leaned in to press against hers, as their eyes met. Kelly's heart thudded against her ribcage as her lips tingled, still feeling sensations from their last mouth bruising kiss. Dean chuckled.

"Dirty girl." He said. Kelly smiled.

"Yes." She said. "I do believe I am." Then Kelly yanked him forwards. Dean managed to kick off his jeans just before he was pulled into the shower. He'd always been surprised by her strength, and now was no exception. A dark feverish light shone in Kelly's eyes as she met his, and Dean felt the added weight of her desire. He couldn't help but grin. Water flowed down over his head, as he pressed Kelly against the wall. Crushing her mouth to his as his tongue darted in past her lips. Kelly let out a happy sigh, all her worries about their future evaporating beneath his rough caresses. Dean pulled back a grin on his lips, as he gazed down at her bruised mouth. He reached out, and with tender eyes, ran his finger around the outside of her mouth. "Water's escaping." Kelly murmured, as the water pressure broke across his back. "Our clothes will get soaked." Dean trailed his thumb over her lower lip. After momentary deliberation, he glanced back over his shoulder, and shut the curtain.

Fifteen minutes later, a damp but satisfied Kelly snuggled into the knoll of Dean's shoulder. Her boyfriend lay next to her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, and the other behind his head as he gazed contentedly up at the ceiling. Yawning, Kelly murmured. "That was great." She listened as Dean chuckled. His skin vibrated under her cheek, tickling her. Dean tilted his head and pressed his lips against her forehead, as his fingers ran up and down the smooth skin of her upper arm. Completely comfortable in his embrace, Kelly let her eyes close. Warm and sleepy, her mind wandered back towards the events that had occurred behind the shower curtain. She hated to admit it, but it had been even better than the night they'd spent in the back of the Impala. She sighed contentedly into his chest, and listened as Dean laughed again.

"That good?" He asked. Kelly could feel his eyes on the top of her head, as his lips brushed across the crown of her hair.

"I said it was didn't I?" She replied.

"Well, you're sighing an awful lot." He teased. "I like to know when I've made you happy."

"If you're looking for more compliments about your sexual skills, then why don't you call up one of your flings." Kelly responded. Her voice had the same light tone to it, but Dean could feel the competitive edge building beneath it. "I'm sure they'll tell you that a night with Dean Winchester is one you never forget." Dean snorted, she was back to being his usual Kelly.

"And?" He asked, unable to keep the grin off of his lips. "Was it?" His fingers dipped underneath her armpit, and, giggling, Kelly began to writhe against him. "Because if it wasn't I'm more than ready to go around again." Kelly sighed. Rolling her eyes, she flattened her body against him.

"I knew it." She said. "You're just in it for the self gratification." She looked up at him, her brown gold eyes dancing merrily. Dean chuckled as Kelly's fingers played with the golden medallion around his neck. In one smooth motion he snatched her hand, and pulled her palm to his lips. His tongue flicked down the center, and he was satisfied when he felt Kelly's entire body shiver.

"Round two." He told her, and she let out a loud plaintive sigh. He supposed he should take that as an insult, especially if she didn't want a repeat performance. But from her quick glances at the clock ticking on the far side of the room, he had a feeling she knew they didn't have the time. _Still, if she plans on being difficult…_ Then he would spend the remaining time getting her hot and bothered. _Just for the expression of pure torture._ And he would laugh as she tried to hide it around Sam.

"It certainly scratched an itch." She said. Kelly sounded resigned when she said the words, and the compliments came out slowly. "And it was highly therapeutic." Her head fell back against his chest, and Dean noticed the tired circles beneath her eyes. _She hasn't fully recovered_. But she would, given time to rest. Something they weren't likely to get. "I'm looking forward to being scratched again." Kelly mumbled. She sounded sleepy. His arm tightened around her, and he relaxed back into the pillows. Cradling her against the side of his body, he was forced to admit that this felt far more satisfying than any of the lone encounters he'd had over the years. While some had certainly been more fun, they hadn't left him with the same warm feeling in his heart, or the anticipation of getting to experiment again. Even the sex with Cassie had left him wanting something more. _But this?_ He looked down at the girl dozing in his arms. _This I'll have again_. So what did boyfriends generally do for their girlfriends? Dean had never really been one for the dating game, and his only experience had been with Cassie. _Still, Sammy's style of flowers and romantic dinners isn't really my style._ He was more of a popcorn and movie kind of guy. Something that was made better by an evening of hunting. But that didn't strike as good dating material. _Even if Kelly is some kind of hunting hound._ One didn't bring romance on the job. Still, Dean wanted to prove to Kelly that he was serious about their relationship. _Much as I have a problem with emotional attachment._ Somehow his feelings for Kelly had snuck up on him. _Now I just have to make it last._

"A date?" He asked. Sleepily Kelly's head lifted off his chest, and she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"To prove my…" He paused. Devotion sounded to girly, and it was something that Sam would say. The word wasn't one Dean could say with a straight face. "Intent. And my…" He paused, and swallowed. Damn, he was starting to sound whipped. "Commitment." He smiled down at her, but this time it was strained, and he knew that he sounded strange. "How about I take you out on a date tonight?"

"A date." Kelly repeated. She was surprised. Her lips quirked into a half-smile. "Dean…" She trailed off.

"Yeah?"

"You don't exactly seem like the dating kind."

"Well, this won't be a fancy dress shirt and champagne kind of deal." Dean said. "I won't have roses for you at the door, and I won't be telling your daddy that I'll have you back by twelve." He watched as Kelly's face fell at the mentioning of the word 'daddy'. Her eyes clouded over and Dean swore he saw tears beginning to gather at the edges of her eyes. He peered down at her. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She swallowed.

"You remember something?" He asked. His fingers played with her hair. Dean was trying to be comforting, but somehow he had the feeling he wasn't doing a very good job.

"No." Kelly said. "It's nothing."

"I know this may sound weird, me saying this." Dean said. "Hell, I think it sounds weird, but you can talk to me." He tilted her head up so that she was looking at him. He swallowed, and he tried to work more compassion into his dry voice. "You can trust me." He stared into Kelly's eyes, his own earnest.

"It was a dream." Kelly said. "One I had after Lorna shot me, I…" Dean's brows furrowed together as he listened to her. Normally Sam would have interjected a "what?" into the conversation, perhaps in hopes of pushing Kelly towards her end point. But for the moment, Dean was content to sit and wait for her to open up on her own. However, the silence continued to stretch out between them. Kelly's eyes remained fixed on his medallion, as her fingers kept pushing it back and forth across his chest. Finally, Dean gave up.

"What?" He asked. "You saw something?" Kelly nodded, but her eyes didn't leave their focal point. "Like what?" He didn't want to make jokes, but somehow the funny bone in his body never managed to be serious. "The world's greatest collection of cheese? Carrots?" He raised his eyebrows. "Rampant sex bunnies?" He asked. "The light at the end of the tunnel? You didn't look did you? Because that would have been bad." Somehow the more he tried to be serious, the more it seemed to get away from him. But Kelly remained silent, and the tears kept welling up in her eyes. "God?" He peered at her. "Kelly?" She looked up at him.

"I saw my family." She said.

"What?" Was all he could manage. It felt like a bat had come sailing out of left field and struck him soundly across the face.

"I went home." Kelly's fingers closed around Dean's amulet. "I woke up in my bed, and saw my mother, my brothers, and my little sister." She sounded sad, and Dean felt a lump welling up in his throat. "It was my birthday." Kelly said. Dean's arms tightened around her body, she seemed so small now. He watched as the tears leaked out of her eyes, and she wiped her cheeks.

"Sorry." She said.

"You don't have to apologize." Dean said. "I may not go in for all that touchy feely stuff, but that doesn't mean I can't listen." Kelly hiccupped, and suddenly the tears began rolling down her cheeks. She began sobbing uncontrollably. "Or…" He trailed off, at a loss for what to do. "I'm not good at it." Dean ran his hand over her head. "We don't have to talk about this." He said. Watching as Kelly swallowed, and straightened up.

"Let's not." Kelly said. She looked down at her hands. "Thanks though." She said. "Really, Dean it means a lot."

"Yeah." Dean said. "No problem." _I bet you'd spill your guts out to Sam though._ This was one of the very many times in his life where he'd suddenly felt jealous of his little brother. Dean wasn't one to admit to it, and as he watched Kelly struggle to reorient her emotional balance, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and wiping some of the excess tears off her cheeks.

"So…" She trailed off. "Dean Winchester on a date." Her smile suddenly came back. "This I want to see."

"And you will." He nodded. "Tonight. It may take a little planning, but I figured a romantic drive on Highway One is just what the doctor ordered." _And isn't something that leaves me feeling like I'm running around with no pants on._ Dean paused. Actually, that thought didn't leave him feeling uncomfortable. _In a clown suit._ That was better. Dean Winchester hated clowns.

"Aren't we working to catch a werewolf tonight?" Kelly asked. She slid away from him, and stood.

"Where are you going?" Dean called as she headed towards the bathroom. _Right, how could I forget about the werewolf?_

"I'm getting dressed." She replied. Throwing her damp hair back over her shoulder, she knelt down and began searching through the plaid bag. Time in the shower had left her feeling more dirty rather than not. _And Dean didn't even give me time to condition my hair._ "Sam will be back soon right?" Dean nodded.

"I'll figure something out about the date." He said. "There's no reason why I can't spend the evening working and then take you out."

"We." Kelly corrected. She pulled on a bra, and hooked it closed. Then began the laborious process of pulling on a fresh set of underwear and jeans. Her skin wasn't totally dry, so the fabric clung to her legs, twisting itself inside out before she finally managed to get it on her body. "We're not mixing business with pleasure, Dean." His pants and a fresh shirt on, Dean walked up behind her and unwound the cloth of her underwear. Kelly flushed and grabbed for her shirt.

"There's always time for pleasure." He breathed into her ear. Exhaling the breath she'd been holding, Kelly began tugging her jeans on, as Dean chuckled behind her. It was at this point in the conversation, when the door swung open and Sam entered.

"Hey Dean." He said. Dean raised his eyebrow at his brother as behind him, Kelly busily began buttoning her jeans and zipping them shut. Sam looked past his brother and smirked as he saw a bare arm reaching for a shirt left on top of the television. Dean crossed his arms, and remained in place. "Hey Kelly." He called.

"Hey Sam." She replied. "You're back early."

"Actually, I'm late." He replied. Kelly pulled her shirt on and peered around from behind Dean. Dean glanced down at her and smiled. His posture relaxed as she stepped out from behind him. She noticed a white plastic bag hanging in Sam's free hand, and she frowned. "And you guys look sufficiently…." He trailed off, a smirk finding it's way onto his lips. "Wet."

"Showers, Sammy." Dean said.

"They have water." Kelly nodded. "You get wet." She couldn't help but feel that what she said sounded stupid. "And clean."

"Or in some cases dirty." Dean grinned. Sam sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. "Did you get the donuts?"

"I got the donuts." Sam replied, setting the bag on the table. "So, are you lovebirds ready to go?" He swallowed the second half of his sentence, along with the jealousy behind it. _Got all your kinks worked out?_

"Ready and able." Kelly said. Grabbing her plaid bag, she swung it over her shoulder, and headed towards the door. Sam couldn't help but smile. Even if there was a stiffness to her gait, he could see how eager she was to get back in the fray. "Let's book it." That caused Sam to snort. _Who uses vocab like that?_

"Whoa." Dean said. Putting his hands up, he looked at her. "Don't you think you should stay here…" Kelly turned around, her hands on her hips, and her eyes blazing. They were dark, intense, and annoyed. "And rest up." Dean finished. Kelly looked about ready to pull her USP 9mm out of the bag and shoot him in the kneecaps. _That or pull out a giant hammer and bury me in the ground._

"No." She replied. Her voice flat. Then she turned and stalked back towards the door. As she passed Sam, she smiled at him. "I'll be waiting outside." Then she kept walking.

"We're going to be posing as detectives." Dean called. "They work in groups of two! Two!" Kelly looked back over her shoulder and sent him a withering glare.

"Then Sam and I will play detective while you wait in the car." Kelly said. Her voice sweet.

"Like hell!" Dean growled. "We're the ones with all the experience sweetheart, you'll be spending the afternoon in the Impala." His lips quirked. "Doing Cheeto runs." Kelly raised her eyebrow at him.

"I'm coming whether you approve or not." She said. "So, stick that up your misogynistic ass and get over it."

"You like this ass." Dean yelled. But Kelly just shrugged. Throwing open the door, she stalked out, and slammed it shut behind her. Dean's head rolled back, and he heaved a heavy sigh. "Bitch." He muttered.

"Guess you didn't get all her kinks worked out." Sam chuckled.

"I'm going to shoot her." Dean growled.

"As long as it's not in public." Sam said. "I'm sure she'll bounce right back." Dean's eyes snapped to his brother.

"That's not funny, Sammy."

"You completely got the luck of the draw." Sam laughed. "I'm so glad you got the girl."

Dean glanced at his brother and paused for a long moment. Then finally he said. "No you're not."

"True." Sam said. "But at least now, I can watch you suffer."

"The girl's bi polar." Dean snapped. "One minute she's lovey-dovey and the next she's chewing my ass off."

"They call that a woman." Sam replied. He was unable to keep the grin off of his lips. Seeing Dean struggle with a woman was like Christmas come early, and for all his sensitivity Sam intended to milk this for all it was worth. Dean glanced at Sam. "And that's what you get for trying to keep her home and knitting."

"She's exhausted." Dean grumbled. "I was trying to be nice."

"Dean Winchester being nice." Sam chuckled. "That's something new."

"Shut up."

"For what it's worth." Sam said. "You sounded like you didn't want her on the mission."

"I don't." Dean replied. "She doesn't need to be putting herself in the line of fire." Sam nodded, but not in agreement. He understood where his brother was coming from.

"So this has nothing to do with her getting shot." He said. The sarcasm was heavy in his voice. "That's good to know." Dean sighed, shook his head, and followed his girlfriend. Sam laughed. Knowing they were in for a rip roaring good time. _That or a very long car ride._ Then he too went after Kelly.

One hour later, Sam and Dean were talking with Madison Sinclair. "I don't understand." She said. "I already gave my statement to the police." Sam nodded, still surprised by how much hotter the brunette was in person. He'd thought she was pretty in her photograph, but… _She's amazing_. At least as far as her looks were concerned, and unlike a certain older brother of his, Sam never judged worth on looks alone.

"We just need to verify a few things." He said as he and Dean followed her into the living room of the apartment. "It shouldn't take long." At least, he hoped for Dean's sake that it wouldn't. They'd left a very disgruntled Kelly in the car. She had agreed to Sam's terms, only because it had made sense to her. _And I promised that we wouldn't cut her out of the actual werewolf hunt._ He was willing to side with Dean over the fact that Kelly had looked very tired. _But it's only been a day since we found her._ Even Dean needed about a week to recover after being shot. _Much less mortally wounded._ But Kelly was a very stubborn girl. Just as stubborn as Dean. _Which is probably why the two of them get along so well._ Sometimes, Sam was certain that they're bickering was just a some kind of weird foreplay. _And Dean is actually concerned about her well being_. Which was the only reason why Sam had agreed to back off in the first place. They paused, at the entrance to the living room as a dark haired man stood up slowly. He had large soulful brown eyes and a thick bushy beard and moustache, one that barely looked like it had been trimmed.

"This is my neighbor Glen." Madison said. Her dark hair swinging behind her as she spoke rapidly, her tone clipped and business like. Sam's eyes narrowed slightly on Glen, he was wearing a faded yellow t-shirt with the words Mission Church emblazoned across it, with a tall cross and the shadow of what looked like a friar. "Glen this is Detective…" She spun around and trailed off. Sam realized that they hadn't mentioned their names.

"Landis." Dean said. "And my partner Detective Dante." He slapped Sam on the back. Glen said something about casserole in a low mumble, and then proceeded to make a run for the door. Sam watched Madison thank him, before he disappeared out the door. Sam wondered what would have happened if Kelly were here instead of Dean. _Would Madison believe I'm single?_ Most likely not. _So, as Dean would say, it's better for my overall libido…_ He trailed off, suddenly embarrassed.

"He's sweet." Madison said, looking from one Winchester brother to the other. "He comes over every day to check on me."

"And that's not stalkerish at all." Dean coughed under his breath.

"What was that?" Madison asked.

"How's that cough doing, partner?" Sam asked. He smacked Dean on the shoulders several times for good measure. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Dean said. Rubbing his neck he glared at his brother.

"I'm sorry, are you feeling sick?" Madison asked.

"It's nothing." Dean lifted up his hands. "Just a cold."

"You're lucky she didn't catch that." Sam said in a low voice, as he turned away from his brother. Smiling, painfully, back at Madison. There was an awkward pause, before Madison gestured to the nearby table.

"Have a seat." She said. Stuttering a little, before hurrying over and sitting down. _She's nervous._ Sam realized. Not that he could really blame her. _Two hot police officers standing in her living room…_ He paused. That really did sound like something Dean would say. _When did we start swapping brains._ He wondered. _She probably doesn't want to relive what happened that morning._ And Sam couldn't say he blamed her.

"We'll try to make this as quick and painless as possible." He said. Sliding into his seat across from Madison. He felt Dean sit down beside him, but all of Sam's attention was focused on the girl.

Madison took a deep breath. Then she smiled. "I appreciate that." She said. Sam swallowed. It was definitely a good thing that Kelly wasn't here. _Dean's the only one now who has to worry about random hookups._ He wondered if anyone had told Dean that they were now out of the question. _Didn't Dean say something about taking Kelly out on a date tonight?_ That had to be some kind of joke. _As far as I know Dean's never gone out on a date._ But then again… _Dean's only ever dated one girl seriously before._ And why was he feeling so involved in his brother's love life? _Because I want him to be happy._ He wanted her to be happy too.

"You must be pretty shaken up." Sam said. "So you were Jason Bank's assistant?" He phrased the statement like a question and waited for her to respond.

"For two years." She nodded.

"So you knew all about him?" Dean cut in. An intense look in his eyes. Sam was glad to see that Dean was taking the job seriously. _At least he's not rushing._ Kelly had taken Dean's not wanting her on the mission as a sign that he didn't value her skills as a hunter. Dean had yet to reject the statement, but Sam had spent most of the ride trying to pacify the angry girl. Dean had only made vague statements about how he liked her as a person. Sam knew that Dean didn't want Kelly involving herself in the hunt. He also knew his brother's reasons went back to a misguided overprotective instinct. _He doesn't want her to get hurt, and he's doing everything he can to keep her out of it._ The problem was that the more Dean rejected that side of her, the more quickly she rebelled. _Dean's just going to have to get used to it._ If Kelly was to be believed, then her very nature as a… _Hound?_ Or a black dog dictated that she hunt. _Like she was born to do it._ But getting a concept such as change through Dean's skull took more than a few hammer blows, and Sam just hoped that Kelly could be patient. _Instead of flying off the handle_. Because, as Dean had so elegantly put it. _She hits hard._ Which was one of the many reasons why his brother had seemed dead set against pissing her off. _Well, that was before he slept with her... After staking his claim as her boyfriend._ A position that was an entirely new concept for his wayward brother. Internally, Sam shook his head. This was not about Kelly. The focus here was Madison. The very beautiful, intelligent, and witty woman sitting in front of him. Sam could worry over what was stewing in the Impala later. When the time came.

"I probably knew more about him than he did." Madison was telling Dean. "Jason was…" She paused. "Well, he was sweet. But get a few drinks in him and he was hitting on everything with legs and a pair of breasts." She glanced at Sam. "You know the type." Sam cast a sidelong glance at his brother. For once, Dean looked entirely serious. There wasn't even a hint of drool around his mouth. _Strange how much one day in a relationship has changed him._ Sam nodded. Then Dean made a soft 'huh' sound, and Sam re-evaluated the goofy grin on his brother's face. _Never mind, same old Dean._ Sam looked back at Madison.

"Yeah." He said. "I do." Dean glanced at his brother. "Actually…" Sam added. But seeing the annoyance in his brother's eyes, Sam cut himself off. Dean glanced down, then he glanced back up at Madison.

"Did Jason…" He paused. "Did he have any enemies?"

"Jason?" Madison asked. "What do you mean? It sure looked like an animal attack."

"No." Dean shook his head. "We just want to be thorough, make sure we're covering all the bases." Madison paused. "Anyone who might have had a beef with him, a former client, an ex?" There was a strange look that came over Madison's face. Catching it, Sam asked.

"What?" _She looks good when she's flustered._ He realized.

"Well, this is embarrassing, but…" She began, closing her eyes as she looked down at the table. "My ex boyfriend Kurt…"

"Kurt have a last name?" Dean asked.

"Mewler." She said. "After we broke up he went kind of nuts." Sam glanced at Dean. _Sounds like you to have something in common._ He thought. _At least about the going nuts part._ Again Sam wondered how Kelly was fairing. _And has the boredom killed her yet?_

000

Outside the apartment building, and beneath a large oak tree. Kelly Jones sat on the hood of the Impala, her arms crossed over her zipped up brown leather jacket. Looking up at the old Victorian style building, Kelly sighed loudly. _So much for letting bat girl join the club._ She thought. More irked by the thought of being left out of the loop, again, than the fact that Sam and Dean were inside talking to a witness. "It's our first mission together as a team." She muttered. "Or am I still the unusable third wheel?" Examining the dirt beneath her nails, Kelly inhaled deeply. She had no idea what werewolves smelled like, and even if she found something odd on this street, she'd never be able to track it. _Not after a thousand feet have graced these sidewalks._ The clinging smells were so jumbled, that she couldn't tell a pug's piss from a Shirley Temple. "This feels exactly like it did before." Kelly groaned. "Those two doing the work, while I'm along for the ride." She didn't really believe Sam when he'd said they'd make it up to her. _If I'm going to believe something then I want to hear it from my so-called boyfriend._ She thought. She understood Dean's protectiveness. _But it has it's limits._ And she would make him see her as a hunter or spend all her evenings kicking him in the shins until he relented. Kelly sighed again this time loudly. Tilting her head back she looked up at the pale blue of the sky. Ignoring the gray fluffy clouds drifting in from the bay, she growled. "I am a competent hunter." She would make Dean see that.

"And it's horribly disappointing how he doesn't see that." A familiar voice said from her right. Kelly turned her head to stare into a pair of overwhelming yellow irises. "But all the better for me."

"You're getting predictable." Kelly said. She let her head fall to the side as she looked over at him. Her brown gold eyes mocking. "How can I see you as some terrifying big bad, when I know that every time something life changing happens, you'll show up to throw in your two cents?" Her tone remained dry as she added. "Really, it takes the mystery out."

"That tongue of yours is getting wicked." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. He was dressed in his usual cowboy attire, jeans, jeans jacket, some random shirt and a pair of leather boots. "You're lucky I like a little spunk in my girls." Kelly snorted. "Brains too." He smirked at her, his eyes glowing in the afternoon sunlight. "I tell you, Kelly. I like some smarts in them." He pointed at her. "And you, kid? You've got the whole package. Everything I'm looking for. Which is why I've come to congratulate you." He smiled. It was a dry cold smile that twisted Kelly's gut into knots. "On a job well done."

"Huh." Kelly said. "Praise. Something new and different."

"Trust me kiddo, you want to keep on impressing me." He said. She knew better than to ask what he'd do if she didn't. _He'll give me a threat that he's more than happy to follow through on_. Most likely he'd threaten the Winchesters. Kelly's eyes snapped up to the house.

"Looking for your boys?" The Yellow Eyed Demon asked. "I wouldn't worry about them. They're all tied up with that pretty girl in there." Kelly glanced at him. "They're not about to come hurrying back." She raised an eyebrow, but kept the rest of her face placid. "If there's one thing I know about those Winchesters, it's that they're thorough."

"You know the Winchesters?" Kelly asked. That sounded right, but she had no way to back up the inclination. It was just a gut feeling.

"Another story, for another time perhaps." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. "Let's get back to the nitty gritty of your outstanding performance."

"Well, considering that this is probably all in my head." Kelly said. "I'll humor you for now." She glanced at him. "Let's talk about what happened on Lorna's boat?"

"Now, now, Kelly girl." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. "You of all people should know that things that happen in your head don't make them any less real." He accentuated his pronunciation of the last three words, and Kelly stiffened. She knew he was talking about her dream. _Was it real?_ She hadn't found the strength to talk to Dean about that, at least not go any deeper than the required bare minimum.

"You wouldn't have set up that whole encounter with Timothy?" Kelly asked. The Yellow Eyed Demon chuckled.

"Now why would that little brain of yours come up with that fantastic scenario?" He asked.

"To speed up my progress." Kelly said. She leaned forward. "I think we're getting near game time." She said. "And you want the puppy to look her best."

"You may be right about that." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. "But I didn't sic Timothy on you." Kelly raised a caustic eyebrow. "Scouts honor." The demon raised his right hand.

"But you knew exactly what was going to happen." Kelly said. Her voice flat. She didn't appreciate being toyed around with like a puppet. Kelly's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. She wasn't about to thank him for this latest awakening. It had hurt. Hell, had it hurt. And she knew that without a Binder it would be a while before she'd be able to take dog form again. _It takes so much energy._ She thought. Her arms remained crossed over her leather jacket, and she crossed one leg over the other so that her entire body was in unison.

"Not knew." The Yellow Eyed demon raised a singular finger. "Hoped." His lips curled into another cold smirk. "And my investment certainly has paid off." Kelly shivered. She knew exactly what he was referring to. _I finally get it._ She thought. She understood what he was planning, and what he'd done when he'd tasted her blood the first time they'd met. _Blood calls to blood._ She thought. _Blood binds us, even more strongly than the use of our names._ Kelly shivered. "What you did to Timothy was pure poetry." The Yellow Eyed Demon continued. "It had the perfect touch of…" He paused. "Viciousness."

"That wasn't me." Kelly growled. She was spitting out a lie. _But it makes me feel better._ Not that she had anything to feel guilty about. _Timothy was a demon. I followed my instincts._

"You're right, kiddo." He said. "It was pure instinct." His gaze hardened as it locked with hers. "You're instinct." Kelly swallowed. Her actions had only been natural. _So why is he looking at me like it tickles him pink?_ "Instincts above and beyond what's normal for a doggy your age." Kelly gritted her teeth. _I am not unnatural._ Besides, ripping Timothy out of his host body had been a fluke. Nothing more. _It's not like I can possibly do that again._ It required a level of power that was completely beyond her current state. "You'll make the perfect guard dog." Kelly's eyes snapped back up to him. On his face was a self-satisfied smile that made her gut start twisting knots. _He coerced me into it._ At the very least, he'd set her on the road. _And he did it just to see if I could._ She'd almost died. _And all he wanted was to jumpstart me into spiritual form._ Her true form. That rankled her pride.

"I didn't do it for your satisfaction." She growled. Her voice low in her throat. "I did it…"

"For survival." Kelly fought for calm as his hand rested on her head. Every instinct in her body told her to twist around and sink her canines deep into his flesh. Instead, she held herself still. "And you exceeded all expectations." The Yellow Eyed Demon smiled. "You are a prime specimen of your delightful species." He patted the top of her head. Kelly stiffened. _Demons lie. That's what they do. Demons lie._ Her eyes remained focused on the spot of pavement between her boots, as her fists clenched.

"It wasn't my intention." Kelly snapped.

"Now, now." He said. "There's no need for tantrums." His hand remained on her head and Kelly swallowed the revulsion wriggling on her tongue. It sank into her already knotted stomach, and Kelly began to feel a little queasy. _Hunt, kill._ The words pounded in her skull, and she could feel her nails sharpening as her eyes began to blaze. She closed them. "There's no need to ruin my good mood just yet." His voice was suddenly frighteningly cold. Kelly froze beneath his hand. "After all, your compliant behavior is the only reason I'm still letting you run loose."

"I thought it was because you wanted me to grow stronger." Kelly said. Her voice soft.

"Ripping Timothy from his host and casting him back into hell proved you strong enough." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. His voice blithe. She could feel his eyes fixed on her skull, but she refused to look up at him. "I know how much power it took to manifest that particularly advanced ability." Kelly swallowed. Her throat suddenly felt thick. _And he's right._ She thought. _I won't be shape shifting anytime soon._ "Especially without a Binder of your very own." The last part was thrown in casually, but it caused her to stiffen straighter.

"With or without a Binder, I'm still dangerous." She said. There was a mild challenge in her voice. In response the Yellow Eyed Demon laughed.

"And there's the spunk." He said. "Right on time." His hand tightened on her skull, and Kelly winced. "Looks like my time is almost up." He said. Leaning in close, she could feel his breath against her ear. Kelly withheld a shudder. "And remember breathe a word of this to dear old Dean-o, and he'll be tasting his intestines before you can say uncle." Kelly gritted her teeth as he exerted more pressure on her skull. But she nodded. _I want to let the Winchesters into this portion of my life._ But she was scared for their safety. _I know Dean would say safety be damned, but…_ She had never once doubted the Yellow Eyed Demon's intention to make good on his promise. _And if Dean is going to go down, it won't be because of me._ The Yellow Eyed Demon had hinted at being involved in the Winchesters lives. _Maybe they'll talk to me about him._ She wondered why the Demon cared so much about whether or not she told Dean. _He talks about him like he's a gnat._ A buzzing annoyance who was no real threat. _He once said I was going to be his great surprise._ She wondered if it had something to do with that. The Demon tightened his hold, and Kelly nearly yelped.

"I understand." She said through gritted teeth. _I need to figure out a way out of this._ Well there was one easy solution. _But I need a Binder._ And she had no intention of subjugating herself to someone by means of a simple blood pact. _I'm not going to follow in the Yellow Eyed Demon's footsteps._ Besides, that method had more than a few loopholes. _Even if the Binding is ironclad._ Kelly paused. She'd surprised herself. _I'm remembering more._ However, it was still mostly a jumble. _And the true Binding is still missing._

"Good dog." He said. "You don't have much longer to wait."

"I'm already on the road to damnation." Kelly growled. "What's a few months between that?" She shrugged. The Yellow Eyed Demon laughed, and released her. Kelly was left sitting on the hood of the car. _The next time he comes._ She realized. _It won't just be a visit._ He'd be coming for her. _And I don't have much longer to wait._ But with no memories, no help, and little time, how would she figure out what she needed to do? Sucking in a deep breath she closed her eyes, and felt a hand settle on her shoulder, shaking her awake. Kelly looked up. _So it was a dream after all._ "Dean." She said. Her boyfriend had an annoyed expression on his face, and Kelly looked past him to see Sam standing a few paces away. There was an odd smile on his lips.

"Christ." Dean muttered. "If you're going to doze off in public, at least do it inside the car." She felt his hands close around her upper arms as he hauled her to her feet. "Come on." He said. "We've got a werewolf to kill."

"We should find it first." Kelly said. She always felt a little weak after visits from the Yellow Eyed Demon. Behind Dean, Sam laughed, and Kelly smiled at him. Sure she was stable on her feet, Dean let Kelly go and walked around to the driver's side door. Sam walked up to her as she yawned, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at him, and then glanced back at Dean. He was already sliding inside the car. Kelly smiled. She loved them both. Looking into the reflection of the hood, Kelly almost swore she saw the Yellow Eyed Demon's reflection staring back at her. But it was only a disfiguring of her own eyes. She reached out and let her fingertips rest on it. "Always in my dreams." She mumbled. Not yet fully awake, her hands squeezed into fists. She felt Sam's hand come down on her shoulder, and it squeezed gently. Kelly looked up at him. There was worry in his chocolate eyes.

"Who's always in your dreams?" He asked. Kelly's heart stopped. _Shit._ Now she'd have to lie. Smiling her most charming smile, Kelly rubbed the back of her head.

"It's a little embarrassing." She laughed. "But lately in my dreams I've been chased by this Candy Cane Man." She shrugged, letting a flush rise to her cheeks so she looked suitably embarrassed. "I'm running through the forest, and he's following me swinging this huge sticky peppermint cane and yelling 'YARG!'" She threw up her hands in imitation of a pirate. Laughter choked itself in Sam's throat, and sputtered out through his lips.

"You wouldn't happen to have a hatred of peppermint?" He asked. Kelly looked up at him, and then shook her head.

"Honestly, I don't know why I've been having the dream." She said. "Honestly, it sounds really silly when you say it out loud." A self conscious smile graced her lips as the flush turned her cheeks rosy.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Sam said. "That's no weirder than half the stuff that runs through Dean's mind on a day to day basis." He glanced at Kelly. "At least you still had your clothes on." Kelly paused, and Sam raised an eyebrow. "Unless, you didn't?"

"I was dressed." She snapped.

"Well a Candy Cane Man is better than visions." Sam said. He tapped the side of his skull. Kelly nodded, Dean often made comments about Sam's psychic tendencies, but he'd never bothered to elaborate on what those actually were. _Well the circle of trust isn't big with the Winchesters, it consists of two._ She glanced up at Sam. _Maybe three if you include Bobby._ But she'd never been included in the inner circle.

"Visions?" She asked. "About what?" Pure curiosity drove her forward, even as Dean honked the horn and waved for them to get a move on.

"People dying, mostly." Sam said. His voice was cool and Kelly paused. _Maybe he finally trusts me._ Maybe this meant she could finally ask about what had happened to their father. She glanced at Dean.

"They're usually related to stuff happening around the Yellow Eyed Demon." Sam said. Kelly swallowed quickly as he mentioned the name. Composing her features into innocence instead of recognition, she met Sam's eyes. _The Yellow Eyed Demon?_ She knew what he wanted with her. _But what does he want with Sam Winchester?_ Memory of his touch sent thrills of revulsion through her stomach, and Kelly fought the panic sending her now rapidly beating heart into a tailspin. _I need to be calm._

"The Yellow Eyed Demon?" She asked. The words came out of her mouth slowly, like it was a name she was only hearing for the first time. _Instead of one I curse with every other breath._ Kelly hated lying to Sam, especially when he was being honest with her.

"We never told you about that?" Sam asked. He sounded surprised. Kelly shook her head. Sam was about to go into more detail when Dean honked the horn a second time. He leaned out the window.

"Get a move on ladies!" He yelled. "The two of you are wasting daylight."

"I guess that's fine." Kelly said. She glanced up at Sam with a fairly substantial grin overpowering her features. "Since werewolves come out at night."

"Even so." Sam said. "We shouldn't keep Dean waiting." He smiled down at her and offered Kelly the crook of his arm. "Shall we?"

"Let's." She replied, hooking her own arm through his. Together they headed to the passenger side door. In gentlemanly fashion swung it open for her, and Kelly climbed in. She slid across the smooth black leather of the back seat to lean forward through the head rests and give a disgruntled looking Dean a peck on the cheek. "So where are we headed?" She asked.

"We're going to investigate Madison's…" Sam began, but was cut off by Dean who added.

"Sam's new girlfriend's ex." Dean smirked at his brother.

"Shut up." Sam growled. Kelly laughed, suddenly it felt like her troubles with the Yellow Eyed Demon were very far away. And she realized how glad she was to be back with the Winchesters. _I wish these moments could last forever._ She thought.

"So does Sam's new girlfriend's ex have a name?" She asked.

"Kurt." Dean said. "Mewler." He held up a card. "Here's his address." He glanced back at her. Kelly handed the card to Sam, and glanced back at Dean. "Sit back and buckle up." Rolling her eyes, Kelly complied.

"I never realized you were such a stickler for passenger safety, Dean." She said. Snapping herself into the backseat, she listened as Sam chortled.

"Not until you started riding in my car, sweetheart." Dean replied. He twisted the ignition key and stepped down on the break as the engine roared to life. Kelly's head rested on the cool glass of the back seat window pane.

"You always know the right thing to make me feel special, baby." She called back. Sam snorted, and Dean smirked. "I hope you don't treat the other girls this way."

"No honey." Dean quipped. "Just you. The one and only pain in my ass." The car rumbled forward and the streets began to whiz by.

"When did Sam no longer qualify?" Kelly asked. Her tone cheerful.

"I don't think you're going to win this one, Dean." Sam said. He glanced back at Kelly, and winked.

"Shut up, Sam." Dean growled.

"Boy." Kelly said. "I'm so glad you guys found me." There was a moment of silence in the car, and then all three of them burst out laughing, as they headed deeper into the heart of San Francisco.

AN: My muse felt so bad that she didn't manage a quick update, that she gave you an extra long chapter to compensate. Tell me how you liked the Dean and Kelly shower scene, the whole thing really. Plus YED is back for more enigmatic hints. I hope I did his character justice. As always the characters will keep pushing forward. So I hope you enjoy, and continue to enjoy. As always leave my muse reviews, she loves them, she really does.

The next chapter 36 will be called Seeing the Beast.

Spoil her and she will spoil you. Review.


	36. Chapter 36: Seeing the Beast

Chapter 36: Seeing the Beast

It could be best described as a moody hallway. Designed by a forward thinking Hippi in the late 60s, one whose mind had been tripped out on psychedelics when he'd imagined the color scheme. Then the walls had been painted the brightest of reds, with eye searing yellow used as the secondary, with lime green trim. The remnants from that time still remained in the hall, even though through the passage of decades some conservative had bought the building. Instead of keeping the hallway just as it was, had opted out for a more subtle trend. Perhaps it had been the occupants. Many of those who had not been introduced to psychotropic drugs simply could not stand to walk out into the hall without being blinded by it's magnificent reflection of shattering light. So as with all great things an inevitable dismantling came to pass. The walls were repainted a deep dark blue and trimmed with a reddish brown. In this one action, the hallway, once brilliantly alive, transitioned from sparkling to depressing. And though the number of occupants it attracted raised significantly, it lost the same number in a manner of months. The occupants of the building were often categorized by the outsiders as sullen, annoyed, with unyieldingly dark and erratic mood swings. More cheerful renters never lasted past their six month lease, and always left with a duller outlook on life. The hallway was one that changed people and this was the kind of place where Kurt Mewler lived. Her thoughts rotating around the depressing aura bleeding of the same said wall she was leaning against, Kelly Jones could not understand why Mewler had chosen to live here. Surely, he could have found a better place. Was it because he had no where else to live? She didn't know the circumstances that had lead him to become Madison's ex. She had not been cued in on that conversation. _But I can understand._ What girl could possibly want to spend any time here? Kelly wondered. _This building is a relationship killer._ Deep inside her mind, she snorted. _Sam likes Madison a lot._ Kelly could tell. _So it has to be more complicated than that._ Had he been overly possessive? Protective? Jealous to the point of rage? Kelly paused. _Sounds like someone I know._ She bit her lip. _So, what does that mean for our relationship?_ She inhaled deeply, and loosed a long sigh. Looking down the end of the hall she checked the clock for the sixth time in the past hour. _Eleven. _It was now eleven o'clock. Kelly sighed again. _How long has he been at this?_ She was referring to Dean Winchester, her significant other. He was kneeling in front of the blinding white door labeled twenty six, and trying to open the lock on the door knob. Sam was leaning over him and Kelly could feel his frustration tensing in the air. _I offered my assistance half an hour ago._ But Dean had turned her down then. That put Kelly in a very bad mood. _No matter how good the sex is, I could have that door open in three minutes, and he won't even listen to me._ The smallest hand on the clock continued to tick away. Kelly's foot kept time as she tapped it against the soft fuzzy green carpet covering the floor of the hallway. Her arms remained crossed over her brown leather jacket, as her hair swayed back and forth. She turned her head. Sighing once more, she opened her mouth.

"No complaints." Dean said. Kelly's jaw shut.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." Kelly replied.

"You've been tapping your foot like that for the past hour." Dean said. He straightened a little bit and glanced back at her over his shoulder. "You were going to complain." He turned back to the door knob. "Don't." Regular door locks generally never gave Dean Winchester any trouble, however today seemed like a special day. _This one isn't above average. It's design and make isn't unique._ So why? Why was it causing a problem? Had the Gods of Locksmithing turned their back on him or something? Or was Lady Luck just not on his side?

"If you'd let me help…" Kelly began.

"I don't want to hear it." He growled.

"We'd be inside already." She finished. He didn't need to look at her to feel the frustration. Instead he continued to work on the lock, until at last, he heard a soft click.

"Yahtzee." He murmured. Reaching up towards the handle, his fingers closed around it. Sam's eyes lit up with anticipation, as Kelly moved off the wall. Dean turned the door knob and pushed. The door wouldn't budge. "Damn it!" Dean swore. "I've half a mind to kick the thing down."

"Which wouldn't accomplish the objective of a quiet and smooth entry, Dean." Sam said.

"You want a go?" He asked. Looking up at his brother, Sam met his brother's challenging stare. He was about to respond, when Kelly walked up behind Dean.

"I most certainly do." She said. Dean glanced at her over his shoulder, and their eyes met.

"No." He said. "We're not adding breaking and entering to your repertoire." Kelly snorted.

"I thought it was Sam's job to baby me." She said. Cocking her head to one side, Kelly looked down at Dean, her eyes dark and moody. "You I expected to let me jump in with both feet."

"By letting you become a criminal?" He asked.

"I already am a criminal." Kelly replied. "Or did you think Bobby taught me nothing during that three month sojourn?" Her head remained tilted to the side, and Dean stiffened. Then he relaxed. As much as his inner instincts demanded that he not be bested by a girl, he stepped back away from the door and joined Sam on the wall.

"Think you can do better?" He asked and when Kelly smiled sweetly at him, Dean could feel himself relent. "Fine." He said. His voice sounded strange in his own ears, and he couldn't believe he was putting himself in the position of being out done by Kelly Jones. Dean stood and moved back. Glancing at Sam again, he said. "You're sure I can't shoot her?"

"Not in public." Sam repeated. He smirked. _We're really coming back to this?_ Jokes about Kelly's habit of finding herself beaten and bloody on the floor was a sore subject with Dean. _So he's either gotten over it._ In a very short time. _Or he wants to punish himself again._ One was just as convincing as the other, and knowing Dean it could be either. _Or potentially both._

"It would be a mess." Kelly said. Her tone full of woe. "Can you imagine? My blood and brains splattered all over this walls?" Sam snorted. Somehow, the way she phrased that very depressing thought made it funny. "It would make this place more depressing." She sighed, and plopped down on the floor in front of the white door. Propping her elbow up on her thigh, she rested her chin on her palm, as dark brown hair swayed around her shoulders. Kelly's bangs dipped into her eyes, as she looked forlornly at the door. Sam could feel himself sputter, and he glanced at his brother. Dean's eyebrows were knitted together, but his lips were twitching. "Besides." Kelly said. Her voice becoming mischievous. "You don't want to tell Ellen you were responsible for getting me shot twice this week." There was a wicked edge to her words, and her lips quirked. Kelly tilted her head, and glanced at Dean over her shoulder. "Save yourself some agony and shoot me next month." She paused. "Unless you can't hold the aggravation in?" Dean chuckled.

"Either way you'll just…what was the word Sammy used? Respawn?" He asked. "Like a tumor." Sam couldn't help it, despite the seriousness of the situation, and being on the job, he couldn't hold it in. He burst out laughing.

"A benign tumor." Kelly replied. Her voice prim, and she cocked an eyebrow at him. Amusement curved itself into the edges of her features, as her eyes light up beneath the overhead florescent lights. "And anyway, I like to think of myself as a cockroach."

"So you agree you're a pest." Dean said. "I think I like this metaphor."

"I can survive anything." Kelly said. There was an exasperated undercurrent in her words, as Sam continued to laugh. "Freeze, me roast, me cut off my head." She joked. "I'll always come back."

"The worst kind of pest." Dean chuckled. "The one who living through a nuclear holocaust."

"Exactly." Kelly said. She turned back to the door, trying to hide the grin that was spreading over her lips. "See." She added. "By your own admission, you'll never be rid of me." Sam glanced at the expression flitting across his brother's face. _And she says exactly what Dean wants to hear._

"So what?" Dean asked. "You develop some magic lock picking power?"

"Watch and see." Kelly said. This time Dean sighed, loudly, very loudly as he leaned against the wall. He was certain that Kelly wouldn't fair any better with the lock than he had. Watching as his brother's eyes locked onto Kelly's back, Sam wondered why Dean didn't feel the same sense of pride in Kelly's development. _Maybe he just hides it well._ His brother often didn't admit to being impressed, even when he was. _He's probably just concerned._ And the way Dean acted when he got concerned? _Obstinate, stubborn, overprotective, jealous._ With a tendency to keep the ones he loved out of dangerous situations. _And Kelly?_ She was the type to just march straight in, regardless of the danger. _Add the fact that she hates being overprotected._ And her long standing desire to be treated as an equal. _You get a storm… With lots and lots of competition._

"Think she'll use her black dog powers?" Sam asked. His voice bringing Sam out of his reflections. "Or will she go about it the old fashioned way?" If the whole idea of Sam using his psychic abilities made Dean uncomfortable, then the same was true with Kelly. The only difference was that the older Winchester could accept hers with a little less difficulty. _Because they're not coming from a source of evil._ Or were linked to the creature who had murdered his mother, his father, Sam's girlfriend Jess, and destroyed his childhood. _But that doesn't mean they don't unnerve me._ Kelly's admission to being some kind of hunting dog had soothed him, but only by a fraction. Anytime her eyes began to burn gold or her nails grew sharp and black made him uneasy. _And it's been happening more often._ It wasn't that he didn't trust Kelly, hell, he trusted her more than he'd ever trusted Cassie. _I told her who I really was._ That had been a big step for him. No, it wasn't that he mistrusted _her_. _I just don't trust the thing inside her._ And because of that, he could never rely on her the same way he did with Sam or Bobby. _Sam is family._ And Kelly was his girlfriend. _But Sam doesn't flaunt his abilities._ However, Sam didn't have complete control over them either. _Or any control._ Kelly was still a mystery. Dean crossed his arms. _But I love her._ That alone was worth giving her a chance.

"Ten bucks says she doesn't." Dean replied. His voice sneaking out the corner of his mouth. In front of them, Kelly was drawing in a deep breath, her eyes falling shut as she lapsed into deep concentration.

"You're on." Sam muttered. Kelly lifted her hand and touched it to the door handle. A rumble began deep in her throat as she searched for the right note. A high pitched whine, practically a whistle, pierced out through her lips. _Or did it come out of her nostrils?_ Sam couldn't be entirely certain. There was one thing, though, that he was wholly sure of. _That's not a sound human vocal chords can make._ If she had done this earlier, before the fight with the hellhounds, or her transformation, Sam might have questioned what it meant for Kelly's overall humanity. Now a different question haunted his mind. _What happened to her humanity?_ He wondered. _Does this make her more, or less?_ He glanced at his brother as the sound of a clicking lock reached both their ears. "You owe me ten." He murmured, as Kelly gently tapped the door in front of her. It swung open slowly with a loud creak.

"Lucky guess." Dean responded. He fished out his wallet, as Kelly stood. She glanced back at both brothers with a self-satisfied smirk.

"See." She said. Her voice irrepressively cheerful. "Wasn't that painless?" Dean cracked open his wallet and handed Sam a crisp bill. Then followed Kelly as she vanished into the apartment. Leaving Sam to bring up the rear.

Kelly moved through the room slowly. Kurt Mewler's apartment was a spacious place, with white washed walls, and a short entry way that lead to an open living room, with a kitchen, and a bar. He had tall maple colored bookcases that held pictures in silver frames. Kelly stopped on her way towards the living room, and reached out to take a random frame into her hands. She examined the image quietly, as Dean moved past her, and deeper into the apartment. Kelly barely noticed as Sam made a bee-line for Kurt's desk. The messy workspace was covered in papers, and was jammed up against the wall in the small space between the kitchen and the entry way into the living room. Dean was behind her, taking a look in the fridge, as she turned her attention back to the photograph. It was a picture of a long haired man, with sullen almost sallow features. He was sitting in the sun next to a woman in a white wedding dress. Wearing a vest over a nice shirt with pants, Kelly immediately guessed that he wasn't the groom. _A relative maybe?_ Or a friend. Either way he looked happy and was smiling in the sunshine. Kelly placed it back on the shelf, wondering again what had lead Madison to break up with this man. _Did Sam mention something about him stalking her?_ Or had that just been her imagination? _I don't get it._ Kelly thought as she bypassed the kitchen and Kurt's desk to step into the living room. Overhead she could hear the soft click of recycled air moving through the vents, and she inhaled. Musty scents, a trace of mold, dust, and machine oil mixed with a sharp cologne entered her nostrils. _This must make up Kurt's unique musk._ She tilted her head, and looked at the fireplace. _I don't understand._ If this guy was supposed to be a werewolf, then why did everything smell so… _Normal._ Kelly shook her head. _I can't know that._ She thought. _I don't know what a werewolf smells like._ It was possible that they had the same scent as humans. _Or their human selves._ So, maybe Dean or Sam would turn up more incriminating evidence. She turned, her eyes searching the weathered car and porno magazines lying on his coffee table.

"Find anything?" Sam asked. Kelly looked up. But he wasn't paying attention to her, instead he was looking at Dean.

"Just a carton of old Chinese and a six pack." Dean said, shutting the door of the fridge. Sam flipped open a folder on Kurt's desk and began leafing through his files. Kelly sighed. Sam seemed so determined that this was the guy. _He's the best lead we have._ Her rational mind thought, but deep down Kelly was sure it was more than that. _If Kurt is the werewolf then…_ Then Sam would get to see Madison again. Kelly swallowed. _She must be very pretty._ She thought, remembering what the Yellow Eyed Demon had said about moths to a flame. She glanced at Dean, admiring the width of his strong back. _What does Dean think about Madison?_ She wondered. _And what does he intend to do about our date?_ Or maybe he was planning on making it this. _Well, the Dog certainly finds that…_ Kelly snickered. _Sexy._ But Kelly doubted that was who he was trying to impress.

"Did you check the freezer?" Sam asked. "Maybe there's some frozen hearts behind the Hagen Daz or something." Kelly snorted. _What do these guys know about predators?_ They were talking about this werewolf like it was… well, human.

"If I were this thing." Kelly said. "Probably driven purely by my own predatory instinct…" She trailed off, noticing that Dean was now staring at her. His eyebrows were raised as if to say: _So, you know a lot about that?_ Kelly paused. "I'd be eating it fresh." Suddenly, she heard a soft rustling behind the curtains that blocked the view to the balcony. Kelly's head snapped around, and her eyes began to glow. _Something is here._ She thought. Her senses told her so. _Even if I can't smell it._ The air was blowing the curtains outward, and Kelly understood the reason why. _I'm upwind of it._ Kelly swallowed. _That's uncomfortable._

"Fresh?" Sam asked. He sounded surprised. Then he glanced at her with eyes full of a new appreciation. "I suppose you'd have more in common with this thing than us." Kelly cocked her head to the side, only half listening to Sam. The rest of her attention was focused on honing in to the shifting of the curtains. _Breathing_? She wondered. It was soft and growling. _Almost feral._

"Don't ask her to get inside it's head." Dean snapped.

"It's just nature." Kelly shrugged. "Would you eat something a day old and frozen over a warm, bloody heart fresh out of the body?" She tried to remain calm, but even though she had a good grasp of Kurt's scent _But whether or not this is him?_ She couldn't tell. However, the evidence seemed to support it. _What with us being watched._ Still, Kelly was a firm believer in not jumping the gun. _That's a lie…_ But she only jumped when given a reason to. _And protecting Madison Sinclair?_ That wasn't yet one of them. Besides… _It would be bad if we put a bullet through the heart of every idiotic, overprotective, jealous asshole out there…_ She trailed off, looking over at Dean. _Making Dean target number one._ Honestly, she loved the guy. _But following that trail of logic…_ Putting a silver bullet in Dean's heart seemed inevitable. Sam gagged as it finally hit him, and Dean was quirking an eyebrow at her. "What?" She asked, looking from one Winchester to the other. "It's a primal thing."

"The things in your mind…" Dean muttered.

"Aren't any worse than the things in yours?" Kelly asked. Her voice sweet. "Thanks, I know."

"I think my mind should get a vote." Sam said.

"No." Kelly and Dean responded jointly. Then they locked gazes again. Sam swore he felt the tension rising again. _It really is some twisted kind of foreplay_. He thought. Wincing as the air sparked between his brother and Kelly, Sam once again found himself recognizing his luck that he no longer shared a bed with her. _On occasion that her being pissed off might lead to me being stabbed._ Suddenly, there was the sound of movement outside. Both Kelly and Dean made fast tracks towards the door. Kelly who had been standing in the living room reached it first. Pulling back the curtains, she slid open the door and stepped out on the landing. Dean was hot on her heels. A car alarm went off in the distance as Kelly came to the edge of the balcony, her fingers closed around the railing as she leaned over, and gazed at the long scratches running down the wall to her left. _Claw marks._ She thought. Beneath the waxing moon, Kelly's eyes glowed a bright gold. _Now the question is…_ Had it come up to go down? Or had it simply gone down? They were three stories up, which made the climb an impressive feat. Kelly, having never met a werewolf before was unsure of their strength, speed, and overall ferocity. _But like Dean says…_ They were supposedly bad ass. _Either way, if this was the werewolf, then it's getting away._ If it wasn't, that meant their sojourn in San Francisco would be longer than anticipated. Kelly glanced over at Dean.

"I'm going to follow it." She said. Her voice cheery, as she added. "See you on the ground." Then, despite Dean's confusion, she hurled herself over the edge in one smooth motion.

"Kelly!" Dean cried. Seconds too late he reached out to grab her as she tumbled downwards, and out of sight. "Shit!" He exclaimed. Sam, who was standing behind him, was now wearing an equal mask of shock combined with horror.

"A fall from this height would break her legs." Sam said. He'd been frozen in place by the sight of Kelly propelling herself off the balcony. But now, snapping out of it, he rushed to the edge and followed his brother's line of sight into the darkness below. He sighed with relief as he saw a pair of yellow eyes reflecting up at him. Kelly was standing on the ground, brushing off her arms, and even from this height Sam could tell she was grinning. "What am I thinking…" He sighed.

"It's Kelly." Dean said. "And she's going to give me a fucking heart attack." Sam looked over at his brother, and their eyes met. A moment of understanding passed between them and then Dean leaned over the balcony's railing. "Stay there!" He shouted down to her. In the murky darkness he saw her sarcastically salute. He turned away and stomped towards the door.

"Do you think she'll listen to you?" Sam asked. Jogging to catch up with his brother, Sam peered at the shadows now covering his brother's face. Dean did not look at all amused, in fact he seemed angry. _Well, he would be pissed about her not listening to him._

"No." Dean said.

Kelly watched as Sam and Dean disappeared off the balcony, then she turned and inhaled deeply, searching for Kurt's musty machine oil cologne mixed scent. Her eyes glittered in the darkness, and she smiled. It was here, but it was faint. _Almost as if it's mixed with something else._ This particular smell was more related to what she'd discovered in the apartment, rather than being a distinctive personal musk. _Interesting._ She swallowed and followed the scent around the corner. Ahead, her sharp ears picked up the sounds of faint growling. There was a cry for help, and the sound of something being knocked over. _Shit._ Kelly thought. Breaking into a dead run, she rounded the street corner and into another alleyway. A chain link fence ran down it's right side, as Kelly's boots pounded against the pavement. Her quick and fast inhalations suddenly made her wish for four legs, if only so she could propel herself more quickly. The scent of iron and copper invaded her nostrils, slipping expertly down into her lungs, and Kelly slid to a stop as the growling ceased. Following the smell of blood, she continued forward. This time more cautiously. _It would be bad if two super powered creatures went at it in the dead of the night._ And could possibly lead to either Dean or Sam putting the wrong bullet in the wrong heart. She wanted to catch this thing as much as they did. _But it'll be out tomorrow night._ Coming to a stop beside the dumpster, Kelly peered past it, to the dead police officer lying still as his own blood pooled around him. Scratches covered his body, as the thick stench of rotting food and trash mixed with the iron nearly sent Kelly gagging to one side. _It's like being back on the boat._ She thought. Memories of the corpses surfaced in her mind as she knelt down next to the officer's still form. Brushing her fingers along the edge of the gaping hole in the man's chest, Kelly felt the heat growing in her fingertips. "What's so special about human hearts?" She wondered. "What makes them more attractive than dogs, cats, or squirrels?" Was it the thrill of the chase? Or maybe the taste? Cautiously, overcome by curiosity Kelly licked her fingers. But as the taste and heat of the blood washed over her tongue, she found herself once again fighting the urge to retch. It was metallic, coppery, the feeling equal to sticking a penny in her mouth and sucking on it. Coughing, she spat the blood back out. Wishing she could coat her tongue with soap to wash the taste out, Kelly stood. Wiping her mouth surreptitiously with her free hand, she looked back down at the corpse. "That's disgusting." She muttered.

"You're right." Kelly turned to see Dean and Sam standing behind her. Sam's eyes were wide with shock. It was his patented 'ican'tbelieveyoujustdidthat' look. _One he usually reserves for Dean._ But apparently she was getting a higher pay grade these days. Kelly raised her eyebrows at Dean, and sighed. "That is."

"You licked blood off your fingers." Was all Sam could seem to manage. "You…human blood…" Kelly pointed at herself.

"_Not_ human."

"That…" Sam began. "Can you at least tell me why?"

"I wanted to understand." She said. Her head turned as she looked over her shoulder and back at the Police Officer's body. "I wanted to know why."

"There's no reason to know." Dean said. "They're just monsters, there's no rhyme or reason to why they do what they do." Kelly gazed up at him. "They're killers. That's all. You don't need to understand them." She and Sam stiffened at the same time, but neither looked at the other. Kelly bit her lower lip. "Anyway." Dean began, his gaze flicking to Sam, oblivious to any and all disharmony. He had a feeling he'd hurt both Kelly and Sam, but right now that wasn't his problem. _Monsters are monsters._ And Dean Winchester had very few shades of gray. "Kurt's looking more and more like our Cujo."

"Cujo?" Kelly asked.

"Crazy killer dog move based on a Steven King novel." Sam said. Kelly's eyes snapped back to Dean. Dean feeling the intensity of Kelly's anger glared at Sam. _This is one of those times where citing a reference got the better of me._ Though he and Dean should probably have guessed that all pop culture references about crazy killer dogs were off limits.

"Cujo?" She growled. "If this thing is a Cujo then what am I?"

"A not Cujo?" Dean suggested.

"So I'm not a crazy killer dog?" Kelly asked. Her jaw set stubbornly as she stared at both boys. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, a pout coming into her eyes. "Is that what you're saying?"

Sam's eyes twinkled. "Do you want to be a crazy killer dog?" Kelly paused, sighed loudly, and checked her wrist. Sam assumed she was pretending to be looking at the watch she wasn't wearing. He nearly bit his tongue trying to hold back his laughter. _Why am I laughing?_ This was supposed to be a serious situation. _Dead cop…_ A werewolf on the loose. _Damsel in danger._

"You two just don't get me." Kelly said. Dean snorted. "And besides," She glanced from Dean to Sam. "Shouldn't we get back to your girlfriend?" She raised an eyebrow, despite her quizzical expression, her words sobered Sam immediately. She glanced back over her shoulder and stared at the body for a long moment. "Even so." She said. "There isn't any real hurry." She sighed again, this time more sadly. "The werewolf ha already eaten, so you're friend shouldn't be in any real danger." Dean chuckled at Kelly's pragmatism, but even her words weren't enough to calm the panicked expression growing in Sam's eyes.

"It's our responsibility to check on her." Sam said. Kelly's expression remained bland as she looked up at him, and shrugged. Her eyes glowing eerily in the dark as their color flashed between gold and brown beneath the orange flickering of the overhead streetlight.

"Go if you feel that strongly about it." Kelly said. She flicked her fingers in the direction of the car. "Go."

"I will." Sam responded. His voice stiff, as he spun heel and stalked back towards the street. Dean was still chuckling.

"Great." Kelly said. "More strained awkward silences in the car." She glanced up at Dean, and hazel eyes met brown. There was a smile twitching at the edges of Dean's lips. Which was odd. _I was expecting him to chew me out over my reckless behavior._ Then Dean did something completely unexpected. His right hand dashed out and settled on her head. He began mussing her hair.

"Good job." He said.

"I know." Kelly replied, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. "I don't need you to tell me." Then she jogged quickly to catch up with Sam as they headed towards the Impala, and back to Madison's apartment.

AN: It's shorter than I intended, but my muse decided to puff out on me at the last second. Aaaaaaaaanyway, I hope you enjoyed. And are looking forward to Chapter 37. ^_^ Leave reviews please!


	37. Chapter 37: Surprises

Chapter 37: Surprises

Within the next hour Sam Winchester once again found himself banging on the white door of Madison Sinclair's apartment. They'd climbed the stairs after leaving Kelly to scout around outdoors. Sam had his own worries over it, Kelly had expressed very little interest in looking over the area surrounding the building. Sam didn't know if she felt it was a waste of time, as she'd admitted to both boys on the return ride in the Impala that she had no idea what the werewolf smelled like. _Still_, Sam thought. She had decided to be obliging. _I don't know why she agreed to do it..._ He was sure her real reason was escaping several more hours of sitting alone in the Impala. _Can't blame her, I'd get bored too._ Sam sighed. She wasn't the kind of girl he wanted to be around when that mood struck. As he'd most likely find his arm being repeatedly punched, or on the nasty end of some kind of prank. _Meaning nothing good._ Sam sucked in a deep breath. Kelly was his friend, not his girlfriend. So his responsibility for her happiness was minimal. _I don't have to put up with her antics_. Dean was the one dating her, so it was his job to keep her satisfied. Kelly's satisfaction. Sam's mind was suddenly overcome by steam, water, and sweating naked bodies. _Kelly and Dean in the shower_. _Not where my thoughts were headed_. He wanted them out of his head as quickly as possible. Suppressing a twinge of jealousy, Sam sucked in a deep breath. _Either way, she's outside, and we're in here_. Kelly had a good nose, and despite her seeming disinterest in Madison's well being. _Her comment about the werewolf already having been fed. Saying there was no rush in getting back_. It was likely that she'd turn up something useful. _She and Dean make quite a pair_. The difference was that Dean always took the safety of the hostage seriously. There was a creak behind them, as the door across the hall swung open behind them. Jogged back to reality, Sam turned around to see a very sleepy looking Glen staggering out. He was wearing the same yellow Mission Church tee. _Does this guy ever change his clothes? _Sam wondered. Or was he just constantly in fresh supply? "What's going on?" He asked. Sam evaluated the other man as he stepped out into the hallway. Glen looked haggard and rail thin beneath the lights. His curly beard hung limply from his jaw, giving his bushy black hair a scraggly appearance. There were deep purple circles beneath his eyes, and long lines cut into his cheeks. All signs of sleep deprivation. Sam glanced at Dean, and his brother shrugged.

"Police business Glen." Dean replied in his most official tone. His voice was low, gruff, and sharp as it pierced the air. It held a specific warning in it, and for those who completely accepted their policemen ruse, it worked almost immediately. Glen winced, his eyes turning from the brothers and back to Madison's door. The muscles in his jaw tightened stubbornly, but any attempt at rebellion was immediately defeated by his overriding meek personality. "Go back inside." While Dean's hazel gaze remained fixed on Glen, Sam barely noticed their interchange. His attention had already returned to the apartment in front of them. His brown eyes on the apartment door, his finger tips twitching in his pockets, as he thought through the possibilities of what might have occured earlier in the evening. He was anxious and worried about the safety of the woman behind the door. More so than usual, because Madison seemed like a very special person. Sam knew that with the increasing evidence of Kurt's lycanthropic tendencies being compounded by his obsession with his ex, Madison was in real danger. _Despite what Kelly might think to the contrary._ Her opinion of the situation still rankled Sam. While he trusted his friend on many levels, and agreed with her on most things, he'd always believed they shared similar values. _But her errant dismissal of an innocent's safety…_ It bothered him. _Was she always like this?_ Or had it just begun recently? _Does it have something to do with the changes she's undergoing?_ Knowing this, Sam was almost glad that she was outside. If she'd come with them, then... _There's no telling how her behavior might spook Madison._ And they couldn't afford to alienate their only lead on Kurt's location. Sam swallowed. The memory of Kelly licking the blood off of her fingers was still fresh in his mind, and it wasn't one that Sam Winchester was likely to let go of soon. _Things like that have a tendency to stick in the mind_. _That or her response of "Not human."_ Sam knew he was borderline on the scale of humanity. _But Kelly's outright dismissal of hers?_ It worried him. _Even if she's just joking._ And Sam wasn't so sure that she was, there had been a serious thought process underlying her statement. Where she'd come up with this idea, where it was leading, and what it meant for her future... All these things made Sam nervous. _But the important thing is the job at hand_. There would be time to worry about Kelly later. _Really talk to Dean_. His eyes flicked back to the door. The few seconds it took for Madison to open the door felt like an eternity. Sam was nearly worried enough to consider kicking it down and marching inside. The follow through of this impulse was stopped by the white wooden door swinging open, and Madison's familiar face peering out into the hall.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Her dark, nearly black eyes moving from one Winchester brother to the other, as concern washed across her delicate features. Her hawk like nose wrinkled a little as she asked. "Did something happen?" Sam exhaled with relief. She was safe.

"Maybe we should talk in private." Dean said. Tilting his head to indicate Glen who was standing behind them, as Madison considered the worried expression written on Sam's face. _Sammy's such an open book_. Dean thought, his eyes moving from Madison to his brother. If the obvious attraction wasn't enough to make him queasy, it was his little brother's continual denial that this was nothing more than a job. For a second Dean thought she might refuse, but instead she nodded, opening the door wider. Sam brushed past her hurriedly, as he moved in to examine the apartment. His eyes flicking around the living room, and then moving to the hallway, then from his vantage near the entrance, he scanned the kitchen. Looking for any signs of a break in, or a struggle. He didn't find any. Sam sucked in a breath, chewed on his lip, and considered the situation. Madison appeared to be fine. _But that doesn't mean Kurt's not out there. Lurking_. Sam glanced at Dean. Sam was marginally comforted by the idea that Kelly too was outside. _I'd feel sorry for the werewolf that had to tangle with her._ But then, there was Kelly's seeming indifference to consider. _No, she's not indifferent_. She was just... _Unconcerned._ But that didn't mean she wasn't going to try and stop the baddie. _Will she though?_ They seemed to have so much in common. Sam shook his head. _What am I thinking? _He was starting to sound like Dean. _Kelly's done nothing to make me doubt her._ She just didn't feel the same way about Madison. _Which is good, because she's not bi. _A traitorous voice whispered at the back of his mind. Sam turned back to Madison.

"Has Kurt been here?" He asked. Concern flooded his voice, causing Dean's lips to twitch ironically. Assuming everything was okay with Sam guarding the door, the older Winchester moved deeper into the apartment. Making note that everything looked fine, he walked to the kitchen window, and pulled back the thin creamy white curtains. It was above the sink and beside a small set of brown cupboards that served as a pantry. Green and blue dishes were lined up neatly side by side in a drying rack to his left. He smelled the pot of freshly brewed coffee, as he looked down into the street. Habitually, Dean checked the view, noting where the Impala was parked. A quick glance over told him that no local street urchins had dared mess with the car, and he was able to notch that off his mental list of worries. His eyes scanned up and down the street trying to find Kelly. Dean wanted to catch a glimpse of his girl as she patrolled around the apartment, hunting for clues or signs of recent werewolf activity. Being away from her now, he couldn't suppress the worries that had begun creeping into the back of his mind. Her actions, from jumping off a three story balcony to licking blood off of her fingers, had set loose ingrained instincts, all telling him to keep a close eye on her. _She might become dangerous_. Dean didn't want to believe that, but a lifetime of training and a pre-supposed set of prejudices told him differently. All of her actions unnerved him, and while he couldn't stop himself from loving her, it set him on edge. _She's a shapeshifter._ Of some kind. _But she hunts monsters, demons, and the like._ And Dean tried to convince himself that this evidence was enough to prove she was on their side. _She has been so far._ But John Winchester's training caused the niggling doubt to writhe in his stomach and gnaw away at his confidence. _She never said what happened to the demon_. He realized. When Kelly had related to them her experience on the boat, she'd left out the details of the possessing demon's final fate. _Maybe it just got away_. Dean wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but he'd survived by living on suspicion. _And instinct says beware of one who doesn't tell the whole truth_. He paused. _But then, I'm guilty of it too_. He and Sam had never told her about the Yellow Eyed Demon, and Dean had only mentioned Sam's psychic abilities in passing. _I assumed she knew_. _Maybe she's doing the same with us_. That certainly made more sense. _Kelly's kept secrets before_. But she'd only done so out of fear. He paused. _Is she still afraid?_ Parting the curtains, Dean peered down into the street. It didn't take long for him to find her thin frame. He discovered that the sight of her familiar leather jacket left a welcoming warmth in his stomach. Kelly was standing beneath a streetlamp, staring down the asphalt road, her back to him. Dean felt the knot in his stomach tighten, her entire posture seemed thoughtful. He watched as she reached up and pulled down her ponytail, shaking her hair out, and inhaling deeply. Even from where he stood, Dean could see her chest expanding. Her shoulders rose, as her head tipped back, her posture serene. _Probably looking for Kurt's scent._ Her particular method of search still left him feeling annoyed. Somehow, it didn't seem to matter how long she'd been with them. _Hunting like an animal.._. It bugged the hell out of him. Dean understood this way was useful but... _Couldn't she try to act a little more human? _ He sighed. Kelly was a stubborn girl, and he loved her for it. He knew she didn't broadcast her lack of humanity most of the time. _Not around civilians_. And he realized that he should see her loosening up as a sign of her growing more comfortable around him. _But does she have to be so friggin' confrontational?_ Yes. Dean smirked. Yes, she did. _Because she's Kelly._ Kelly's face turned up towards the sky and, as if she sensed him watching, glanced back at the apartment building. Her golden eyes glittering as the darkness faded to a dull gray, and the horizon headed for dawn. San Francisco fog was rolling in off the bay, creeping inland. If it lasted until nightfall it would give the werewolf perfect cover. _And then we'll really need her nose_. As he met Kelly's eyes, Dean couldn't fight the nervous knotting of his stomach. He could see the thoughtful expression etched into her countenance, and it brought a comforted smile to his lips. Then, Madison's voice brought him back to reality.

"Kurt?" She asked. Her eyes moved from one brother to the other. She looked uncertain. "Not exactly." She said the words slowly, almost deliberately. Dean wasn't sure whether to blame it on sleep deprivation, or the idea that Madison didn't completely trust them. He settled on sleep deprivation. Sam raised his eyebrows in surprise. Dean let the curtain of the window fall closed. He turned around to face them, as Madison moved to the cupboard and pulled down three mugs. She handed a mug to each of the boys, and then slid past Dean to grab the coffee pot. Calmly, she poured them both a cup of jo. "Well…" She paused.

"What?" Sam asked.

"He was loitering outside my window this evening." She glanced at Sam. "Just staring, staring at me." Sam looked at Dean and their eyes met. They both nodded as Madison asked. "Is that a problem?" Her eyes ran over their worried faces, and her eyebrows knitted together with concern. "Has he done something?"

"We're not sure." Sam said.

"It's probably nothing." Dean admitted. "We just…" His eyes flicked to his brother and then back to Madison. _Perfect opportunity_. "We just don't want to take any chances." Sam nodded in agreement. He looked at Madison again. Now, for the first time since entering, he noticed what she was wearing. A fluffy periwinkle bathrobe. He wondered if she was wearing anything beneath it. A nightgown or something. He dropped his eyes away from her as Dean spoke, trying to hide the flush that was steadily creeping up his neck. Tugging at his collar, he tried to let loose some of the steam. Sam Winchester had always had a bright and vibrant imagination, even when he was a young child. However, as that imagination had matured it so had it's tastes. Now, teased with the sight of creamy white skin, and the flowery curve of a pink bra peeking out from underneath the open lip of the robe, it was all he could do to keep his fantasies from running wild.

"Right." Sam swallowed. Dean glanced at his brother again, forcing his face to remain straight with concern, instead of allowing amusement to take over his expression. _This is too good._ Dean thought. It was rare that he got the chance to see Sam so suitably tortured. _But it's a good thing that Sammy's finally noticing the girls again._ His brother hadn't acted like a man since the incident with the haunted painting that previous year. _Sarah right?_

"In fact one of us should probably stay here with you." His voice remained serious as Dean kept his eyes on Madison, fighting the urge to look at Sam. His brother's expressions made him want to bust out laughing. _Even though the situation is really serious._ Maybe Kelly was starting to rub off on him. _She's got a way of adding humor into any situation._ Though he wanted to claim that particular methodology as his own, he was forced to admit that Kelly had a similar knack. _But she's not quite as good at bullshitting her way out of situations_. That of course, would come with practice. _Lots of practice. _"Just in case he stops by."

"Am I in danger?" Madison asked.

"It's just a precaution." Sam reassured her. "Right now, our first priority is your safety." Dean fought with his vocal chords to hold off a chuckle at Sam's latest statement. _Joining the I Like You Brigade_. _Or maybe it's Sam Winchester Flirting for Retards._ There was a reason why his little brother didn't get laid often. Dean swallowed, forcing himself to remain serious. Madison nodded, looking relieved. _At least someone's finally buying into it._

"Where does he work?" Dean asked. This time he cut off any response, so she'd lose the chance to decline. _Why? Because I'm a nice big brother_. And he knew that his brother needed some real girl time. _With me sapping up all of Kelly's_. Not that Dean felt bad about that. _Sammy can have Kelly time later_. Dean hadn't seen her for a week. He had a lot to make up for.

Surprise overrode the brunette's face. "He owns a body shop." She said, glancing from one boy to the other. Her large eyes wide, as her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose. She sounded a little confused. Dean watched her eyes linger on his brother for an extra moment, he withheld a smile.

"Mind grabbing that address?" Dean asked. Madison nodded, and exited the kitchen, Sam turned around to face his brother. "Thanks." Dean added as Madison passed him, disappearing down the corridor and into what looked like a study. He watched as Sam's eyes followed her, and then he too peered down the hall, hazel orbs on her until she vanished from sight. Once she was out of earshot, Sam's gaze returned to his brother.

"Alright." He said in a low voice. Dean glanced up at his brother, a lecherous smirk finding it's way onto his mouth. If he'd been the kind who chortled, Dean Winchester would have. "You go. I'll stay." This time Dean nearly did bust out laughing. After all, this reaction was what he'd hoped for all along. _Distract Sammy with pretty girl meat and score alone time with Kelly._ Now, the bait had been dropped and the contest was won. _All that's left is giving Sammy a hard time. _Dean was looking forward to spending some more private moments with his girl. There were things he needed to redress and return the favor. Things like jumping off a balcony, nearly giving him a heart attack, and having an in depth conversation with Sam. _Without including me_. It wasn't that he was jealous. _I just don't want her to be more comfortable confiding in Sammy._ She should tell _him_ when something was wrong. After all. _She's my girlfriend_. He didn't feel it was too much to ask for.

"Forget that." He said. "You go after the creepy ex, I'm gonna hang here with the hot chick." Sam contemplated the usual response about Dean always getting the girl, when it occurred to him that Dean already had one. _Kelly._ He thought. Suddenly feeling disgruntled about his brother trying to hang out with Madison while his girlfriend was outside, Sam snapped.

"Kelly'll kill you." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Especially if she knows you passed up on her to spend time with another girl." He raised an eyebrow as his brother chuckled. "Do this, and I predict future pain followed by a quick violent death."

"At the jaws of Cujo." Dean nodded. "You're right, even if she's been a real pain in my ass." He added, knowing that it would tickle Sam and make him uncomfortable. _Can always count on him leaping to Kelly's defense._ "Knowing the risks, it might be better to spend some time apart." He smirked at his brother. "Teach her a lesson."

"And you wouldn't get jealous?" Sam asked. He was incredulous. _Normally Dean takes every opportunity to grab time with Kelly_. Except when he was unhappy with her. _And even then.._. "Not of me spending the night on the town with your girl?"

"You'd be working." Dean said. Forcing himself to sound completely comfortable with the idea, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and leaned back. "What kind of shenanigans could the two of you get up to?" He swallowed his follow up laughter. _Thought does bug me._ He admitted. Dean didn't want them getting any more chummy than they already were.

"Do my ears deceive me?" Sam asked. "Or has brother Dean reached a new level of maturity?" This time Dean really did snort.

"Miracles have happened." He said.

"But not with such great timing." Sam paused. The whole conversation was making him frustrated. _You've already got the prize._ He thought. _Why do you feel the need to steal every girl I might like?_ "I'll tell Kelly." Sam warned. "And she'll break up with you."

Dean really chuckled at that. _He knows my weak spot._ He thought. "She might just, but fifteen minutes in heaven might get me a stay of execution." _If I'm lucky_. Honestly, Dean didn't want to see Kelly angry. _Especially not after being cheated on._ Dean was fairly certain that he wouldn't survive the experience. _And the Impala's got too many weapons for me to contemplate running the risk._ There was always a chance he'd wake up stabbed in the middle of the night. _Or she'd take off._ Dean definitely didn't want that. There was a long pause, and then Sam complained.

"Dean, why do you always get to hang out with the girls?" This time he sounded plaintive.

"Because I'm older." Was Dean's prompt response. Sam blinked.

"What kind of BS reasoning is that?" Sam demanded. He spread his arms wide, as indignation plagued his voice.

"Mine." Dean said. "But you're right." He tilted his head to the side. "Why would I stay here? There's a hotter girl waiting for me outside." Even though he'd won, Sam felt no sense of victory. The bitter sweet taste in his mouth came from realizing that his brother had just spent the whole latter half of the conversation teasing him. _About Madison and about Kelly._ He knew Dean was being mean, and he also understood why. _Kelly's been paying attention to me._ They'd had that mini conversation where Sam had opened up about the Yellow Eyed Demon. _And I doubt that thread of the conversation is over completely. _Plus, if there was one thing Sam knew about his brother, it was that Dean liked to mark his territory in permanent red ink. _What is mine shall always be mine, or some such bullshit_. So, with no other choice available, Sam swallowed his aggravation and smiled.

"Sure, Dean." He said. "Don't forget to bundle up out there." Dean headed for the door, looked back over his shoulder and smirked. Then he disappeared around the corner. Sam heard him thank Madison for the address, and he listened to the door slam. Sam swallowed. He and Madison were now alone in the apartment. Together. Several hours and an awkward conversation later, Sam found himself sitting at the same table he had when he'd first time come here. All he'd been able to do up to this point was smile, feel odd, and decline her kind invitation to let him sit on the couch. His eyes followed her around the room, looking away whenever she looked at him, and feigning interest in everything from the zipper on his coat to the dirt underneath his fingernails. He was made even more uncomfortable in the next moments, when Madison brought out a full laundry basket of underwear and dumped them on the table in front of him. Sam's eyes slid from the many blue, black, see through, and pink thongs as she began to fold them together. He swallowed, as heat began to buzz up from his pants and into his midsection. "I think I will sit on that couch." He said, standing and moving past her. In his hurry to break the awkward silence and the growing sexual tension, he missed the satisfied smile that came over her lips. Sam hurriedly walked to the couch and sank onto the soft fabric, an expression mixed between stunned and tortured on his visage. He was fully relieved, when his phone started buzzing as Madison continued to fold. It gave him an excuse to put his mind on something other than her vibrant collection of underwear, and how hot she must look with her clothes removed. He pulled out the cell and put it to his ear.

"Let me guess." Came Dean's familiar joking voice. "You're sitting on her couch like a stiff trying to think of something to say." Sam sat up straight. Maybe this call meant they had a lead on Kurt's location. _Or better yet, Dean was able to find him._

"Did you find Kurt?" Sam replied in a low voice. On the other end of the line, Dean crossed beneath the sunny sky as he made his way out of the body shop Kurt owned. A smile on his face as he looked across the street to where Kelly was napping in the Impala. His sunglasses over her eyes, making her entire face seem smaller and more delicate. Her head was tipped against the window, and even from this distance Dean could see her arms crossed over her chest. He couldn't help the smile toying at the edges of his mouth. He was amused both by the girl in front of him and his younger brother's ineptitude with women. _Though Sammy makes me laugh harder._

"No. He hasn't been at work all week." Dean said. "But because I'm good, and I mean really good, I got a line on where he might be." The older Winchester crossed the busy street, the cell still pressed against his ear. He stopped in front of the black chrome shell of the Impala, and pulled open the door. Knowing that he was probably waking Kelly up as he did so, Dean listened for what Sam was about to say. He slid into the car, and settled into the driver's seat. Kelly's head rotated over as she yawned. Her eyes met his from behind the sunglasses, and as he shut the door, Dean leaned over and gave her a perfunctory kiss. "Morning sweetheart." He said. There was a cheery cast to his eyes, as Kelly rolled hers. Dean laughed, and stuck the key in the ignition. "Hey, tell me what yours is wearin' and I'll give you a hint to mine." He said.

"Bye, Dean." Sam said. He hit the off switch quickly, before turning back to glance at Madison.

"Ah, Sammy." Dean laughed as he started the ignition. Kelly was now awake enough at this point to hit him in the arm, and she did so with a song in her heart. "Ow!" Dean exclaimed, as her fist collided with his arm. He glanced at her, merriness still dancing in his eyes.

"Sam knows what I'm wearing." Kelly said. She rolled back into the passenger seat, shutting her eyes again as she readjusted the sunglasses. "I haven't gotten to change since last night." Dean laughed at that. Her lips pursed, and Dean watched as her eyebrows puckered together into a frown. She opened one eye lazily and peered at him. "So, where are we going?"

"Tonight?" Dean said. "We're going out."

"Out?" Kelly asked. "As in doing date-like things?" She sat up, and looked at him in surprise. _I thought we'd be tailing Kurt all night._ She thought. Dean's hand moved off the steering wheel, and wrapped firmly in her hair behind the crown of Kelly's head. Then he pulled her mouth to his. Their kiss was short and sweet, with Dean's tongue barely beginning to play tonsil hockey before he pulled away. Kelly was left nearly stunned, a burning sensation flooding her lips, as electricity sparked across them. Running a singular index finger over her mouth, Kelly glanced up at Dean, her eyes wide. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"Never say I can't mix business with pleasure." Dean said as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine revved.

"Oh really." Kelly said. "This I want to see." She chuckled as the Impala pulled off the curb and moved deeper into traffic. Kelly wondered how Sam was fairing with his girl. _I hope he's making progress._ The younger Winchester deserved some fun in his life. _Even if it's just a quick wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am._ A Dean style one night lay. She wanted him to be happy. _After all._ She thought. _It's only fair._

Sam, in the mean time, was behaving exactly the way his brother predicted. As Madison finished folding her clothes, he thought through the endless lines of dialogue flitting through his mind, trying to come up with some way to start a conversation. _Something that doesn't make me feel idiotic._ Or would lead to him feeling idiotic. _Or asks about me as a detective._ He wasn't good at starting up conversations the way Dean was. He had a tendency to scuttle sideways and hide under rocks around girls. _It's no wonder Kelly chose Dean._ Sam had never really even gotten to make a real play for her. _Because I'm trapped by indecision._ He was always trapped by his insecurities. But he wanted to do right by the girls. _I'm not the kind who can sleep with a girl one night and then forget about her the next._ Sam Winchester was a relationship kind of guy. _And that makes everything difficult._ Especially with his on the road lifestyle. _Besides what normal woman could really understand this?_ And even if she could, she'd be a hunter and Sam would always feel like he was hiding something. _Like my psychic powers._ Or the Yellow Eyed Demon. Electricity shot up Sam's arms leaving him tingly as Madison settled next to him on the couch. She brought up the remote and turned on the television. Sam swallowed, and released a deep breath. He was curious to see what kind of shows she watched. _She's got plenty of impressive books, Dante, Dostoevsky, Homer…_ Were her TV tastes as intellectual? As a characters began acting out badly written dialogue on the screen, Sam couldn't help but feel disappointed. _She's into soap operas._ He thought. He sighed, and let his eyes roll.

"I saw that." Madison said.

"What?" Sam responded.

"Okay, let me tell you a secret." Madison said. "My house." She indicated the room around them. "My TV." She pointed the remote at the black box sitting on the media center in front them. "My rules." Sam fought to remove the stunned expression from his face, as Madison added. "I never get to watch my show." She reached forward and took a small M&M from the basket on the coffee table and popped it into her mouth. "So suck it up." Sam couldn't help it. He bit his tongue to keep from laughing as she turned up the volume. He wondered what would have happened if he'd taken Dean's option and chased Kurt with Kelly. _I probably wouldn't be watching a soap right now._ No, Dean would be suffering through it instead. However, an hour watching the show made Sam change his mind. As the television blinked off, he turned to Madison, his eyes wide with amazement. "Wait." He said. "So Kendel married Ethan's father to get back at him?"

"Yup." Madison said. "And now she's set to inherit all of the casinos that were supposed to go to Ethan."

"What a bitch." Sam exclaimed. He leaned back into the gray padding of the couch. They two of them glanced at one another and then they burst out laughing.

"Admit it." Madison said. "You're hooked."

"No, no, no." Sam said. Shaking his head vigorously at her statement. "Not hooked." He looked over at Madison. "Intrigued." He turned towards her. "Can I ask you a question?" He paused. "It's a little personal."

"Sam." She said. "You've seen my entire underwear collection." There was a light in her eyes, dancing, as she looked at him. "Shoot."

"Well, you're house is filled with all these amazing books, and you're obviously well educated." He paused, not knowing if this was the right way to phrase this. "What were you doing with Kurt?" Madison looked down at her hands and then up at her.

"I don't know." She said. "It's not like he introduced himself as 'hi, I'm possessive, controlling, and I like to punch people want to be my girlfriend.'" Sam smiled at the obviously crazy part of the statement. He laughed a little, and nodded.

"Yeah, well." He said. "I guess we all make mistakes." Madison leaned in, a playful expression lighting her face.

"Except that mine's wanted by the police." She said. Sam laughed again, this time uncomfortably. She seemed like a very cool woman. _And I hate lying to her._ He looked down at the gray pillow between them, and then back up. "I don't know though." Madison said. "I guess I was too insecure to leave." Then as Sam listened, she began recounting the events of a month prior, when she'd been mugged on her way home. Sam was attentive as he heard her story, only breaking in at key moments to ask questions. Otherwise, he let her continue on. "Most people don't claim the day they were mugged as a positive experience." Madison said. "But it's kind of weird that I do."

"No." Sam said. "I don't think there's anything strange about it." His insides warmed as she smiled at him.

000

"You're kidding." Kelly said. She'd grown worried when Dean had turned the Impala and headed for the slummy parts of the city, but this took the cake. Kelly looked out the window and stared up at a neon dancer shaking her tush to the rhythmic beat echoing out of the bar. "A strip club?" The place itself was a dive. Beneath the flickering streetlamps, she could see the cracks running down the gray plaster walls, with scum gathering in small puddles around the side. It stood crammed between two tall warehouses. She could tell from the vast array of blue collar workers gathering and lining up for the entrance, that this place, _The Black and Red Ladies Club_, was a popular attraction. _For those recently come ashore_. Her eyes slid across the men, most looked like they'd recently put to port. Tall, brawny, and even some who were rail thin, they all had a weathered look about them. _I shouldn't be surprised_. Not with their exceedingly close proximity to the docks. It was clear to her, that this was the kind of place that attracted all kinds. The young twenty somethings mixed with the grizzled middle age veterans, Kelly almost swore to seeing one or two steel gray heads. _Even old men like strippers_. They were all different ethnicity's, Latino, black, Irish, German, Nord, English, different kinds of white and tan. _And they're all here to salivate over women in clear high heels_, _giving them a cheap turn on_. Or not so cheap. _Depends on the time they spend here_. The door was small and iron, with a huge handle on the front. One that had to be lifted and turned before entry. The light from the orange streetlamps glinted off the door's rust as it swung open and shut to admit the willing men. A black bouncer guarded the entrance, checking the IDs as men crossed the red roped line. Kelly's eyebrows rose, nearly to her hairline, as she looked from Dean to the Black and Red Ladies Club. She half-expected to see a sign hanging over the door that said 'Men Only.' "This is where we're having our date?" _What happened to romantic drive along the coast line?_

"Work and play." Dean said as he slid out of the car, and stepped onto the cement sidewalk.

"Here?" She repeated. Dean started walking towards the door, and Kelly began to hang back, until she noticed the stares she was receiving from the gathering group of men around the door. _I can see how this would constitute a Dean Winchester good time._ But Kelly failed to see how this would be "fun" for her. _Well, I'll complain loudly if Kurt doesn't show._ She thought, ignoring the lecherous stares following her as she walked up to the entrance. Her opinion of the man hadn't originally been high, and was sinking lower with each untoward glance in her direction. _Almost enough to lock him away in the depths of hell_. Or she'd soon be ready to kill him herself. Kelly followed her boyfriend across the street, sticking her hands deep in her pockets, as she held her head high. "Dean Winchester sharing the heart of being Dean Winchester." Kelly muttered. Refusing to be embarrassed by the hungry stares of the sweaty dirty men, she searched her pockets for her drivers license. "I'm touched." She could tell he wasn't listening to her and that hardly bothered Kelly. She was having enough trouble shrugging off the stripping gazes of the men behind her, knowing that they were imagining her naked. _Right._ She thought. _Fun._ Dean was busy consulting with the bouncer about Kurt's picture, and Kelly felt it would be better to hang back. They didn't need two interrogators, and Dean could relate better to this man than she could. _I'd just be stuck using my womanly wiles_. She thought as the large black man nodded in response to Dean's question. He vaguely motioned to the inside, and Kelly felt her stomach sink. _We're actually going to go in there_. The skin on the back of her neck began to crawl unpleasantly beneath her hair. _Competing for Dean's attention with beautiful women losing their clothes_. Sure, that didn't sound like a losing battle. She sighed, and gazed up at the sky. Feeling the crowd closing in around her, Kelly's stomach sank into her intestines. _Again, _She thought. _Fun._

"Hey there pretty gal." A sweaty and overweight man said. He looked like a sailor, with a mermaid tattoo on one exposed forearm. His green shirt partially unbuttoned to reveal curly black chest hairs. He leaned in from where he was waiting, and looked her over. "How much it cost to get you on my lap?" He rubbed the greasy stains on his shirt, as his belly jiggled. Grinning down at her, his two front teeth crookedly crossing over one another, as his eyes narrowed into a suggestive leer. Behind him, some members of the crowd hollered, cheering him on. "I'm in the mood for some love, and a private dance might be in order." Her brown gold eyes sweeping his pudgy face, squinting green eyes, puckered lips, and pockmarked chin. They slid up to the sweat gleaning off his broad forehead, and receding black hairline. His mouth widened, spreading cheek to cheek as the fleshy skin pulled back to reveal unhealthy pink gums. She could feel him undressing her with his eyes. _I feel violated_. Kelly raised her eyebrows, and considered the consequences of beating the sailor to a bloody pulp.

"Handsome." Kelly said. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back on one foot, and tilted her head to the side. Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulders, as her bangs slipped out of place from behind her ears, drifting over her eyes. Her eyes flew to meet his confidently, as she drew herself upright. "That'd be more than you make in a year." She flicked her head in an errant dismissal. Kelly's attention never returned to Dean, even though she could feel that his discussion with the bouncer was close to being completed. _I don't need him to take care of this for me._ She thought. Kelly was capable of handling this sort of thing on her own. Confusion crossed the sailor's face as he glanced back at his friends. They hooted encouragingly.

"Ask her price!" One yelled.

"Obviously a newbie!" Said another. Kelly paid them little mind, but was annoyed that their commentary seemed to strengthen the man's resolve. He turned back to her, his puckered lips set in a thin line. The leer was still in his eyes. _Okay, I'll hand it to him._ She thought. _He wins my nightly award for being tall, dark, and stupid._ Her lips twitched. _Though Dean's already got the lifetime achievement in the category._

"Ballpark figure?" He asked. "How much would it cost for a half hour?" Kelly withheld a sigh. Instead, she enjoyed the feeling of being a cat toying with a hypnotized mouse. Playing along, she lifted her finger and tapped her lip thoughtfully. Seemingly deep in thought, she looked from him, to the Strip Club, and back. Pretending to count in her head, she stared down at her fingers.

"A ballpark figure?" She repeated.

"Yeah, honey I wanna know yer rate!" The sailor snapped.

"I'd have to factor you into my clientele list for the night." Kelly said. "Hmm..." She trailed off. _Okay, it doesn't take this long to get info out of a bouncer._ Kelly thought, resisting the urge to look around for her boyfriend. Had he already gone inside? Her sharp hearing caught the sound of boots on the cement, and she knew he hadn't left her.

"Sorry boys." Dean said. Sliding his arm around her. "She's already been bought out for the night." Kelly glanced up at him as he smirked down at her. Then he looked up at the tall sailor. The blubbery man appeared to be about to protest, when Dean cut him off. "Standing contract with the boss." He said. His fingers trailed up and down her arms for emphasis, and Kelly shivered beneath his touch. "You'll have to hire her another night."

"Fine." The man said. "Didn't want her anyway." He turned and made his way back to his friends. Kelly sighed.

"You're right." She said. "Totally fun."

"Yeah?" Dean chuckled. "Well clue me in the next time you go re-enacting Showgirls." His gaze followed the sailor to his group of friends, his arm tightening reflexively. "I love pissing off the big, dumb, and ugly."

"I know." Kelly said, as Dean let her go. "Sometimes, I just need some fun times for myself." She winked at him. "And you were busy." She added in a very small voice, reaching up to pat his cheek. "With job stuff, and I was getting bored." Dean smirked as fire began dancing in his eyes. He loved it when Kelly got bored. _Fun times to be had by all._ "Besides," She murmured, her soft voice for his ears alone. "You know how I love to tease." Her words sent pleasant and erotic shivers up his spine. The exact kind of thing he'd hoped for by bringing her here. Dean chuckled, knowing that he couldn't argue with her logic. _Now, I just have to take advantage of it._ He thought. "Did you find our boy?" She asked. Her businesslike tone hauling Dean back out of pornographic fantasies and into reality.

"Kurt's here." Dean said. Kelly snorted as he glanced at the iron door, and licked his lips.

"Be a little less excited about the prospect of women stripping their clothes." She said. Her voice chiding. "Or is that concept beyond you?"

"I'm Dean Winchester." He said. Leaning his head down so that they were eye to eye, Dean felt their noses touch. He heard disgruntled rumblings from the back of the line, and he couldn't help but smirk at the jealous vibe coming from their direction. _Maybe I haven't seen the last of Big, Dumb, and Ugly._ Dean hoped so. After mistaking Dean's girlfriend for a stripper, the man deserved a crushing blow from his fists.

She paused. Dean couldn't fight the dangerous light now dancing in her eyes. He couldn't tell whether she was irrepressibly amused, or massively pissed off. _Knowing her? Both_. If she was, she'd make him pay for it. And it might have been his sado masochistic tendencies talking, but Dean found that he was looking forward to whatever punishment she felt like dishing out. "And a casual observer might think you were more into stripping woman than me." The words melted off her tongue like butter, and Dean knew he was in trouble.

"Do a strip tease inside and my eyes'll never leave your body." Dean said. His voice purring in her ears, as he ran a suggestive finger up the side of her neck.

"You would share me with all these other men?" She asked. Her sweet voice tickling him with mock indignation. Dean glanced around at the small group of men glaring at him jealously, their admiring eyes on the slim body of his girlfriend. They wanted to see her dance, and her joke about him sharing her took on a whole new meaning. Dean swallowed. Just what was it about her? _Men never used to notice her this way._ _I'll admit she's pretty_. But Kelly wasn't beautiful. Dean shook his head. No, certainly not by societal standards. Even after her adventures alone, she was still a wisp of a girl. Her appearance giving the impression of fragility. _Touch her in the wrong place and she'll shatter_. Under her tan, her dark brown hair lightened her skin, and after all her time in the sun she was pale. The rays had only added an overlying pale light brown surface, and more freckles to her forearms. Her expressions were still overpowered by large doe eyes, forcing her nose, and soft mouth into obscurity beneath a blazing gaze. Her chest was only on the high end of a b cup, no larger. This made her thin, almost skinny frame boy-like on a first impression. _Why are they looking?_ Dean knew he didn't have to ask. It was something he'd noticed after they found her, a change in the way she carried herself. Held her head. She was more... _Womanly. _There was a primal glow in her strange eyes, bringing an the exotic touch to those delicate Caucasian features. One would have thought they'd wash her out more, but instead they worked to create a cohesive whole. Her hair framed her face, making it fuller as those eyes rotated a glancing expression from innocent to mysterious. _And then there's the way she moves._ Her mannerisms seemed to glide from one to the other. _It's almost inhuman. Predatory_. _And if you think about her sexually_... Then every motion became seductive, magnetic. Dragging his eyes towards her, and leaving him incapable of looking away. It turned him on at the same time as it made him nervous. He became jealous of the other eyes on her. _I should be the only one who feels this._ But the men standing in line had noticed. Dean could feel their interest, as his arm slid around her shoulders. It was an odd burning sensation in the back of his mind. Dean tightened his hold again, overcome by his own protective instinct.

"No one'll question you giving me a lap dance."

"Sorry." Kelly said. Her voice playful as she tapped his nose with her index finger. "I only do that for my VIPs." Together, they turned and made their way up through the crowd to the door. The bouncer nodded to Dean as he walked up, but he frowned as his eyes moved to Kelly.

"Honey, the Stripper's entrance is in the back." The bouncer said as he unhooked the rope and let Dean through. Kelly laughed, and pulled out her ID. _Guess Big Ugly's not the only one making that mistake today_. She paused, contemplating taking him up on his offer. _Only because it'll serve Dean right for suggesting that I strip in public. _And it would probably earn her some extra cash. _Plus it could be fun._ She shook her head. _If I wasn't working..._ But they were here on a job and it took priority. _I'm a partner not a distraction._

"Sorry." She said. "I'm here on a date." She indicated Dean's retreating back as the bouncer took her card. Checking it over thoroughly he handed it back with a wry smile.

"If that's the case, sweet thing." He said. "Then I suggest a break up." Kelly watched, inwardly delighted, as Dean stopped and glanced back at them over his shoulder. She could see the nervous twitch in his eye, and the mild panic beginning to twist his expression. His heart had started to pound at the words 'break up'. _The two dreaded words._ He was sensitive about that subject.

"Oh." Kelly said. "Don't think it's hasn't crossed my mind." She grinned mischievously up at the bouncer and then took Dean's arm. Dean swallowed as her hands wrapped around his bicep. He already knew he was in trouble, but now he could feel himself wading deeper into the hot water, with no idea where it lead. _Don't know how long she'll make me suffer._ He nodded back at the smirking bouncer. _Long enough._

"Good luck son!" The black man called as they slipped inside.

If the walls had muted the noise out on the street, there was no such barrier in here. As she stepped across the threshold, Kelly's ears were assaulted by the pounding beat as the flashing lights blurred her vision. The club was small, and dark, lit only by green florescent. The air was thick with smoke. Kelly guessed it was made by a fog machine, somewhere behind the stage. There was one main stage, complete with a pole running down the center of the club, and it looked like a long runaway stolen from a fashion show. Then on either side, and in the corners, strippers in silver high heels danced on tiny circular tables, each complete with it's own pole. The remaining women, those not on duty, or not qualified as strippers slipped by in slinky outfits carrying drinks to designated tables. They paraded around in plumed costumes that could only have been stolen from Cirque du Soleil. Now inside, things were different than they had been outdoors. There she had been the only visible female, and the male attention had centered around her. But now, as the waitresses passed by, Kelly could feel their eyes admiring her boyfriend. Fighting the urge to hiss protectively, her fingers tightened around his arm. _Oh yes._ She thought. _This is definitely going to be fun._ She expected Dean to notice her sudden proximity, but he didn't. Kelly glanced at him, and found she wasn't surprised by what she saw. Dean's eyes had grown to the size of small plates as he looked out on the luminescent women bending erotically around the pole, lifting their legs and sliding down, before kicking up high and spinning on a thin glassy heel. Kelly could see that he was entranced by the debauchery. _Like that's surprising_. "Let's find Kurt." She said. Her voice cool, as she tried make herself heard over the music. Fighting the urge to wipe the drool slipping down the side of Dean's mouth as he nodded, she let him pull her deeper into the fray. _Even in a relationship._ She thought. Wryly smiling. _You can't stop Dean Winchester from being Dean Winchester.  
_

AN: Sorry I just wasn't happy with this chapter, it kept niggling away at me so I needed to edit, clean it up, add details, and make it better. That's my perfectionist tendencies kicking in, I'd probably be a better writer if I didn't have ADD. Anyway, I'm sorry for any confusion or if you liked the other version better. (Those of you who haven't read this yet have no idea what I'm talking about, buwahaha) Besides, more Dean and Kelly teasing outside a strip bar can never be a bad thing... Can it? I hope you enjoy this latest re-update, Dean and Kelly in the strip club. Because there will be more, along with Sam and Madison. ^_^

Anyway, leave me pretty reviews, because I love reviews. I'll try to get the next one up this week. As I now have a short break, before classes start up again next week.

My muse is an attention whore, spoil her, and she will spoil you.


	38. Chapter 38: Teaser

Chapter 38: Teaser

From the moment they'd entered the Black and Red Ladies Club, Kelly Jones had known she'd lost the battle. In the midst of strip club chaos, with ladies dancing on circle tables, and strippers parading up and down the long runway that served as the center of the stage, Kelly had found herself completely out of her element. _Whereas the old Dean found himself in his_. She'd honestly known she couldn't contain him, or that he couldn't contain himself. _This is just his kind of place._ She understood that. Kelly Jones tapped her chin as her eyes jumped from Kurt Mewler's ugly pale face, surrounded by long brown locks as he sipped his beer to the back of Dean's head. She could see his shoulders tensing with excitement, and didn't need to imagine the lecherous grin on his lips. She'd seen it before. When it had been directed at her. _I knew I shouldn't have let it make me feel special._ But she had. Kelly looked up at the redhead stripper in a batgirl outfit shaking her curvaceous curves as she casually dropped her cape onto the hardwood stage. Men hooted and cheered in the background, hollering "Lose it all!" or "That's my girl!" some even managed to choke out "Hot! Hot!". _All we need is some mud wrestling and these guy's 'll be set._ She thought. Kelly leaned her head back against the wall and sighed. Ever since identifying Kurt, Dean had whisked himself away down to the stage. _Date my ass._ Kelly thought, crossing her arms over her chest. He'd barely said two words before he'd disappeared. _Just said something about undercover and a closer eye_. And now he sitting directly across from Kurt, at the center of the club. _Right next to the stage_. The perfect vantage point from where he could watch the show. And Kelly? _I'm back here, fending off stripping stares, and making note of all the exits._ Since Dean had left her side, a few drunken men had wandered up to her with propositions. _None of them memorable._ Or worthy of inciting some Winchester jealousy. _Right now Dean wouldn't notice if I set myself on fire._ Not with all the half-naked women wandering around. Kelly swallowed. _When did this become a competition?_ She wondered. _When Dean said he was taking me out tonight, and ditched me to watch the peep show._ Oh, that burned. Kelly turned her eyes back to the center of the club. On stage, the woman spread her legs, bending her hips towards the pole as she stretched back, her hair brushing across the faces of the audience. Even with his back turned, Kelly could see Dean offering up another crisp dollar bill. The stripper snatched it away without a second thought, kicking her heels out and doing a sexy turn around the pole, and then lowering her chest to shake her cleavage in Dean's face.

_Really, pisses me off._ Kelly thought. It wasn't the stripper she was mad at. _No, she's just doing her job_. Taking in a heavy amount of tips, while the eager men salivated over her body. Kelly could get behind that. _Men this easy to manipulate deserve getting ripped off._ Taken to the cleaners, and any of the above. What Kelly couldn't forgive was the way Dean was treating her. _Abandoning me for a pair of breasts_. One that wouldn't even sleep with him. _Oh, he's not getting lucky tonight._ No, he needed to be taught a lesson. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back to rest against the wall. She let out a long sigh. _Some boyfriend._ Wearily, Kelly rubbed her brow, thankful that lately no one else had approached her for a lap dance. _But then shrinking in the back like a wallflower never attracted much attention._ Kelly crossed her arms. She wasn't a wallflower. _Maybe at one time_. But not anymore. She tossed her head to the side, and lifted her chin. This wasn't like her. _I don't let myself get bossed around by Dean or anyone else._ And she certainly didn't put up with her boyfriend ditching her to flirt with other girls. _No, he needs a lesson._ Her mind repeated the phrase as she considered their situation. Dean was supposed to be watching Kurt, making sure he didn't make a move. Her eyes danced between the two and she straightened up off the wall. _And by all rights he's doin' a pretty poor job of it._ From what Kelly observed, he'd barely taken his eyes off the dancer. She gritted her teeth, and let a low growl rumble out. The sound was lost in the loud beat, as she shook her brunette head. _We're not here to play. _Her gaze swept the club, the dancers, the men. There was nothing of interest. She looked around for a waitress, waiting for the chance to swipe a beer off a passing tray. _I know I shouldn't drink._ But one wasn't going to do too much harm… Right? As a blonde girl in heavy sparkly silver eyeshadow paraded by in two inch silver stilettos, wearing nothing but a bright white underwear and a chain linked bra, Kelly reached out. The tray was high over the girl's head and she was staring straight, trying to keep her balance in the thick crowd. Kelly smiled. _So much for not drinking._ She didn't pause, light nimble fingers closed around the neck of the bottle and without missing a beat she lifted the beer off the tray. The woman didn't notice as she continued on to disappear into the crowd. Kelly lifted the open bottle to her lips and took a long sip. _If Dean can have a little fun, then so can I._ She thought, drinking again. The beer was hot on the back of her throat, burning as it went down. A familiar buzz burned in her stomach, and she smiled. Kelly looked up at the stage then at Kurt.

The man's rapt attention was still on the dancer. She paused. _Rapt attention_. She thought. Her eyes moved to the strippers sensuous dance as she wrapped her leg around the pole and threw her head back, sliding her crotch up and down in rhythm to the music. Then back to Kurt's stern expression, listening to the cheers Kelly tapped her chin. _Maybe there is a way to make this more interesting._ Kelly thought. An idea was now formulating in her brain, a naughty, dirty, nasty idea. _A way to mix work and play_. To make the night more amusing, to keep Kurt in one place, and get back at Dean all in one go. Her lips curved into a smirk. _A way indeed._ It was risky, and would probably require all the roguish training Bobby had given her. _Though I doubt he ever wanted it implemented like this._ She'd need all the cleverness and tricks she'd learned from the Winchesters. _Not to mention being a decently good con artist._ She tossed her head, and that was just the start. _Still, the risk will be work the look on Dean's face. _ Finishing her beer, she set it on a passing tray, and moved off the wall. Smiling like a cat who'd just eaten the canary Kelly walked down the steps towards the center of the club. She walked through conversations, nearly suffocating beneath the heat of strong bodies as she made her way through the throng. The scent of sweat was overwhelming for her, requiring her to shake her head vigorously, and avoid hissing angrily as nearby men patted and slapped her ass. She hated having to walk away, and clenched her fist. _But if I can't handle this, I won't be able to go through with the plan_. So instead of retaliating with a hard punch, she kept moving. Slipping through the crowd of men, waitresses, and tables she came to a stop behind Dean. "Hey." She said. Grabbing his beer off the table, she put it to her lips and took a long swig. _Nothing like a little extra courage._

Dean turned around. "That's my beer!" He exclaimed. However Kelly only tipped the beer towards him, and took another sip. _Bobby said she shouldn't… Oh, what the hell._ If she got violent Dean was more than willing to step in. _And if she gets horny, it means good times._ He was up for another round in the backseat of the Impala.

"Mine now." She replied. Her eyebrow rose, and the corners of her lips twitched, as she let her hand rest on her hips. Taking another log swig as she met his eyes. "Can't say I approve of your tastes." Kelly said. If there was a challenge in her voice Dean couldn't hear it over the loud music. He couldn't tell if she was mad, or just… _Acting like Kelly_.

"I thought you were watching Kurt." He said. From his perspective she'd seemingly ditched him after they'd found their target, and been avoiding him ever since. _Worries me_. An unhappy Kelly meant for no late night fun in the sack. _Not that's all she is._ Not to him, but Dean took his late night fun seriously. _And since I'm not sharing the love anymore…_ It was a good idea to keep the girlfriend happy. He couldn't admit to being distracted by the strippers. _Even if she already knows._ And there was a good chance she did. _Because she's Kelly._

"I was." She said. Her voice sounded calm. Behind him, Dean heard the silver heels of the stripper clicking against the hardwood stage. There was a flopping sound, like falling cloth, and the crowd began shouting. Dean spun around to see what he'd missed. At his quick movement, Kelly raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. She tilted the beer back and took a final swig. Wiping her mouth, she set the bottle back down beside him and looked up at the stage. The stripper was now completely topless, wearing nothing but long lines of body paint and a black thong with a black and yellow bat insignia emblazoned on an elastic band just below her navel. Dean grinned with pleasure. Kelly, for her part, could see the allure, but it did nothing to improve her mood. Especially as Dean swallowed excitedly. "But you seem to have the situation well in hand." She said. The irony was lost to the music as Dean replied.

"Sure do."

"Good." She said. "Because I have an idea."

"Yeah?" Dean asked. "What's that?" He didn't really sound all that interested. His eyes were glued to the shimmying dance in front of him.

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't move." She said. Dean could feel the coolness in her tone, but it was belied by the sweetness. "Enjoy the show." She set the bottle back on the table, and then turned and vanished into the crowd.

"I plan to." He called back. _Damn._ He thought. There was a warm knot in his stomach, and a tingle at the back of his neck. It was the same feeling he got that warned him of trouble, and he knew he was headed towards it. _Kelly kind of trouble._ And that normally never ended happily. _At least,_ He thought. _Not for me. _He reached out for the bottle she'd set down on the table, and lifted it to his lips. He tipped it back, only to discover that it was empty. _Kelly..._ His mind growled, and seeing a brunette waitress passing by, he called. "Waitress! I need another!" Then he reached into his pocket and offered up another crisp dollar bill to the stripper.

000

Back at Madison's apartment the two were still in deep discussion. Sam found that the more he learned about her, the more he liked her. She was smart, funny, witty, and clever. He found that she could keep up with him, and his questions. She seemed to take everything in stride, and didn't let anything get to her or get her down. "What?" She said. Peering at him with a wide smile on her face. "Doesn't everyone think that random violence is the best thing that ever happened to them?" Sam couldn't help it, he laughed. His head dipped down as his eyes closed, and he stared down at the couch. She sounded so right, and so strong. _I can't believe how lucky I am to have met her._ Truthfully, she reminded him of Kelly. _Even if they're both very different people_. They had a similar outlook and determination that Sam appreciated, and found comforting.

"Yeah." He said. His dark chocolate eyes returned her face as he spoke. "Not so much." He saw her smiling at him, her eyes warm. Interest sparking in them, the same way it was in his. Sam wasn't an idiot, he could feel their chemistry, and he hoped that she liked him the same way that he did her. "You're…" He paused. Shaking his head, the grin still standing out of his visage, as his eyebrows came together, and the laugh lines around his eyes crinkled. "Unusual." His voice was completely serious.

"Unusual?" Madison asked. "Unusual like…" Then she pointed her finger at her skull and rotated it, standard American sign language for defining crazy. "Unusual?" Sam couldn't help it. He laughed again.

"No." He said. "No, no, no." He paused, trying to think of the right way to phrase it. "Unusual like…" He paused, looked at her and then looked back down at the gray fabric of the couch. His gaze darted to his jeans, and he knew he was taking a big chance in saying this, but somehow, he couldn't help it. "Impressive."

000

"You the new girl?" The man at the back asked. He looked Kelly over for a third time, his eyes skeptical, even though she could see the hunger behind them. She nodded sweetly and smiled. Dean hadn't seen her exit the strip club, or talk to the bouncer at the entrance. He'd been more than happy to help her get a little revenge, and directed her back here. _First hurdle overcome._ She thought. This was the second one, and it seemed like it was going to be a little harder. _Getting in._

"Yeah." Kelly said. She crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back on one leg, eyeing the man disdainfully. "Would I be back here if I wasn't?"

"Dunno." Man said. "Occasionally we have problems with angry girlfriends wanting to beat the hell out of the ladies. Sometimes they pose as a girl."

Kelly snorted. "Ask me, they should be beating the crap out of their lame ass boyfriends." She said. "Not hurting some girls tryin' to make a little coin." She looked up at the man's weasel face. He had little beady black eyes, and thick bushy eyebrows with a long nose that came to a sharp point. His head was small, and he was balding early. Even though she didn't judge him as being any older than his early thirties. There was a wisp of tiny black hairs on his upper lip and chin. _That'll be a failure._ His ancestors obviously hadn't gifted him with the proper genes, for the endeavor. _But like a sixteen year old whose getting his first taste of facial hair…_ It didn't stop him from trying. "Listen." She said. "What's your name?"

"Eddie." He replied.

"Well, Eddie." She said. Her voice low, soothing, almost comforting, and she raised her right hand to rest it on his chest. "The thing is, that your boss hired me to fill in for Amanda." Quietly, Kelly thanked the bouncer for being so forthcoming with details. "She's out sick right?" She leaned forward, pressing her chest against his arm, as she fluttered her eyelashes. "And you're boss, well, he's gonna be pretty pissed when he finds out you didn't let me in."

"Jack hired you?" Eddie asked. His voice shook. He wasn't used to having one of the girls this close. Kelly smiled sweetly and nodded.

"You and I both know it's not nice to make Jack angry." She said. Her voice still soft as her fingers walked up the side of Eddie's leather jacket. "I don't want him to blame you."

"No." Eddie said. "No, Jack was pissed at me last week when Mary Ann took off with that nobody from Santa Clara. I don't want to see him mad again…" He trailed off. Kelly could see real fear in his eyes, and swallowed, hoping that she wasn't going to get him in real trouble. _Probably will if this doesn't work._ Still, she wouldn't let that deter her.

"We don't want that." She said. Patting his cheek with her hand, she stepped back. "So could you let me in?" As if in a dream, Eddie nodded. Kelly could see the bright sweat beading beneath the street lamp, it's orange glow causing a sheen to light up on his forehead. She couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the weasel man. "Try to catch my show." She added, as the door swung open. Eddie wiped his head with a dirty paper towel, and nodded quickly. Kelly stepped inside, once again hearing the pounding tones of the music, this time though, they sounded further away. With shaking hands, Eddie shut the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, and summoning up her confidence Kelly walked into the murky backstage. The lights were dim, and her boot heels clicked as she moved behind the curtain. Hearing voices in the back, she paused for a long second, and took another long breath. Coming to a gray door, with a golden star attached at her eyelevel, she swallowed and let it loose in a shaky sigh. _Now or never_. She thought. Her fingers closed around the handle, and she twisted it, pushing the door open. Bright lights stunned her eyes for a moment, as they adjusted to seeing six women all sitting at long tables in front of several large mirrors. In the back, closest to the stage, it looked like there were lockers, and a rack of outfits. One of the girls turned her head to see Kelly standing there.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Her voice high. "This ain't amateur night sweetheart." Kelly's eyes flicked to the masking tape strapped over the mirror. The name Kristine was written out in big, black, blocky letters. _Probably in permanent pen._

"Then it's a good thing I'm no amateur." Kelly lied. Tossing her brunette hair back over her shoulder, she put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head challengingly. Kristine, a pretty ash blonde in a schoolgirl skirt, a tight white blouse, fishnets, and knee high black leather boots stood. _Probably a bottle blonde._ She thought, unimpressed as the woman stalked over towards her. She'd been watching these women dance all night. _Combining that with my own athletic talents…_ And she'd be fine. _Besides there's always the Dog to fall back on._ She was fairly sure that the men in the audience had never seen yellow eyes before. _Win over the crowd by being novel._

"Really?" Kristine asked as Kelly moved into the room. "Then where's you're costume?" Kelly could feel the eyes of the other women on her as she smiled. _Touché_. She thought. A little irritated she relaxed her arms, and swallowed more air.

"Jack said I could borrow one." She said. "I'm only here as a sub." She walked past Kristine, who seemed to have been struck dumb. "For the one night." She smiled at the other girls. "Personal favor."

"Jack didn't say anything about you coming?" An older redhead said. If Kelly had to guess she'd have said the woman… Kelly's eyes scanned the tape above her dressing table. _Rachel_. Looked like she was in her late twenties, possibly early thirties. _That's a long time being a stripper._ Kelly cocked her head at Rachel. Whose green eyes reflected in the overhead incandescent light as she looked at the interloper. "Unless you're here to fill in for Amanda?" Kelly smiled.

"Right." She said. "Is her costume here?"

"Amanda always takes it home." Piped up a very young voice. Kelly turned, and saw a young black girl. _Jenny_. Kelly read her name. "But there are plenty in the back for you to borrow." Her white teeth stood out against her face as she grinned broadly.

"Well, if you plan on taking responsibility for her Jen." Rachel said. There was venom in her voice. "I guess she can go on after your act." The black girl blinked, worry coming into her large dark eyes as she looked from Rachel to Kelly. _Ah._ Kelly thought. _Politics._ She wondered if she wasn't the only newbie here. _Jenny can't be older than eighteen._ She thought, examining the girl's thin face and frame. Her body type was similar to Kelly's and opposite the blonde Kristine who was busting a d-cup, or redheaded Rachel. _Obviously implants._ She thought, from the way both women's breasts stood full and erect. _Like they're made from concrete._ She swallowed.

"She doesn't have to." Kelly began, but her voice was overridden by Jenny's emphatic nodding.

"I'll do it, Rachel." She snapped. Her voice defiant. "I'll make sure she knows the ropes."

"Good." Rachel said. There was a bitchy quality to her voice, as she flipped her red hair back over her shoulder, and turned to Kelly. "Our little Jenny will look after you, make sure you get what you need." She glanced at Kristine, who giggled. _This doesn't bode well._ Kelly thought. "Unfortunately though…" Rachel trailed off. She didn't sound like it was the least bit unfortunate. "We've only got one costume that'll suit your particular…" She looked Kelly up and down with degrading eyes, and Kelly felt her back stiffen in response. Angry, her eyes nearly began glowing as some of the dark haired girls tittered behind her. "Type." The word slid like honey from between Rachel's lips, and she nodded to Kristine, who headed for the line of costumes in the back. The blonde passed by them completely, and instead vanished behind another closed door.

"Rachel." Jenny said. Her voice was pleading.

"Quiet Jen-Jen." Rachel said. "I'm sure our newest member is up to the challenge." A dark smile spread over her lips, and Kelly lifted her chin in response.

"Couldn't be more ready." She replied. Her own voice hard as she looked around. Kelly Jones was not about to let this little group of cats make a fool out of her. _Even if they try with their best intentions._ She watched Jenny shake her head as Kristine re-emerged from the back. Her ruby lips were curled into a satisfied smirk, as she lifted a black leather outfit dangling off a wire hanger. It was incredibly revealing with a black studded bra, matched with a black thong, a tiny leather jacket, ass-less chaps, a black cowboy hat, a thick belt with two white original colt pistols, and a riding crop.

"That's a knock off of Jessica Alba's outfit from Sin City." Kristine said as she walked forward. Kelly, who had never seen the movie, or didn't remember simply nodded. "The routine goes with the song 'I Like the Way You Move' by the Bodybuilders." When Rachel nodded, she moved past her, and pressed the wire hook into Kelly's palm. "Think you can handle that?"

"Not a problem." Kelly replied. "Just point me towards my make-up." She could hear the titters behind her, and knew that what they were asking probably wasn't some simple routine. _Obviously, it's not a simple outfit._ So, why had it been in the back? _Is this some forbidden thing no one's allowed to touch?_ Or… Rachel flicked her finger at the table beside Jenny, and Kelly shrugged. She walked over to the young black girl and took a seat beside her. Lying the outfit on the table, she stared into the mirror. Suddenly, compared to the glamorous outfits of the other women, the make-up, and dazzling lights, she felt plain. "You saved me back there." She said. Glancing at Jenny as warm sympathy bubbled up into her gaze, she added. "Thanks."

"Yeah?" Jenny replied. "Well, I'm putting my ass on the line for you." She turned back to her own mirror, her voice cool as she dabbed more foundation over her cheeks. "Don't let me down." Kelly's eyes moved to the other women, all of whom were pointedly ignoring them.

"Or they'll make your life hell for the next six months?" She asked. Jerking her thumb over her shoulder, at Rachel and Kristine, both of whom were glancing at them. Kelly could feel the daggers in their eyes. Jenny said nothing, but Kelly could feel the yes in her silence. "I'll try not to disappoint." She said. "Where's the changing room?"

"In the back." Jenny said. Kelly grabbed the outfit and stood. "Hey." Kelly who had already been heading in the direction she'd pointed, turned to see the young girl on her feet. "I better come with you." She watched as Jenny gathered up some pots of make up, and headed past her. "Follow me." Shrugging, Kelly ignored the piercing glances from the other women as she followed Jenny into a side room, and shut the door. There was a click as the light turned on, and she watched as Jenny lay the make up and body paint on a small table. "Change into that." Jenny said. Her voice was cool and confident. "And I'll do your make up."

"Don't you have to go on soon?" Kelly asked. She understood the altruistic reasons for why this young stripper was helping her, but she didn't see why she needed to go to this length. _Especially not if it compromises her own act._

"We've got time." Jenny said. "So, just…take off your clothes." Kelly nodded, stripping off her jacket and her shirt as Jenny took out a small pad. Ditching her jeans, underwear, bra, and boots, Kelly slid on the thong, and then pulled on the chaps. They clung against her skin, tight and sticky. _Not an easy on easy off._ She thought. Sliding the bra through each arm after adjusting the straps, she clipped it shut. Then Kelly picked up the large belt, and fastened it loosely around her waist. Picking up the crop, she slapped it against the meat of her palm, as she turned to face Jenny.

"How do I look?" She asked. She watched the small black girl's large eyes light up. _Hope._ Kelly realized. _She thought this was a losing battle._ A warmth fizzed in her stomach, and Kelly wondered if it was the after effect of the alcohol. _Or being able to put a nervous frown on the faces of those bitches._

"You'll do." Jenny said. "Now sit down so I can make you sexy." Obediently, Kelly took a seat in the chair, and closed her eyes as Jenny went to work.

"What's so special about this outfit anyway?" Kelly asked, as Jenny spread foundation over her cheeks.

"The outfit's so difficult to get on and off that no one wants to use it in a routine." Jenny replied. "The last girl who did looked like an idiot with the chaps stuck halfway down her legs." Kelly could feel her shrug. "Even someone pretty as you…" She trailed off. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Kelly Jones." Kelly said. "Jack hired me…"

"I know Jack didn't hire you." Jenny said. "He doesn't hire anybody pretty like you, especially not one with a b-cup." Kelly felt a brush move over her eyelids as the other girl began applying eyeshadow. Kelly fell silent, and she heard Jenny snort. "You're reasons don't matter much anyway, Rachel and Kristine want to see you make a fool of yourself and that's enough I guess." Kelly listened as she set down the makeup.

"So we'll just have to thwart them." Kelly said. "I'm a very fast learner."

"Open your eyes." Jenny commanded. Kelly did, feeling her inner self rise to the surface, and her eyes which were a dark shade of yellowed brown became hot. Jenny took a step back at the sight of Kelly's yellow eyes. She gasped in the murky shadows of the singular incandescent light bulb glowing over her head.

"What?" Kelly asked. She kept her voice carefully neutral in emotion, sounding totally innocent as she looked up at Jenny.

"Nothin'." Jenny said. Swallowing, she offered Kelly a hand. "It must be the make-up." Jenny ducked her head and grabbed the black stiletto heels from the floor. Handing them to Kelly she searched the back of the room for a bag, and stuffed Kelly's clothes inside. "If you've got a car, you might want to leave those in there." She said. "If this goes right, Rachel and the others wouldn't hesitate to throw 'em in the dumpster." Kelly nodded.

"Thanks." She said.

"We ain't done yet." Jenny said. "I gotta coach you a little on the moves, make sure you put on the right show." Kelly glanced at her.

"Isn't it nearly time?" She asked the young stripper. Jenny cocked her head to the side, tilting her ear. Kelly did the same. A cheer went up from inside the club.

"We've still got plenty." Jenny said. "Rachel's only half done with her performance, and even if I'm scheduled to go on after, she'll throw you out next."

"Well, then." Kelly said. "Teach me the ways of the dance." She bowed low, steady in her shoes. "Oh, master." Jenny giggled.

"I hope you really are a quick study." She said.

"Don't worry." Kelly replied. "I'll knock 'em dead."

000

It was late into the evening, nearly eleven o'clock, when Dean Winchester checked his phone. The last stripper, an older woman with red hair and in a dominatrix outfit was leaving the stage, as the men howled after her. _Probably should check in with Sam_ He thought. Making a mental note that Kurt was still in the exact same place, Dean turned his head and scanned the crowded bar. Kelly was still nowhere in sight. _It's been two hours._ He thought. Worry knotting in his stomach, as his hazel eyes moved from one female face to another. _Where'd she go?_ The last thing she'd said, was that she'd find a way to keep Kurt from leaving, and now it was late and the man was looking bored. _Did she leave?_ Dean hoped not, he didn't relish the idea of trying to track her in downtown San Francisco. _I thought she was a professional._ He'd never have expected her to leave in some jealous prepubescent fit. _Jealous._ Dean liked the thought of her jealous. _Not my intention, but I'm sure it'll work out in my favor._ He turned his head back to the stage, as the music shut off, and the announcer moved out onto the stage.

"That was our marvelous Rachel!" He shouted into the microphone. "Did she please you? You know she pleased you." There was a roar from the crowd, as they echoed in agreement.

"Send her back out!" Came a rowdy voice from behind him, and Dean suppressed a smirk. He really did like this place. _I'm glad Kurt's decided to stay so long._ Memory that he'd promised Kelly a date was still in the back of his mind. Dean hadn't forgotten, it had simply…slipped out of his consciousness. But with all the beautiful half naked women surrounding him, Dean Winchester could hardly be blamed. After all, this was his nature. There was laughter from the crowd, as the announcer grinned.

"Now, now." He said. "You'll see her again, but it's time to welcome in some new blood tonight." He spread his hand out, as the beginning notes from the Bodybuilders "I Like the Way You Move" began to echo out of the speakers surrounding the stage. "Gentlemen." He said. "I introduce to you, from the roughest, and wildest parts of Wyoming." He leaned forward. "Not afraid to get down and dirty, our very own Cowgirl…" He let a dramatic pause infiltrate his voice, as the gruff voice of the singer began to croon out into the audience. "JANE!" The lights flicked off, and Dean swallowed, leaning forward.

"_There's so many things I like about you."_ The singer sang. Overhead they began pulsating, dark to light, and Dean watched breathless as a lythe body strutted out from behind the curtain, each step deliberate and slow. A black felt cowboy hat sat atop a crown of brunette hair, as Dean's eyes traveled down to the open black leather min-jacket that ended just below her breasts. The jacket hung open to expose a studded black leather bra, tight around her slim chest, creating a deep pocket of cleavage. Dean's eyes traveled down her smooth belly, to the thick belt hanging around her waist, and the black chaps that hooked up over her hips. The section around the crotch had been cut away to reveal a black thong. His eyes shifted to the pair of guns hanging loosely in holsters around the belt, and then to the head of a crop. It was tucked behind a gun. He sucked in a deep breath. This outfit, and the woman in the outfit were hot. _"I don't know where to begin."_ The dancer had come to a stop at the center of the stage, standing in front of the runway, her hands sliding up her body as the music continued to flash on and off. Dean watched as her fingers moved along her belly, slowly, meticulously, sensuous, and over her breasts. They crossed across her chest, as those fingertips traveled up her arms. Moving a little faster, as her head tilted back, and her hips began to sway in rhythm with the beat. _"Ohhhhh…Okay, oh…" _ The singer groaned. Her shoulders began to move, up and down, back and forth. Tearing his eyes away from the dancer's hypnotic movements, Dean glanced at Kurt. But like everyone else in the club, his eyes were locked on the woman. _"I like the way you look at me with those…beautiful eyes…" _Dean hit send on the cell phone, as the woman, who had rotated her head forward, opened her eyes. In the flashing from light to dark, they were blazing gold. Dean's breath caught in his throat. He nearly missed Sam's voice on the other end of the line. Swallowing, he said.

"I found Kurt."

_"I like the way you act…all surprised…" _ The singer continued. Onstage, the woman flicked her arms out, her hips continuing to shake with the beat, as her foot began tapping against the stage floor. The music drowned out the click, as Dean Winchester felt his mouth drop open. He recognized those eyes, he recognized that body, the brunette hair blown back over her shoulders. _"I like the way you…sing along…"_ The music hissed.

"Great." Sam said. "Don't take your eyes off him."

"Oh." Dean said. He straightened as the music began heading for it's first climax. "My eyes are glued." _Kelly._ He thought. _Hell, yes!_ Kelly was going to give him a strip tease after all. _That's how my baby does it_. He thought remembering the comment she'd made about making sure their suspect didn't move. Dean's eyes snapped over to Kurt again, as his girlfriend lifted her hands sensuously over her head, her body still curving in time with the music. _God she's hot_. Dean hadn't known Kelly could dance. She began to clap. The audience joined her.

_"I like the way you alwayssss…get it wrong…"_ She spun on her heels, her body bending backwards, as her hair spun around her. Her hands dipped into the cutaways of the fabric of the chaps, exposing her crotch, and she bucked her hips forward. There were some cheers, and gasps, as the overhead lights continued to pulse. She rolled her hips back, her hands gliding up the curve of her belly, as she crossed her arms in front of her, and then reached for the guns strapped to her hips. _"I like the way you…clap your hands…"_ Kelly pulled the white weapons from her holster and pointed them at one of the men crowding the front of the stage. More people pushed forwards, bills outstretched in their hands. _"Bang, bang..."_ Kelly pulled the guns back, in imitation of shooting them as the beat steadily climbed.

"Damn…" A man said from his right. "Who is she?"

"Don't know." His friend replied. "But I want to fuck her." Dean could feel the man glance over at his friend.

"Thinkin' about buying a lap dance?" He asked. "I bet she's expensive."

"Don't really care how much she costs." Dean shuddered. He could practically feel the drool dripping down the side of the other man's mouth. "I want her." His stomach knotted, as he looked over at Kurt. The man was still leaning back in his chair, his eyes on Dean's girlfriend. Kelly replaced the guns, as the beat dropped low, her legs splayed and she rolled downwards, her hands running along the inside of her legs, as she threw her head back. She leaned backwards as her knees closed together.

_"I like the way you love to dance…"_ The singer whispered. Her arm flew back, and she began to writhe on the stage, there were gasps from the men around and behind Dean as more and more got to their feet. Kelly's hands rose off the ground and over her body. _"I like the way you put your hands up in the air…"_ The singer groaned, his voice rising, and Kelly's hips lifted up off the floor, as her legs splayed out. _"I like the way you…shake your hair…"_

"Dean?" It was Sam's voice.

"Sammy, I'm gonna have to call you back." Dean said. "I don't…" He glanced over his shoulder at the men behind him, and then up at Kelly. "I don't want to miss anything."

_ "I like the way you…like to touch… _ Kelly's hands rolled across her stomach, and Dean watched as they rotated around her breasts. He felt himself groan with the rest of the crowd. Then as the music grew hotter, speeding up, she threw her hands behind her head, and sensuously kicked herself up into a standing position. She stood still, her hands running over her body, and her hips swaying up and down to the beat. _"I like the way you…stare so much…_" The singer gasped, and as the music got hotter, as the beat went faster, Dean believed it was nearly about to orgasm as Kelly spun and slid the studded leather mini-jacket halfway down her arms. _"But most of all…"_ It fell to the floor as the audience cheered and the music screamed. _"Yeah…"_ Kelly stopped, and made a gun with her finger pointing it down at several of the men in front of her, as she pulled a riding crop off of the large belt. She rolled her entire body back and fired.

"Something the matter?" Sam asked. Dean watched, his eyes jealous, as the men, playing along with the act, staggered backwards. Hooting as they did so. In a crisp motion Kelly twirled low, taking the bills they offered in a smooth gesture. Straightening and slapping the crop against her palm she strutted forward down the runway as the music blared.

"_I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOOOOVE!"_

"No." Dean said. His voice loud, trying to be heard over the music. Kelly walked past him, her skin glittering with pale golden body dust as the lights brightened overhead, and he saw her clearly. Her golden eyes were glowing, as she stopped and began swaying to the music again. Using the crop like a prop, she rubbed it sexily against her crotch. Dean could feel the primal aura vibrating off of her, infecting the men around him like a pheromone, alluring. He swallowed. "Nothing I can't handle."

"_I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOOOOVE!"_ The singer roared, as Kelly reached out for the pole and swung herself around it. It was in this moment, that Dean realized her chaps were assless, and found himself staring directly at a gorgeous leather thong. She bent over, her rear rising up as her back curled downwards and she stretched the crop over her head. The men behind Dean cheered.

"You go girl!" One of them whistled.

"Man this chick is hot!" Yelled another.

"What's your name honey?" Called another.

"Wanna come home with me tonight?"

"Daaaaaamn woman." Another cried. "You sooooo fine!" Dean's molars ground against each other, as he tried to imagine that Kelly was dancing for him. But the fact that she hadn't paid any attention to him so far made him wonder. Instead, his girlfriend's attention seemed to be on every man other than him. Dean's heart began to pound. He didn't like this. In fact, he wanted to climb on stage, drag her off, back to his car, take her to the motel room, and lock her in where no one else would ever look at her again.

"And Kurt?" Sam asked. Dean watched, filled with jealousy as Kelly held out a single finger and curled it towards herself, motioning that Kurt come forward. The long haired man stood, as the buddies around him patted him on the back, and Kelly continued to sway, as she spread her legs wide, and sank down the pole. The crowd screamed.

"_I like the way you put your hands up in the air…"_

"He's not going anywhere." Dean said. He flipped his phone shut, teeth gritted as men reached past him, trying touch Kelly. Kurt stood up from his table and walked forwards. When he came to the front of the stage, money in hand, Kelly fell to her knees, and stretched back.

"_I like the way you shake your hair…" _Offering him the belt of her chaps, Kelly closed her eyes, as her hair fell down against the stage, inches from Dean's fingertips. Kurt reached out and stuffed the money into her belt as Dean clenched his fists, and Kelly straightened up. Slapping her crop across both thighs, she threw her head back. Other men were crowding around Kurt, but Kelly's eyes were only on him. Falling forwards, her wide golden eyes on Kurt's face, she crouched low into a cat position, and then flexed her body forwards as she crawled towards him. Body continuing to sway. _"I like the way you…like to touch…"_ Kelly reached out, her fingertips sliding down Kurt's face as his hands hastily searched his pockets for another dollar bill. Her face moved in close, lips only inches from lips as the song repeated. _"Like to touch, like to touch, like to touch…_" Dean watched as Kurt yanked a five from his pocket and lifted it up, he looked like his was in a trance. Abandoning his chosen position by the stage, Dean backed up, and pushed his way through the throng of men, until his was behind Kurt. _"I like the way you…stare so much…"_ Even the singer sounded breathless, as if he too could feel Kelly's hands running up his body. Dean felt ill, knowing that nearly every man in this place was watching with hungry eyes for his girl to remove more of her outfit. His eyes found Kelly, whose own had a mischievous light in them as Kurt lifted his bill. _"Stare so much…"_ She reached out with her mouth, and seized it from his fingertips, as she pulled back quickly with the beat. _"Stare so much…"_. In one fluid inhuman motion she was once again on her feet. _"But most of all…"_. Her hand on her cowboy hat, she twirled, stopped, and rocked her hips again. This time moving up and down on the stage as the men around Dean cheered. _"I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOOOOOVE!"_ Kelly tossed away her cowboy hat and as his fists clenched against his sides, Dean Winchester knew that he was going to be in for a long night. _"I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOOOOVE!"_

000

Many hours later, Sam was still a little worried by the way his brother had suddenly hung up. It wasn't just Dean's attitude but the loud raucous music and screaming in the background were also factoring into his confusion. Was Kelly okay? Was there a fight? Did Dean do something horrible? Why hadn't Kelly said anything over the phone? Why hadn't Dean talked about Kelly? Why hadn't Sam been able to hear Kelly in the background? And most importantly… _Where the hell are they?_ He wondered from his position by the window. Glancing back at Madison, he discovered that she was still sitting on the couch. "Dean's found Kurt." He said. "He'll keep a close eye on him." Sam was more than annoyed by the fact that Dean's sudden phone call had ruined the mood. They'd been about to kiss, leaning in close, finally finding a moment of understanding and then… _Like a cock block out of hell, Dean calls._ It was his brother's traditional method, and Sam was used to it. _Just not used to being that close._

"Okay." Madison nodded. She stood off of the couch, Sam who was standing by the window, staring up at the moon, crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I'm going to go to bed." She said. Sam nodded back at her. She lifted her eyebrows at him, finding his demeanor confusing. "Goodnight." She said. There was a hint of suggestion in her voice, but Sam missed it entirely.

"Goodnight." He replied. Disappointed, Madison turned and vanished down the hall. Sam watched her go, unaware that anything was amiss. He shut his eyes and sighed, wondering if he should try Dean again. _I don't know, maybe this time he'll actually pick up._ It was the not picking up that added into Sam's worries. It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother. _I just want to make sure everything's okay. That he and Kelly haven't killed each other._ He thought. _At least, not yet._ A wry smile came over his lips, as he heard a toilet flush, and the door to Madison's bedroom shut. _I wish I was smooth like Dean._ Then maybe he'd be joining her. _Well, if wishes were horses…_ Then Sam would have… _A herd._ He paused. At this point in his life, it'd most likely be several. He pulled out his cell phone, and wondered if he should call Dean again.

000

Kelly walked off the stage, and past the gaping jaws of Kristine, Rachel, and the other girls. Winking at Jenny as she went by and mouthing thank you to her as the crowd roared in front of the curtains for Kelly to come back. Her lips curled into a smirk as she patted Kristine on the shoulder. "Good luck out there." She said. The other woman sputtered and gaped, but didn't have time to come up with a response as the announcer cried.

"I give you the school teacher you've always wanted, KRISTINE!" The blonde hurried on stage, as Kelly chuckled and continued back into the dressing room. Kelly stopped at her table, and pulled out the bag of street clothes from underneath the dresser. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she let out a long sigh of relief. _It really is exhausting._ She thought, looking into the mirror. The jacket and chaps were hung over one arm, and the black felt hat she'd discarded had been retrieved. Pulling it off, she slumped into the chair. Grabbing the water bottle off the table, she unscrewed it and took a long sip. _Couldn't have done that without the beers._ She thought. _But it was all worth it for the look on Dean's face._ The utter disbelief, or her frank and obvious avoidance of him had driven her boyfriend up the wall. _And he deserved it._ She thought, completely satisfied. _Especially when I nearly gave Kurt Mewler a lap dance._ Her lips curved into a smirk, and she looked at herself in the mirror.

"You wear that outfit well." Jenny said. Kelly turned around to see the other girl come up behind her. "Complete crowd favorite." She added. "I wouldn't be surprised if Jack actually hired you." She raised an eyebrow at Kelly.

"Another change in the lineup?" Kelly asked. She kept her voice light, but even then she could see the venomous smile coming over Jenny's features.

"Yeah." The other girl said. "Rachel realized that she couldn't have me coming on after you, cause it'd look bad." Kelly raised her eyebrows and Jenny lifted her hands defensively. "No, no. I wouldn't be bad, but the outfits." Jenny pointed to her own leather get up. "It'd be repetitive, so she shoved Kristine on." At this point Kelly could see the full satisfaction on the other stripper's face. "Which works for me, I like going late."

"So that's what this is about?" Kelly asked.

"Jack comes in late." Jenny shrugged. "And the pay gets better." Kelly chuckled. _I'll change in the Impala._ She thought.

"Glad to be of service." Kelly said.

"Yeah." Jenny smiled. Her eyes misty. "I wouldn't have passed up the look on Rachel's face for anything." She grinned down at Kelly. "You could have a real job here."

"Unfortunately." Kelly replied. "Tonight's my retirement. I'm hanging up my hat." She tipped the felt one at Jenny, who giggled. "So to speak."

"If that's so," Jenny said. "Then you better get out of here before Jack comes around askin' who that mystery girl was."

"What about the outfit?" Kelly asked. She raised her eyebrows. A note of daring came into Jenny's voice.

"Keep it." She said. "Nobody here wears it anyway, and you'll better remember tonight." She glanced at Kelly again. "Whatever the reason you got up on that stage." Kelly nodded, slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out. Leaving the world of strip tease behind her.

000

Dean barely noticed as the next stripper came on stage. Kelly's performance, and the way she'd blatantly ignored him, had left Dean Winchester reeling. Right now, all he wanted to do was get back stage and talk to her. But he knew he couldn't. _After all, I can't let Kurt out of my sight._ The thought of Kurt left him wincing, from the way Kelly had danced Dean knew she'd done it specifically for their target. Keeping him interested, his eyes trained on her, and his imagination burning with thoughts of Kelly Jones on his lap. Dean didn't like it, but he'd been out maneuvered. _And now Kurt's focus has changed to her._ Meaning that if Kurt was the werewolf… Dean's mind trailed off, as panic suddenly seized his heart. _Kurt'll come after her._ At least he would tonight. Dean had seen the way the man was looking at Kelly. _My Kelly._ It was the same entranced expression that Dean himself often wore. _Not enough of a schmuck to let it affect me the same._ He looked up, and around for Kurt. Since Kelly had left the stage, it now meant the other man could go look for her. _Or stay._ Dean was hoping that he'd stay. He looked around. His heart froze. Kurt was gone.

Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song "I Like the Way You Move" by the Bodybuilders nor do I have permission to use them. I simply thought it would be perfect for Kelly's strip tease.

Some of the dialogue in this and other chapters was not created by me, it belongs (as I'm sure every devout watcher of Supernatural knows) to the show itself. Not mine, the same way Dean and Sam aren't mine… (But I wish they were. ^_^ )

AN: I hope you liked this chapter. It took ages to figure out, stage, and write, so it'd better be worth it and up to your expectations. Tell me how you liked Kelly's strip tease, because there will be fallout from that. We're getting closer to discovering Madison's a werewolf, but as usual I'm having to much fun with Kelly to actually get there. So, blame her. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to the next chapter.

My muse loves reviews. Spoil her and she will spoil you.

PS On the Tuesday of last week, I added on to the last chapter. If you haven't gone back to look at it, since I first posted, then you should. Because there's more Dean and Kelly outside the strip club. ^_^


	39. Chapter 39: Collateral

Chapter 39: Collateral

"I told you." Kelly said. Dressed again in her street clothes, body glitter and makeup only a memory, she sat on a low brick wall in the alley next to Kurt Mewler's apartment building. Dean was leaning against the wall to her right, his head near her boots as he coolly stared at the building in front of them. "I was making sure our target wouldn't leave." Dean snorted as he unloosed his 19ll Colt 9mm handgun from the back of his pants, and reloaded it.

"Did a good job of that." Dean said. He sounded sarcastic, and Kelly sighed. She saw no reason to hide her annoyance. After all, _he'd_ been the one who'd decided to sit and watch the strippers.

"I did in fact." Kelly snapped. "I'm the reason he's home with his johns off having a good wank." Her eyes moved up to the light in the apartment. Far off, away from them a car alarm went off. It was probably three streets down. Kelly couldn't tell the specifics. _Somewhere someone's car is getting robbed._ Probably a lot of someones. But it wasn't close enough for her to do something about it. _They might have guns_. She'd been shot enough for one week. "And if you don't like that…" She trailed off. _Is he jealous?_ It was likely.

"What?" He asked. Suddenly belligerent, he focused on the side of his handgun. He was going to give her the cold shoulder. _She flirted with Kurt._ She'd nearly agreed to go home with him. _My girlfriend._ He flicked off the safety with a loud click. _Mine._

"You can kiss my pretty chapless ass." Kelly replied.

"Careful baby." Dean said. His eyes dark as he stared down at the 1911 Colt in his hand. "Might take you up on that offer." Coolly, he shoved a fresh magazine into the bottom of the barrel with a sharp click. Kelly glanced down at him, eyebrows rising slightly and creating thin indentations in her forehead. Brown bangs brushed over her eyes, tickling Kelly's black lashes.

"Only over my cold dead body." She said. The outfit and the men's response in the club had created a tension between them so thick that even a machete couldn't have hacked it's way through it. "I'd kick your fugly butt up and down the length of the street before I let you lay one finger on _this_." She ran her finger up the leather length of the chaps. Following Kurt back to his apartment hadn't given her time to change, especially since she hadn't wanted to give Dean the satisfaction of seeing her get naked in his back seat. _And as a result my ass is freezing._ So much for pride. She wrapped her brown leather jacket tighter around her chest as she shivered. The cold cement beneath her backside was chilling, and the brushes of icy wind against her neck wasn't helping. Dean snorted.

"Right now, banging you is the last thing on my mind." He said. Meanwhile, the thought _Liar, liar, pants on fire._ bounced around in the forefront of his brain. "I just want to kill this son of a bitch and get it over with."

"I concur." Kelly replied. Listening to the rapid clicks as Dean switched the safety on and off, she withheld a sigh. Instead, chewing on her lower lip, she cast her gaze back up to the lone light coming from the living room window of Kurt Mewler's apartment. "The sooner this is over, the sooner we can catch up with Sam." _Hopefully his love attempts are succeeding better than mine._ All her little stripper act had seemed to do was piss Dean off. _Not that I care._ He'd deserved what he'd gotten. _Treating me like a throw away toy while he drooled over women throwing off their clothes._ So she'd followed the age old rule. _Don't get mad, get even._ And even she had. Tucking her freezing fingers into her ampits, Kelly listened to Dean grunt.

"So that's what this is about?" He asked. "A quick easy wrap up that doesn't detract from spending time with precious Sammy." The derision in his voice stung. Not only was he denouncing Kelly's professionalism, but he was making her desire for a fast finish about his brother. She gritted her teeth.

"You're just mad about Kurt." She said. Dean stiffened. Remembering being worried and walking out of the club, chasing Kurt, he looked angrily at the silver barrel of his semi-automatic and snapped the magazine back in place. He'd found him standing on the side of the sidewalk, all his worst fears confirmed. Their suspected werewolf had left the club to see Kelly. _She was standing there flirting with him. Flirting!_ Dean swallowed. _Like nothing was wrong._ He paused. _Like she didn't know he was a werewolf_. He'd come up to them just in time to hear the man invite his girlfriend back to his apartment. _And if I hadn't said anything, she probably would have said fucking yes._ So, sure, he was angry about Kurt. Dean paused again, refusing to cast his gaze in her direction. To do so would be an admission that she was correct and he hated to admit she was right. In fact, he wasn't going to admit she was.

"Mad about you throwing yourself into another dangerous situation without consult?" He asked. The creases of his face darkening as he ran his fingers over the smooth steel of the barrel, he paused for a moment, and then flicked the safety on again. "Why would I be?" His rage was in fact near boiling, close to the time when he'd taken a crowbar and bashed in the hood of the Impala. "I'm just glad you're normal suicidal streak is up to it's usual tricks." He yanked back the slide of the Colt 19ll and let it slide shut with a loud clack. "That's it."

"I wasn't about to pass up the chance to keep a close eye on him." Kelly said. Her gold brown eyes were still on the living room lights of Kurt's apartment. He'd been home for an hour. _Sixty minutes of uncomfortable conversation._ And she was practically ready to beg the universe for an intervention. _I didn't do anything wrong._ "And it was a perfect set up." Dean opened his mouth to object, but Kelly cut him off smoothly. "Offering up the fresh beating heart pumping full of blood of a juicy young nubile stripper." She tossed her brown hair back over her shoulder, and tucked her bangs back behind her ear, as her right leg crossed over her left knee. "Would have been enough to force Mewler to show his true face." Dean snorted.

"He would have shown it without your helpful intervention." He said. Knowing full well the merit behind her argument, Dean refused to accept it.

"It's better than letting some innocent girl get in the line of fire." Kelly snapped. After a moment's pause with no response from Dean, she added. "And you know I'm right."

"It was reckless and unnecessary."

"You're one to talk about being reckless." Kelly growled. "From what Sam's told me…"

"What Sam's told you could fill a damn fucking book, and we're not talking about me." Dean said. He shoved the gun into his belt, and then yanked it out again, clicking on the safety as he did so. "We're talking about you."

"So now there's a difference between us?" Kelly asked. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, and it made her blood bubble hot with fury. _He's going to say that I'm held to a different standard. That I'm an amateur who doesn't know what's what. That a professional hunter wouldn't take these kinds of risks. He'll say he's better than me._

"Yeah." Dean said. "I can handle it." Kelly nodded as a coldness settled into her belly. Dean on the other hand could feel himself being dragged deeper and deeper into hot water. Yet, he couldn't seem to stop himself. "You can't." He'd said the magic words.

"You fucking two faced_ son of a bitch!_" Dean's stomach knotted. She wasn't shouting, no it was worse than if she'd been shouting. Instead her voice was cold, reaching sub zero temperatures, and even glancing at the fabulous leather assless chaps she was wearing wasn't enough to warm up the area around them. "You idiot!" She growled. "I'm so sick of your double standards, of your overprotection." He could feel her eyes boring into the back of his head, and only his pride stopped him from turning around. "You tell me you love me, Dean. But at the first opportunity you go running off to drool over whores." Mentally apologizing to Jenny as she said the words, Kelly continued. "You're jealous, controlling, judgmental. I've been back two days and you're already fucking telling me what I can and can't do." She hopped off the wall, and sticking her hands into her pockets, turned around to face him. The overhead moonlight glancing off her blazing eyes, she jabbed an index finger under his nose. "Back the fuck off." Dean was about to respond and defend his position when the sound of shattering glass reached them, and the lights flickered out in Kurt Mewler's apartment. Dean glanced up, as Kelly spun around. In unison their eyes rose to the broken window on the balcony.

"What the?" Dean asked. His tone low. Kelly said nothing, and moved first. She was a blur of action, as her eyes burned golden in the dark. She stared up at the balcony above, knowing that she couldn't jump that high, and spent seconds wondering if it was worth trying or better to use the stairs. She decided on stairs, and dashed around the side of the building, out of the alley and to the front of the street. Dean hot on her heels. He was immensely glad for this occurrence, especially since it'd led to a the break in their fight.

They climbed the stairs and in less than five minutes, were standing in front of Kurt Mewler's apartment. With no need to be sneaky and no time to be anything less than obvious Dean kicked the door open. Colt 19ll semi-automatic pistol in hand, he carefully made his way into the apartment. Kelly was behind him, her own gun, the USP 9mm, was lifted to point at the ceiling as she slid along the small hallway leading into the open space of the apartment. Rock music, and with a high pitched singer that Kelly couldn't place blared out in stinging tones through the room as they moved forward. Her footsteps nearly silent, as she placed them behind Dean's and slowed as he did. His shoulders tensed, as stunned, he lowered his gun. That wasn't a good sign. She moved out from behind him, and held back a startled exhalation at the sight of Kurt Mewler's bloody body lying on the hardwood floorboards in front of them. Kurt's face was turned sideways as His sightless eyes gazed up blankly at her. Kelly's heart shuddered. Only a few hours before she'd been joking with his sleazy attempts to pick her up. Now he was dead on the floor. _With a brunette werewolf standing over him, eating out his heart._ Kelly could smell it now, the scent she'd tracked mixed with Kurt's. The one she'd found the previous day. It had been faint then. It was strong now. There was a snap. Dean's gun. The werewolf's head lifted, and turned. Her bright blue eyes, their pupil's slit down the center like a cat's, blazed as she snarled. Dean was still stunned. Kelly took a chance and let her eyes slide from the werewolf to her boyfriend's face. He looked like someone who'd just been hit over the head with a brick. _Does he know her?_ Her seconds of distraction cost her as the werewolf lunged, hitting Dean and knocking him back against the wall. He fell with a thud as the gun clattered across the floor. Eyes burning bright, Kelly leapt into action. As the werewolf's head snapped to her, and the monster roared, she maneuvered herself between the two. The werewolf swiped at her, it's long black claws cutting through the leather arm of her jacket and creating shallow gashes in Kelly's arm. She caught the hand by the wrist, and was caught off guard by the werewolf's strength as she was dragged sideways. Claws sinking into Kelly's shoulder, the female werewolf snarled as if sensing competition. Kelly growled in return. The protective response of an animal bred for centuries to guard and defend. The feral wildness in the eyes of the other met the burning gold of the Dog's, as Kelly sidestepped, trying to break free of the werewolf's grasp. Unable to escape, the beast's instinctual response happened so quickly that Kelly was caught completely off guard. Finding herself hurled through the air over Kurt Mewler's dead and bloody form, her back hit the wooden edge of a powder blue couch. She rolled over it, and crash landed on the coffee table. Between her weight and the strength of impact the wooden legs of the table couldn't hold up. They simultaneously collapsed to the accompaniment music of shattering glass and splintering cedar.

Dean, staggering into a sitting position, found he could only watch in horror as the werewolf turned around. Blood seeping out of the clawmark cuts in the meat of her upper arm, bright blue eyes glowing as she gnashed her teeth. He didn't know what had happened to Kelly. _Other than being thrown over a couch._ And the sound of breaking wood had been a serious hint to the fate of Kurt's coffee table. _Not like he'll be needing it anymore._ Again, the werewolf lunged for him, her eyes on his heart. Pulling out a silver knife as the music blared and twisted towards it's climax, he cut across her forearm, just below the elbow as her teeth snapped at his chest. She growled in pain, throwing her head back and in a blur of movement was on her feet and disappearing out the window. Dean watched her go. _Gotta warn Sam_. He thought, just before the darkness took him and he passed out.

Aching, Kelly struggled to get on all fours as the werewolf passed her. Glass slid beneath her fingertips, cutting at the pads of her palm, biting her lip, ashamed at how easily she'd been bested, she watched the female werewolf disappear over the balcony. _I should go after her._ She thought, panting as she tried to find footing so she could stand. Her entire right side hurt from the crash, and she could already feel the skin of her shoulder purpling into a painful bruise. It wouldn't last long but… _Right now I seriously hurt._ She seriously, seriously hurt. _Like the time I got shot._ Okay, maybe more than that. _Because my healing powers took care of most of it._ So it hadn't lasted long. _Damn bitch was stronger than I thought._ Muscles screaming, she moved into a crouch. "Dean?" She called. _Damn it._ What had happened to him? _He was the werewolf's obvious target._ So after she'd tossed Kelly… Panicked, heart leaping into her throat, as her pulse sped up to a rapid fire march, Kelly struggled to stand. "Dean?" She repeated. This time there was more fear in her voice. _God, I'd never forgive myself if…_ She staggered to the couch and fell onto it, knees forward, to collapse over the top. Looking at the opposite wall she saw him, passed out on the floor, his head tilted sideways against his chest like a rag doll. There was a silver knife still clenched in his fist. She exhaled heavily, a long sigh of relief filtering out through her mouth. "Thank god." She whispered. Forgetting to be angry, she hurried to his side, and gathered him up in her arms. Letting his head rest on her lap as her fingers toyed with the blonde fringe of his hair, she looked out at the fading night. It would be sunrise soon. _I hope Sam is okay._ She thought. Should she call him? What was there to tell? _Hi Sam, we encountered a girl. Oh, wait, it's not Kurt, no it's female._ So why had the werewolf gone after Kurt? Hadn't he been stalking Madison? Kelly shook her head. These questions could wait until morning. _Or at least, until Dean wakes up._ She hoped he would. Soon.

Morning came more quickly than expected, because Kelly, tired from the night's fun, had passed out. Dean woke to find his head in a comfortable position, resting on now warmed leather. His neck ached, his back ached, his body ached, and he was worried. _Sammy!_ Was the first thought that came to mind and his eyes snapped open as he sat up, nearly banging the top of his head into Kelly's chin in the process. He stopped mid action, and carefully slid out from underneath her head. Sitting up straight, Dean paused as he examined his girlfriend's face. Her eyes were closed as her head tilted to rest against the white papered wall. Brown hair tumbled over her shoulders to hide parts of her face, and he gently brushed it back. Kelly looked serenely adorable in sleep, and the fact that she'd spent the last few hours in this cramping position didn't change that. Dean was glad she was safe. Murmuring beneath the heat of his fingertips, she moved, and he stood, glancing at the now cold body of Kurt Mewler. Worry was suddenly superceded by anger. _The hell didn't she stop it?_ Why was she still here? This was followed by overwhelming relief that she hadn't gone after the werewolf alone. _Thank god she's finally showing some damn common sense._ He looked back at the heartless bloody body again, and pulled out his cell phone.

"Ouch." Kelly's voice reached him as he pressed number one on speed dial. "Not comfortable." He glanced back at her as she moved. Stiffly straightening up off the wall, Kelly cracked her neck, as she stretched her hands over her head.

"You call Sammy?" Dean asked. His heart in his throat as the other end of the line began to ring. _If both Kelly and I were here then who was watching Sam's back?_ Madison would have gone back to the apartment after she'd finished feeding. Something bad might have happened.

"Should I have?" Kelly asked. Uncoiling her knees from beneath her, and listening with annoyance as they groaned, she crouched. Looking up at Dean as she moved into a standing position, she pulled her right arm over her chest, stretching it out. "I didn't think there was anything…" She trailed off at the black shadow overcoming Dean's expression. _Here we go again._ She sighed. "There was something."

"The werewolf was Madison!" Dean exclaimed. "Damn it Kelly, something might have happened to Sammy!" The phone was still ringing, Dean had half a mind to hang up and charge over there. Even if his little brother wasn't injured, he was still alone with a werewolf.

"Madison?" Kelly shook her head. _Why is he blaming me?_ She wondered. _How was I supposed to know? _ She'd only seen Madison once, in a picture. _Never in person._ And Dean expected her to recognize the woman on sight? _I'm not a miracle worker._ She didn't have the startling power of Informed Ability. _Able to recognize anything in a single glance, to know all the answers._ She made mistakes too.

"Dean, okay?" Sam's voice came through the other end of the line as relief washed over Dean.

"Yeah." Dean said. Glancing at Kelly, he added. "Now that I'm conscious." There was an accusing aspect to his gaze, and Kelly frowned. _It's not my fault you passed out._ She thought. _And it's not my fault I passed out before I could wake you up._ "The werewolf knocked me out." He said. "Nearly got Kelly too."

"Is she okay?" There was real concern in Sam's voice.

"Are you okay?" The question sounded grudging as soon as it exited Dean's lips.

"A little shaky, and battered, but otherwise okay." Kelly said. Her voice forcefully cheerful with a biting edge of sweet. The one that always told Dean he was in deep shit. "Thanks for the concern, Sam." Dean turned back to the phone.

_So our fight's not over yet._ He was pissed at her for the stunt she'd pulled in the club, for not calling Sam after the werewolf attack, for passing out… _For getting in the way._ For letting the werewolf escape. Dean Winchester was just pissed. "Sam, it's Madison." He said. Rubbing the back of his head, he turned away from the body and walked back towards Kelly. She was leaning against the wall, and for the first time Dean saw the long claw marks sliced through the upper arm of her leather jacket. The skin was red and purpled underneath. His anger cooled a little. _She was stupid enough to get herself tossed over a couch._ He was still waiting for the fallout.

"What?" Disbelief mad Sam's voice high on the other end of the line. He turned, putting down the cup of water he'd been drinking when Dean called, and headed back through the maze of rooms towards where Madison was sleeping.

"Yeah, somebody forgot to call you after our little encounter." Dean cast a sideways glance at Kelly, who glared back. "But awesome job on keeping an eye on her."

"Dean, that's impossible." Sam said. He pushed open the door to Madison's bedroom, to find that she was still sleeping comfortably amidst her white fluffy sheets. "I've been here the whole time." He turned away, his upper lip contorting as he said. "She's in bed asleep."

"Well, she wasn't an hour ago." Dean said. "Check her right arm beneath her elbow, I nicked her with a silver knife."

"Or her upper arm." Kelly added, as he passed her. "Same one." She said as Dean fixed her with a hard 'why-didn't-you-tell-me-earlier' stare. "Where I got her with my claws."

"You hear that?" Dean asked. "Silver knife nick or Kelly's claw marks." At Madison's apartment, the woman in question sighed, and rolled over as the sunlight found it's way through the curtains.

"Morning." She said.

"We'll be there in twenty." Dean added, signaling for Kelly to follow him out the door. She sighed, and did. Hanging up the phone, Sam turned around and stepped into the room. Trying to keep a pained expression off his face, he swallowed, his eyes searching for the evidence his brother had described. Madison sat up. Realizing she was naked, she looked at him.

"Umm, where are my pajamas?" She asked. Her voice was mildly amused and curious. But Sam's eyes fell first to the red scabbing indentations below her shoulder, and then, as she sat up, to the blackened clean slice of a knife's blade on the thick skin of her forearm underneath her elbow. "Sam?" She asked. He turned around, horror filling his stomach, as he pulled out his gun. "Sam!" She called as he vanished down the hallway. "Where are you going?" She hurtled out of bed, gathering the bed sheets around her as she did, and followed him out into the hall. Sam walked to the door and threw the deadbolt. Shutting the secondary lock, he turned around. His face frighteningly cold as he said.

"I'm not going anywhere." There was a beat as the tension rose, and his tone became darker. "And neither are you."

000

They drove in complete silence. Kelly's head resting against the cold glass of the Impala's window, once again wishing she'd had time to change her clothes. Dean stared straight ahead, his eyes staying firmly on the road. Silence hung thick in the air between them. Kelly could feel that he was angry with the situation. But mostly, she knew, he was angry at her. _Whether it's misplaced or valid._ That didn't really matter anymore. Not that she wasn't pissed at him. _With last night's behavior, what he said during our fight…_ Everything. It made her blood boil. _But now's not the time to discuss it._ Definitely not. She turned her head. _I didn't know Madison was the werewolf!_ Her mind yelled. Her boyfriend's stony expression remained affixiated to the road, and Kelly withheld another heavy sigh. She hated silence, probably more than anything else. It weighed on the conversation, made it blocky, and always indicated uncertainty, fear, anger, or other feelings that weren't up for discussion. Still. _I'm the one who's angry._ She wasn't going to be the first to apologize. _He can do that._ She crossed her arms over her chest and slouched deeper into her seat. _He can bloody well apologize first._ Kelly pulled in a deep breath.

"So you got your ass handed to you by a werewolf." Dean said. Kelly glanced at him in surprise as his voice broke the silence. She hadn't expected this. Dean still didn't look at her, but she could feel the derision in his tone, and it made her angrier.

"You didn't do much better." She responded.

"And you left Sammy in danger." He replied. Kelly paused, that would have been a valid argument. _If…_

"I wouldn't have." Kelly said. "If someone had included me on the recon mission."

"Detectives work in partnerships of twos." Dean said. "Not threes. Having you in the group would have made it suspicious." Kelly rolled her eyes.

"That's a big stinking pile of BS." She said. "You know it, I know it, so why don't we cut the crap." Dean frowned, and flicked on the Impala's cassette player. He twisted up the volume, as if to discourage her from saying anything else. Kelly swallowed angrily. "Dean." She began. "You can't just avoid...." The opening chords of ACDC's 'This Means War' blasted out of the speakers, drowning her out. The fast paced music blew up and down, twisting to an electrically pulsating beat. Dean's stony gaze remained on the cars ahead of them as the Impala changed lanes.

"_This means WAR!_" Shouted through the insides of the car.

"Appropriate." Kelly muttered as the Impala sped up. Dean glanced at her angrily as she added. "You always have a song for every occasion." Aggravation overtook Dean. His face remained locked in the same serious and angry expression as he shut off the radio. She lifted her forehead off the cool glass and they returned to deep silence. Another few minutes passed. Then more, and still more time passed. Kelly could feel that they were getting close to their destination, and found she couldn't wait. _Anything to get out of this tension filled fest._

"You should have called Sam." Dean said. The words slipped out of his mouth slowly like molasses. Kelly wondered if they'd ever manage to get to the heart of the argument. _With Dean's glacial speed of emotional understanding, it's more likely he'll keep coming up with reasons to be pissed at me._ His tone had a sense of finality to it, like that was the end of the argument. But for Kelly, it wasn't over by a long shot.

"What would I have told him?" She asked. "Hi, Sam, we just saw a female werewolf. Don't worry about Madison, we suddenly have zero leads?" She glanced at Dean again, but he still wasn't looking at her, his expression still fixed. Kelly knew he hadn't really heard anything she'd said. _He just wants to be mad_. She understood that, but it didn't make her any less angry. "Come over to Kurt's right away, Dean's down?" Dean's frown deepened. "Please, Dean." She said. Her voice sarcastic. "Tell me what I should have said, so next time I'll know the proper course of action." She glared at him. "I'll tell you what, next time I won't even check to make sure you're okay, I'll just launch myself off a three story balcony and run to Sam. Leave you all alone in case the werewolf decides to return for a late night snack." Her eyes burned, but Dean's expression still failed to change. "But you're already heartless, so I suppose she won't find anything worth eating." Dean stopped, and looked over at her.

"You should have called Sam." He repeated.

AN: Yeah, I know it's a shorty. But school's been picking up and it took a lot to even be able to get this much out, so I hope you enjoy. As you know, there's always more to look forward to, Kelly and Dean fighting, Madison's werewolf problem, and sad!Sammy. As always leave me reviews, cause I love reviews and so does my muse.

Spoil her, and she will spoil you


	40. Chapter 40: The Eye of the Storm

Chapter 40: The Eye of the Storm

"You know what." Sam said. He crossed his arms as he stared at Madison. Tears were streaking her face. For the past half hour she'd been denying her status as a werewolf. "Save the act." He moved past Madison, and headed for the window. Dean and Kelly should have been back by now. But in some ways, Sam was happy they weren't back yet. _Saves me from having to watch them be all lovey dovey._ Sam couldn't ignore the dull ache in his chest as the thought crossed his mind. Neither could he stop the knot twisting in his gut, one that was completely separate from the guilty one in his intestines. The one in his stomach belonged to Kelly. The one deeper, filled with uncertainty and self-loathing as he listened to the werewolf cry. That was all Madison's. Sam sighed. He lifted his hand, running his fingers through his dark hair.

"It's not an act!" Madison exclaimed. The hot tears were leaking from her eyes. The sense of betrayal worming it's way through her heart was making her physically sick. Fear overwhelmed her mind. _This is crazy!_ She thought. _He's crazy!_ "I am not a werewolf!" She cried. "There's no such thing!" Madison really believed this. It had been hounded into her brain ever since she was a small child, repeated over and over. _Ghosts don't exist, demons don't exist._ Monsters like vampires and werewolves were only in the movies. People obsessed with them online. Men like her ex boyfriend Kurt salivated over them in the theatres. But Madison hadn't believed Sam to be the type. _He seemed so solid_. Well it had been a good act. _He's crazier than Kurt ever was_. Fear sank into her gut. She was in a worse situation than she'd been in when her ex was stalking her. _How did my judgement get so bad?_ She wondered. He was standing behind her, his eyes still fixed out the window. "It's made up!" She yelled. "Alright, theyre not…" She trailed off as he circled back around. She could feel the heat of his skin against her brunette hair. Still, even as fear seized her tongue, she continued to speak. "They're not real!" Her voice was breaking now, and she could feel the seriousness in his gaze. The anger and the betrayal in his eyes. "You know they're not real!" She was trying to appeal to his common sense.

"No!" He shouted. Kneeling down in front of her, so that he was staring up into her eyes, Madison was shocked by the fervor there. The intense pain. He pointed his gun at the knife cut on forearm. "Then where did that come from?" He asked. Her heart hiccupped. She didn't know. He reached out, and pulled up her sleeve. Madison winced as his fingers roughly brushed over the deep cuts in her forearm. His touch stung. "Where did these come from?"

"I don't know!" She said. Shaking her head, she looked down at him. "Sam, god, you need help." The ropes were chafing her wrists, but she couldn't look away. Not from him, not from the pain she saw there. _What happened to him?_ She wondered. _What drove him over the edge like this?_ What had made him believe that monsters were real? _For a smart man like him to believe so strongly…_ Madison knew that it had to have been something horrible. _Something beyond words._ "Please." She said. "Don't do something that you're going to regret." She watched as Sam's features contorted. _He really likes me._ She thought. "I'm not what you think I am." The skin around Sam's eyes twitched, and his expression became one of someone who was deeply hurt and confused. "I'm not." She whimpered. Sam began to shake, his shoulders rocking back and forth until he was unable to hold her gaze. There was a loud knock on the door, and Sam's head shot to it. He was suddenly relieved for his brother's arrival. _Even if it means having to see him next to Kelly_. Sam looked back at Madison, she was breathing heavily. Her eyes pleading for him to not open the door, to not let in another crazy psychopath. There was another set of knocks. Sam stood and walked to the door. She listened to the creak as it opened. Her heart thudding in her chest.

Sam unlocked the door, and opened it to find a serious looking Dean standing there. A disgruntled looking Kelly was behind him, and as Dean walked past his brother into the room, she smiled. What took Sam by surprise wasn't the cold atmosphere between them. He'd almost come to expect that after they'd spent any length of time alone together. _And it never means much_. Because for the two of them, fighting seemed to be their natural state. No, it was the way Kelly was dressed. She was standing in the hallway in leather chaps with her brown leather jacket wrapped around her shoulders, and her arms crossed over her chest. However, Sam was taken aback by the way Kelly's pants were cut. Where there should have been fabric covering her crotch, instead he found a direct opening to her underwear. Feeling himself growing hot under the collar, he averted his gaze. "What…" He began.

"Long story." Kelly started. A flush of her own was beginning to color her cheeks, and she wished she'd taken the time to change. _Except there's no way I'm giving Dean his own private peep show._

"One we don't have time for." Dean said. He brushed past Sam and moved deeper into the apartment, heading for Madison. Kelly sighed loudly, and indicated that Sam should follow.

"After you." Sam offered.

"No." She said. "After you." Kelly glanced down at her outfit and then back up at Sam. "Not unless you want to be following on the heels of my naked ass." Again, Sam was startled. _So they're assless too._ He wondered why Dean was so pissed off. He didn't need to take the time to contemplate how appealing getting a full view of Kelly's ass sounded. But he was too much of a gentleman to say so. _Besides, she's Dean's girl._ That essential made her off limits. _But since I screwed up with Madison…_ Sam couldn't help wondering. He smiled, knowing it was not smart to make a snarky comment with his brother in earshot. Instead, he turned and followed Dean, with Kelly walking behind him.

"How you doin'?" Dean asked. The floor creaked beneath his booted heels as he walked into the open and well lit room that served as Madison's living room. Kelly followed Sam through the open white double doors, and stopped. She didn't follow either brother inside, instead, she lingered. Leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms, she inhaled deeply. Yes, this was the same scent. She looked up, her brown gold eyes on Madison's frightened tear streaked face. _And that's the same face._ It was the girl in the photo. Without the slit blue eyes, claws, and fangs Kelly could now recognize her. _And the wolven musk still hangs in the air around her._ She chewed on her lower lip, deep in thought. _It probably fades the longer she's human._ Which would mean it was only strong three or four times a month. _That explains why I was having a hard time tracking it._ That and she hadn't known what the werewolf had smelled like. _Or looked like._ Not that it'd seemed to matter to Dean. Kelly growled softly. _Jerkface._ She looked up. "My head feels great by the way, thanks."

"My back doesn't hurt much either." Dean glanced back at her, his expression hardening. Pride warred with concern in his eyes, he'd forgotten that the werewolf's ownage of them both had been complete. Sam's eyes didn't leave Madison. He was barely listening to what Kelly was saying. "If someone cares." She finished, aware of how completely she was being ignored by all parties involved. _Except Madison_. The other woman's eyes were flicking to Sam, and Dean fearfully, then back to her. _She thinks we've all sprouted third heads and gone insane._ Not that Kelly could blame her. _Does she even remember being a werewolf?_ There was blank confusion in the woman's eyes, and even her terror wasn't great enough to override it. Sam blinked, he glanced back at Kelly.

"Who are you?" Madison asked. But she was drowned out by Sam's sudden realization.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. There was concern in his voice. The kind that set Dean on a jealous edge.

"She's fine, Sam." Dean snapped. Kelly glared at Dean. He responded in kind, and the tension between them cracked loudly. Sam couldn't help but wince.

"Pride's bruised, but otherwise I'm no worse for wear." She said. She broke away from her staring contest, and smiled at the younger Winchester. "Thanks, Sam." The warmth of her gratitude warmed the shredded edges of Sam's emotions. He was grateful for it, and he could feel Kelly's eyes examining him closely. _There's not much I can hide from her._ He watched as a second later, her eyes flicked to Madison, and she frowned. _She knows I'm concerned._ She probably just didn't know the cause. Sam swallowed.

"Right and I suppose I don't get a thanks." Dean growled. He'd turned his back on Madison and was staring at Kelly with very angry eyes. "After I saved your sorry ass from her last night."

"You saved you." Kelly said. Her voice was cool, and Dean withheld a wince. Memory of her swinging around a stripper pole, rocking her pelvis, and removing her clothes still weighed heavily on his mind. Angry as he was, his fingers were itching to drag her back to the car by the hair and solve their fight the old fashioned way. _Through sex._ Dean Winchester knew that he was right, and he wasn't about to back down. _Sam being fine doesn't let her off the hook._ "She," Kelly jerked her thumb in Madison's direction. "Didn't have any interest in eating my heart."

"And it didn't stop her from turning you into a carpet grease stain." Dean said. He jammed his hands into his pockets.

"We both got our asses handed to us." Kelly snapped. Her eyes narrowing, as her mouth pressed into a thin line. How long was he going to harp on this?

"But I'm not the one with the vaunted animalistic enhancements." Even as he said the words, Dean could feel he'd struck a nerve. The line of Kelly's mouth nearly disappeared as her eyebrows crumpled into a dark frown. Her eyes flashed, and she opened her mouth. Dean braced himself for several obscenities, but was surprised when Kelly growled.

"Grow up." She rolled off the wall and made her way into the room, passing him. Her boney shoulder roughly bumped his chest, and Dean could feel a bruise beginning to well up from the impact. Dean turned around, ready to continue the argument, but Sam grabbed his shoulder. Kelly stopped in front of Madison, her back to them.

"We need to talk." Sam murmured to his brother. He watched as Madison frightened heated gaze met Kelly's. However, even with the hostility sparking between them, Sam noticed that Kelly's gun still remained holstered. He knew she would be in good hands. "Privately."

"Yeah, don't stop from having a powwow on my account." Kelly said. Sam wondered how the hell she'd overheard him. The wonder didn't last long. _Animalistic enhancements._ Right. He hadn't meant to leave her out. He looked up. Kelly was still standing about a foot away from Madison, with her arms crossed. Even from here he could feel her irritation. _With Dean, not me._

"Who are you?" Madison repeated. "Sam?" The brunette glanced from Kelly to Sam. But the younger Winchester's brother remained fixed on his brown-gold eyed friend. Kelly glanced back at him from over her shoulder, and she flipped her hair back. Sam had seen that expression on countless other of his friends girlfriends' faces. When Jess had worn it it'd meant. _My man's already in deep shit, and you're crossing the line of fire. Back off. I'm not happy._ His heart hiccupped from the memory. _What did Dean do?_ Sam wanted to ask. He knew that by speaking alone, he and his brother would be re-emphasizing their partnership. _And Kelly will once again feel like she's out in the cold._ Sam didn't want that. "Sam?"

"Kelly, could you watch Madison?" Sam asked. Dean glanced at his brother, and then at Kelly. The angry creases of her eyes tightened.

"You're pretty good with the knots, Sam." Kelly said. "I don't think she's going anywhere."

"Please?" Sam asked. The sincerity in his voice made Kelly pause, and Dean watched with surprise as the angry creases smoothed. She sighed, giving her assent. Sam smiled.

"Yeah." Dean said. "It's time for grown up talk." Whatever peace had just been made shattered, and the softness in Kelly's eyes re-hardened as she glared at Dean. Suppressing the urge to hit his brother for being a pigheaded moron, Sam sighed. _What the hell got the two of them so pissed off?_ At the moment, Sam was simply glad neither was directing their anger at him. He grabbed his brother by the shoulder before Kelly could open her mouth to retaliate.

"We'll be right back." He told her, and motioned for Dean to follow him into the next room. Deep in throat, Kelly growled as she watched them go. Then she turned around and grabbed a nearby chair. Spinning the low oak back around on it's legs, she plopped down into it, resting her chin on her crossed arms as she sat on the backwards facing chair. Her eyes on the woman who'd thrown her over a couch. Her first evaluation of Madison had been right. Kelly could smell the fear lingering in the wolven musk. _Bound to a chair, with two men with guns in the other room, I'd be frightened too._ Kelly's picture assessment had also been right. Madison was very pretty. _Totally, Sam's type._ She thought. Feeling a little sad that their romance had been cut short so violently, Kelly sighed. _Sam deserves to be happy._ So why was he always falling for the monsters? Her eyes moved off Madison's face to the rope binding her wrists. They were solid knots. Suddenly reminded of being in a very similar situation a few days earlier, she looked up at Madison's tear streaked cheeks.

"Do they itch?" She asked.

"What?" Madison asked. With no gun apparent, Madison's eyes had moved from Kelly to the study. She was trying to overhear what the two were talking about. Would Sam convince Dean not to kill her? Had she convinced Sam? Did he realize how insane this all sounded? Her attention was brought back to the strangely dressed young woman sitting in front of her. On first assessment, Madison would have called her pretty, but aside from the horrible fashion choice of deciding to go out in public in that outfit and assless chaps, she'd sensed nothing out of the ordinary. _A perfectly forgettable face._

"The ropes." Kelly said. With a long nail she pointed to the binding's around Madison's wrists. "Do they itch?" It seemed like a perfectly innocent question, but it made Madison swallow uncomfortably. This girl, woman, she was young. Younger than Madison, probably only by about two or three years. Her brown hair hung around her cheeks, and continued in length for maybe two or three inches below her shoulder blades. _She looks like she hasn't had a haircut in months._ The layers of the original cut were grown out and Madison could see the beginning's of split ends, appearing on her bangs. Her wide eyes stared at Madison, and they seemed to innocent. _But there's something…_ A shadow that belied her settling on this assessment. A darkness. _Her eyes have the same kind of pain that Sam's do._ They were angry, a torrent of emotion, and the longer Madison held them, the more she felt herself sinking in. Grappling with her tongue as she hauled herself out of the abyss in those eyes, Madison responded.

"Yes." If she'd answered the question right, would this girl release her from the bindings? She seemed to be in league with Sam and his partner. Kelly only nodded. With the break in the conversation, Madison expected Kelly to look over her shoulder and check on Dean and Sam. She didn't. Instead, her eyes held Madison's until the other woman's were forced to drop. "You believe the same things as them." She said. "Don't you?"

"What?" Kelly asked. "That you're a werewolf?" Madison nodded. "Believing isn't the same as knowing." Kelly said. Her voice was cool, and Madison could hear the surety behind her words. It was different from the way Sam had spoken. _He was upset and angry. He felt like he'd been betrayed._ Madison had a hard time believing him because he'd been so emotional. _But she sounds so sure._ It sent chills shivering down into her core. "And I know."

"You know how crazy this all sounds!" Madison said. Desperation crept into her tone, the same fearful kind she'd felt earlier. But this time it was different. She looked up and met the girl's brown eyes. What had Sam called her? _Kelly._

"Yes." Kelly said. She shrugged. Her shoulders rolling up and forward from their slumped position against the chair. Kelly didn't look up, or around, she was tired. It had been a long sleepless night filled with dancing, action, and fighting. She was exhausted. _Now I'm here, sitting across from someone who's a monster._ Kelly seriously believed Sam's confusion now. _Just like me_. The problem was. _She doesn't even know it._ "But that doesn't make it not true."

"I'm not!" Madison exclaimed. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, flowing freely. Kelly looked up at her, this time with compassionate eyes. "I can't be! They don't exist! These things, monsters! They don't exist!" She leaned forward in the chair. "You have to let me go." Her voice was pleading, and Kelly reached out. Using her thumb, she brushed away Madison's tears.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Madison asked. Kelly looked down, closed her eyes, and drew in a deep breath. Then she looked up.

"Because you're just like me." She said. Frightening molten gold eyes stared into brown ones, and Madison's breath caught in her throat. The yelp she was trying to voice didn't make it out of her vocal chords, as her heart began thudding in her chest. Deep down, some part of her was roaring. The locked away subconscious of her mind. Challenging. Frightening. Excited. All these emotions raced through Madison's soul. She swallowed.

In the room beyond Sam and Dean were deep in conversation. Sam was having a hard time getting past Dean's disbelieving expression. _Especially since we've already established that Dean's own girlfriend is some kind of monster_. It sounded hypocritical. Hell, it felt hypocritical. And Sam wasn't about to take it lying down. "Look man, I don't… I don't know…" He spread his hand back towards the living room area, and suppressed the urge to check and make sure Kelly didn't have a gun pressed to Madison's throat. _Kelly wouldn't do that._ But Madison had tossed her over a couch. _And Kelly doesn't like to lose._ Still, it was wrong of him to think that she'd kill the woman over wounded pride. _She's not Dean._ And even Dean wouldn't do that. "There was something in her eyes."

"Yeah, she's killin' people." Dean nodded. He understood that Sam liked this girl, but this was taking it a little too far. _And I have to figure out a way to get Kelly unpissed at me._ Without having to admit that he was wrong.

"But if she has no control over it…"

"Exactly!" Dean said. His voice was still a low whisper. He knew his girlfriend had exceedingly good senses. _No reason to leave myself open to this._ Or giving her ammunition to use against him later. _She's got plenty as is._ "Exactly she can't control it. And even if she doesn't know it's not going to change anything."

"I'm not going to put a bullet through some girl's chest who had no idea what's happening!"

"Sam, she's a monster and you're feeling sorry for her?"

"Could you do it?" Sam asked. Emotion ran high in his voice as he crossed his arms and stared at his brother. "Tell me, right now, could you do it?"

"Put a bullet in Madison's chest?" Dean asked. "In a heartbeat, Sam." He shook his head. "In a heartbeat."

"Not Madison, Dean." Sam replied. His voice jerking as he said the words. "Kelly." His brother's words pierced Dean straight through the heart. His chest grew cold and heavy as the thought permeated the fog of his mind. Kill Kelly? Could he kill Kelly? The response was obvious.

"Kelly has nothing to do with this." Dean said. His voice hard. Sam knew he'd just walked into dangerous territory, even with the obvious fight occurring between his brother and Dean's girlfriend. _He's still unwilling to contemplate the possibility._ So was Sam for that matter.

"It's the same thing, Dean!" Sam exploded. His arms lifted and he glared at his brother. "You just can't see the reality of it because you're so in love with her!"

"Last I checked, Kelly wasn't killing people." Dean spat. "She can control it." He looked up at his brother with darkened hazel eyes. "Repeat after me, Sam. She can control it."

"So, you're not going to admit that she freaks the hell out of you?"

"I'll admit that Sammy." Dean snarled. "But I'm far from ready to put her in the same camp as a werewolf!"

"If she started killing people." Sam began.

"That's not what this is about." Dean said. He felt very cold, almost as if he was seeing clearly for the first time. "It's not about her, Sammy." He stared into his brother's eyes. "Hell, this isn't even about Madison." He frowned. "This is about you, isn't it. You and you're freaky psychic stuff."

"So what if it is?" Sam snapped. "Maybe I understand her."

"Which her, Sammy?" There was hostility in his brother's eyes, and Sam swallowed.

"I don't know, Dean. Both of them?"

"You can't have both of…"

"Look." Sam cut him off. "There might be another way we can get the job done without having waste her." He walked past his brother, and pulled their father's journal out of the bag.

"Are you thinking what I think your thinking?" Dean asked as Sam flipped through the notes. Finding the page he was looking for, Sam stopped and turned around.

"Dad's theory." Sam said. "Lycanthropy might have a cure if you kill the werewolf who bit you, severing the bloodline." Dean was just relieved that Sam was off the subject of killing Kelly, that he responded without thinking.

"Might have a cure, Sammy." Dean said. The whole thing still sounded insane to him. "Might. Meaning who the hell knows."

"It's worth a shot!"

"We don't even know where to start looking!" Dean exclaimed. His voice low and harsh, as he fixed his brother with a firm stare. "I mean the puppy that bit her could be anywhere."

"You would try for Kelly." Sam said. His low voice reverberating through the room, as he glanced at the door. He could hear low tones on the other side of the wall, and suddenly he wished he had Kelly's senses. _Whatever the price it is she pays for them._ Normally, even Sam was willing to admit it was high. "If this were her, you'd try."

"If it were Kelly, I'd be looking through every source I had. I'd be overturning the damn tables. Exhausting every source." Dean said. "I would do whatever it was I damn well had to do to save her." He looked up at his brother again. "And so would you."

"Exactly." Sam said. "Why can't we do the same for Madison?"

"Because, Sam." Dean said. "She's not Kelly. She's a werewolf."

"What if we knew where to look?" Sam asked.

"Sam it could have been anyone, anywhere." Dean said. "It could have been years ago!"

"No." Sam said. He was suddenly thoughtful. An idea was formulating in the soup of his brain. It was fully formed yet, but it had hints. Hints to how they could save Madison. "No, I don't think so." He walked out of and back into the room where Madison was sitting with Kelly. Dean watched Sam go with disbelieving eyes, then he followed. If Sam was committed to this, he wasn't going to stop him. Even if Dean felt that it would only hurt his brother in the end. _He has a point._ If there was a way for them to save Madison then they should try it. Entering the room had both brother's finding a completely new and unique sight to the situation they'd left. Kelly was perching on the large oak chest of drawers in the corner, with Madison left sitting across from an empty chair in the middle of the room. Dean could see the fearful anticipation on the woman's face, along with a stubbornly proud expression. He looked over at Kelly, she shrugged. In her lap, she was playing with the handle of her USP 9mm hand gun. Flicking the safety on and off, and making Madison flinch every time she heard a click, as the woman's brown eyes darted away from Sam. Returning fearfully to Kelly, as the other brunette sighed.

"What the hell did you do?" Dean asked. His voice low as he strode up to her. Sam was circling Madison, a genuinely gentle expression in his eyes. "Why's she freaking out?" Kelly looked up at him with her doughy brown-gold eyes. Her expression was placid, and she didn't say anything. Dean reached out and seized her shoulder, the pads of his fingers sinking painfully into the openings between the bones. Bruising her skin as he did so. "We don't scare…"

"I showed her she wasn't the only monster in the room." Kelly snapped. For the first time, Dean could hear the hurt in her voice. The quiet longing to be normal. _Madison responded badly._ Of course she had. "She kept going on and on about how the stuff we deal with doesn't exist." Kelly's expression hardened, growing pained. Dean couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. "So I showed her." _What happened in the bowel of that ship?_ "It was a mistake." She said. Then her eyes shot up to him. "Now let go." Dean's grip had already been loosening on her shoulder, but the harshness in her tone surprised him, and sent him mentally stumbling backwards. He hadn't expected her to be so hostile. He let go.

"Hey." Dean tried. "Look, I didn't…"

"Just leave it." Kelly said. Her eyes were on Sam and Madison. "I don't want to talk." Dean swallowed, the lump in his throat was painful. It was true that he was angry with her for not calling Sam, but that was superficial. _No. I was pissed about that._ He still was. But the overriding thing? _She made me feel like a fool in that club._ Now wasn't the time to talk about it. _And I'm not going to apologize._ After all, Dean Winchester didn't apologize. It wasn't his MO.

"Madison, when were you mugged?" Sam asked. He stared down at the brunette, and she gazed mutinously back up at him. "Answer the question alright, it's important." Kelly put her hand on Dean's shoulder. He looked back at her, as she mouthed.

"What's Sam talking about?"

"Curing lycanthropy." Dean muttered, his voice low under his breath. He glanced back up from Madison to Sam, and even though he was angry, he was comforted by Kelly's hand on his shoulder.

"Can you do that?" Kelly asked.

"We're not sure." Dean said. "It's never been tried before."

"Right." Kelly removed her hand, and slid off the chest of drawers. Her boots clicking on the hardwood as she landed. Dean regretted their loss of physical contact, but was relieved at the same time. _There's no way in hell I'm apologizing._ Even if Kelly was hurt, she'd have to apologize to him first. _For what?_ The treacherous side of his mind responded. _Doing exactly what I asked her to?_ Dean swallowed, as Kelly said. "Lovely." She straightened, as Madison answered.

"'Bout a month ago." Her voice cold, hard, stubborn, and rebellious. Like it pained her to even formulate the answers. "You two aren't like her right?" Madison pointed at Kelly, who gritted her teeth. "You're not animals like that?"

"Look who's calling who an animal." Kelly snapped. Her eyes glittered.

"I told you, I'm not a werewolf!" Madison hissed. "If anyone's the werewolf here, it's you."

"Glowing eyes aren't specific to werewolves." Kelly growled. "And I may be a monster, but at least I didn't eat my boyfriend's heart!"

"I didn't…" Madison trailed off. Then her eyes narrowed. "They should be hunting you."

"They'll get around to it eventually." Kelly said. "But first they've got to stop wolves from preying on the sheep."

"You bitch!" Madison screeched.

"What the hell do you see in human blood anyway?"

"Quiet!" Dean shouted. "Damn, you bitches are loud."

"We're human." Sam said. He glanced at his brother. Dean sighed and shrugged. There was no way they were going to tell Madison about Sam's psychic tendencies. If they were going to try to cure her, she needed to trust them.

"They're not like me." Kelly said. Her tone dark and brooding. Dean glanced at her. Kelly normally took her animalistic nature in stride. She generally seemed to accept it as a part of herself. _What the hell went down between those two?_ He wondered, as his gaze shifted back to Madison. "They won't eat you." She glanced back at Dean, a sardonic smile twitching at the edges of her lips. "Well, Dean might try swallowing you whole." She added. Her voice sweet. "But you're a little to big to fit in his mouth."

"Kelly." Dean growled.

"Enough!" Sam snapped. He looked down at Madison. She was glaring at Kelly with very angry brown eyes.

"I'm not talking until she leaves the room." Madison spat.

"That's fine by me." Kelly said. "I was just about to go search for a change of clothes." She turned and headed for the door, vanishing into the hall, there was a pause, and she stuck her head back into the room. "By the way, which direction's your bedroom?" Kelly's eyes met Madison's once again, as the other woman's face turned puce. Livid, she bit her lip, as her anger simmered, and her cheeks drained white.

"Get out!" Madison shrieked.

"I think it'd be better if you left." Sam said. His own voice was serious, and Kelly could sense his displeasure. Still she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"I'm going." Kelly said. She shrugged. "I'm just waiting for her face to turn a normal shade." A smirk played on her lips. "You know, so she'll stop looking like her top's about to blow."

"Kelly." Sam warned. Dean was covering his mouth with a free hand. He couldn't help it. This was why he loved his girlfriend. _And why I'm glad Maddie's acting as a distraction._ He didn't enjoy the barbed insults being flung in his direction. They hurt.

"No, seriously, Sam." Kelly said. "There's steam coming out her ears."

"Out of my house!"

"If her hands weren't bound she'd be hurling plates at my head." Registering Madison's latest comment, Kelly glanced around. "Is this a house?" She asked. "It looks more like an apartment to me."

"Kelly the sun's going to go down." Sam started.

"Eventually." Kelly said. "But, I've still got plenty of time." She tilted her head to the side. "Before we get our rematch." Angry as Madison was, she shivered as Kelly's eyes began to glow. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Dean!" Sam pleaded. His brother sighed and strode forward. Kelly, sensing that playtime was now over, pulled her head back and vanished down the hall. Dean snorted as she danced out of his reach. He turned around.

"She's gone." He said.

"Keep her away from my clothes!" Madison growled. "I don't want her filthy paws all over my newly folded laundry." She glanced from one brother to the other. "You guys want to hear about how I got mugged right?" She asked. Sam glanced at Dean. "Keep her away from my clothes."

"You know, why does everyone start talking about Kelly like she's a dog?" Dean muttered. "Even if they've never seen her. Have you noticed all the monsters do that?"

"Maybe you should got after her." Sam said. "We don't need Maddie pissed off anymore than she already is."

"So, it's Maddie now?" Dean asked. "When did you start using pet names for baddies?"

"Just do it." Sam snapped.

"And if one piece of clothing is wrinkled!" Madison yelled. "I'll…"

"You'll what?" Dean asked. He glanced over at his brother. "I think she's forgetting who has the guns."

"Dean!"

"Alright, alright." He lifted his hands. "I'm going." He shrugged. "I expect you to have answers by the time I get back." He glanced down the hall and then back at his brother. He smirked. "Or I'll have been risking life and limb for nothing."

"Dean." Sam's tone sounded more like a an angry growl now.

"What?" Dean asked. "She's already pissed with me, Sammy. I'm going to be risking valuable digits." He wiggled his fingers. "These are useful." He shrugged. "So at the very least you can give me something I can actually hunt." He glanced down the hall again. "Though," He muttered. His voice so low that Sam was only able to catch every other word. "I doubt anyone would say no to me putting a bullet in her skull." He shook his head, and walked out into the hall. "Like to see her recover from that." He continued to mutter. "Super healing powers my ass."

"Just don't bring her with you." Sam warned. Dean waved back an assent, and Sam turned to Madison. "Sorry." He began. "She can be…" He trailed off, searching for the right word. "Temperamental at times."

"I think I noticed." Madison said. She looked up at Sam, her gaze still rebellious and stubborn. "Will he keep her away from my clothes?"

_It's more likely they'll wind up having sex on your bed._ Sam thought, but he couldn't tell Madison that. "He'll do his best." He said. _Though I doubt it'll have any effect._ Madison sighed.

"Well." She said. "I just hope she takes the crap I don't want. There's a bag marked for Goodwill in the closet. I can dream she'll poach from that." Madison shook her head. "The little bitch." There was something almost akin to fondness in Madison's tone, but Sam decided not to press it. Kelly would do what Kelly would do, Dean or no, Dean, and Sam had more important matters at hand. _Like saving Madison's life._

AN: Finally I got a chance to update. Sorry, school's been hectic and that doesn't leave a lot of time for the writing life. So, sorry. Also, my characters keep getting away from me and the Heart arc just keeps getting longer. I'll try to wrap that up soon, so we can move forward. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I hope I didn't destroy Madison, because if I did it wasn't my intention. Anyway, I'll try to update again soon.

Leave reviews, please. My muse likey the reviews. ^_^ Spoil her, and she will spoil you.


	41. Chapter 41: To Reconciliation?

Chapter 41: To Reconciliation?

Kelly strode into Madison's bedroom. The room was all white. White walls, white closet doors, white painted wooden windowsill, white lacy curtains, a white bedspread. The only thing that wasn't white in the entire room was the red brick fireplace. It was also clean. There were no clothes on the floor. Everything was folded and put away. Or, Kelly decided, if there was a mess then it had been skillfully hidden behind the eggshell painted double doors of the closet. Curiosity drove her to rip back the doors, and expose Madison's cleanliness for the faulty façade it was. But she didn't. Instead, she swallowed, and sighed. Rubbing her forehead, she sucked in a deep breath. Kelly could tell this was Madison's bedroom. For one thing, because it was the only room in the small apartment with a bed. However, if she were to throw common sense completely out the window, and rely only on her animalistic enhanced senses. Then, she knew this was Madison's place because in this room her scent was thickest. _The place that smells the most like werewolf._ She drew another breath and winced. Kelly didn't like to admit she was still in pain. Dean's hold on her shoulder had not only left a small bruise, but had also aggravated and inflamed the wound left from Madison's claws. It was a dull throb. Pounding in the same time as her heart. She rolled her shoulder. Fire sparked up her veins, burning up the ley lines of her nerves. Kelly winced again. The bruises left from her fall over the table hadn't healed yet. It would take another full night before she was freed from the annoying stabs of pain. Kelly swallowed. It was an after effect of her change. _That wasn't why I lost to Madison though_. It was true she was weaker. _It's true that I'm strongest in dog form._ Kelly moved to the window, she rested her hand on the wood, and ran her fingers over indentations in the paint. The pads of her fingertips moved with the undulations of the sill, sinking into a rough patch, Kelly looked down. Four long lines were ripped out of the white paint, exposing the dark brown surface underneath. _Claw marks_. She pulled her hand back. _Well, if the exactness in facial features and the smell weren't enough…_ Then this would certainly be damning information. Kelly looked up, and stared out the whispering white curtains. She brushed back her bangs as the long edges tickled her black eyeteeth. _Madison and I.._. They would never get along. _Our natures are opposite._ No matter how feral and primal Kelly felt when she drew on her abilities, a fact always remained lurking in the back of her mind. _I need a partner._ It was her destiny to be domesticated. _Not to be wild._ Not the direction Madison's nature was turning. Kelly leaned against the wall, and rested her head on her forearm. She was tired. _Combat is only natural_. Wolf puppies raised by humans were loyal to them. They became dogs. Her nature… It was at odds with this. Kelly looked up, concentration broken by the creaking of floorboards several feet at her back. Recognizing the footsteps, she sighed and turned. Dean was leaning against the doorway. Kelly Jones exhaled loudly. _What a surprise._ Had he come to chew her out again? Was he going to side with Madison?

"You poaching again?" Dean asked. His eyes were skimming over the leather cutaway exposing her crotch. Then they flicked up to her face, a casual smirk on his lips. But behind his more placid expression, his hazel eyes were smoldering. "Cause I'll admit, I still like this view." Kelly's head rolled to the side, as she crossed her arms defensively over her chest. It was hard to maintain any semblance of dignity with her ass and underwear left to the open air. She lifted her chin, letting an amused smile twitch on the edges of her lips.

"Dirty man." She said. Raising a quintessential eyebrow at the lilt in her voice, Dean smirked. Kelly brushed her hair back over her shoulder, her brown gold eyes on him. He could feel how wary she was. But there was something else, a spark hiding in the brown depths. Amusement? Irony? He wondered. Was she cooling? Was he winning? Dean's smirk widened. It would be good if he was. It would be good if she was willing to play. _Means fun times_. If she was warming to him. _I can make her admit she's wrong._

"That I am." He said. His hands in his pockets he met her eyes. She leaned back, and exhaled through her nose. Her chin was still lifted defiantly. Dean decided to test the waters. _Even if it means I get laughed out of the room_. "Dirty girl." Kelly snorted.

"Obviously." Kelly said. Dean's stare was making her uncomfortable. _Going head to head would be so much simpler if I wasn't exposing my crotch._ Suppressing the hot blood rising to her cheeks and refusing to break the staring contest, Kelly held Dean's eyes. She wouldn't let him get the better of her. As far as she was concerned they were still fighting. _And dirty jokes aren't going to get him off the hook_. "You wouldn't like me if I was." She walked away from the window and went to Madison's closet.

"I'm supposed to keep you out of there." Dean said. He didn't sound like he was committed to the idea. Kelly turned back to face him, her hand on the silver handle. She raised an eyebrow, and then she yanked the door back.

"If I'm going to do a rough and tumble with a werewolf, I'm not getting my own clothes shredded." Kelly said. She looked into the closet. Disappointed that the inside had the same kind of disgusting orderliness as the rest of Madison's room, Kelly's eyes searched the shelves. Several long tees were folded on a rack of hanging shelves. Three long jackets and two frilly nice blouses hung to the right. Kelly was forced to admit that she agreed with Madison's taste. Even if it wasn't the same as Kelly's tomboyish cowboy style. From her quick fifteen minute appraisal, Kelly had determined that they were roughly the same size. _If anything I'm just a little smaller_. Kelly looked down at her leather jacket, thinking about the bra underneath. Madison had to be at least a small c-cup. _And I'm a b._ She looked down. _Not that this is a…_ She noticed a tan plastic bag behind Madison's brown leather boots. Large blocky letters written in black permanent marker read "GOODWILL". Kelly smiled. Diplomatically it would probably be best to take the stuff Madison no longer wanted. _After all, the boys want to save her._ Kelly didn't mind that. Despite the differences in their natures she seemed like a sweet girl. _A bitch._ But Kelly had purposefully scared her. "I barely have enough as is." Dean nodded, there was a point where that actually almost made sense. He watched as Kelly stripped off her jacket, revealing smooth pale skin, and a leather studded black bra. He could see the curve of her shoulder, as her hair fell forward around her neck, exposing the nape. She bent down and reached into the closet. He swallowed. He kept his attention away from the open cheeks of her butt, even though his fingers itched to stroke them. He longed to find out where she was ticklish. Their two brief interludes together hadn't left much time for exploration, and as his anger over her ignoring him in the strip club simmered, he discovered that a true smile was breaking out onto his lips. Dean covered his mouth with his hand, but found he couldn't look away. His eyes ran over her back as she fluffed her hair, and a warmth filled him. Dean wasn't one who often contemplated thoughts of the future, but for the first time he found himself wondering if this would last. Would he be standing in a similar position ten years from now watching her dress? It surprised him that he hoped so. Then the deep red mark on her back right shoulder caught his eye. For the first time he clearly saw the deep red cuts. He paused, small reddish lines spread out from the cuts like a spider web, and the skin around the wounded area was ruddy. The rest of her back seemed paler than normal. His gaze dropped to the purpled bruises on her mid and lower back. They were dark and bluish, tiny dots of dark blue stood out against the lighter shades, spread across her flesh. Broken blood vessels. It looked puffy. Dean Winchester frowned. He knew where it was from, when she'd received these. _When the werewolf grabbed her_. When she'd been thrown over the couch.. Why hadn't he noticed this earlier? _I was angry._ He'd been worried about Sam. Still, that was no excuse. He watched her toss the plastic bag onto the fluffy white comforter of Madison's bed. His eyes capturing each wince, the momentary stiffness in her arm, the fraction of stuttered motion. Pursing his lips, Dean stepped forward. He moved up behind her, and reached out, gently grabbing hold of her upper arm. Kelly froze beneath his touch. "Dean." She said. Her voice cold. But right now, Dean didn't care about raising her ire.

"Hold still." He said. Dean bent his head, feeling her skin quivering beneath his rough fingertips. His callused pads ran over the reddened marks, and Kelly flinched. Dean paused. He needed to be careful. Concern overrode any other emotion. Gently, he touched the webbing of lines, feeling her wince again. _It's sensitive_. Not a good sign. "I hadn't realized she'd gotten you so deep." Tenderly, he raised his free hand and tucked her hair back over the right side of her neck. "You should have said something."

"I might have." She replied. Her voice was stiff as she stood beneath his hands. "If you'd let me get a word in." Dean didn't need to hear the second half of that. _If you hadn't been so busy blaming me for not calling Sam. If you hadn't been so busy being angry over the display in the strip club. If you hadn't been mad about Kurt Mewler propositioning me. You might have noticed._ Her voice reverberated in his skull. Even though she didn't say it, he was sure she was thinking about her reasoning. And she was right. He hadn't listened to her. He'd been so busy being angry that he'd missed her being in pain. _She still should have called Sam._ Still a traitorous voice whispered in the back of his mind. _Maybe she was more concerned about you._ Dean shook it away. She should have called Sam. He decided to ignore her comment, and instead to focus on the issue at hand.

His warm breath brushed her cool flesh. "How bad?" He asked.

"What?" She sounded surprised.

"How bad does it hurt?" He asked. Kelly shivered. His voice was warm and he was close. The heat of his body sizzled against her neck and hair. Feeling the cool metal of his jacket's zipper pressing against the skin of her back, she leaned forward, feeling dazed. Heart thudding against her ribcage, as heated blood buzzed in her brain, she swallowed. _I'm angry. I'm supposed to be angry._

"It's not noticeable." Kelly said. Kelly wasn't a stranger to pain. In the five months she'd been here it had become a constant state of existence. Still with her most of her more powerful abilities shorted out by the Change, what would have hurt less, now hurt more. Skeptically, Dean brushed his index finger across the puffy skin around the indentation left by Madison's thumbnail. Kelly's back stiffened in response. The muscles of her neck bunching, as she gritted her teeth, withholding an agonized yelp. Dean chuckled, the sound low and grating in his throat.

"Oh, I doubt that." He said.

"It's not." Kelly insisted. Her ribcage creaking from the thundering echoes of her heart. His touch excited her. Sent thrills through her. _But he hasn't apologized yet._ And he was hurting her. "Dean, I swear. It's nothing to worry about."

"Right." His fingertips closed over the claw marks, and Kelly gasped, hot pain stabbing through her shoulder. Nerves sparking beneath his hands and blood throbbing against his hands, Dean slowly released the marks. Satisfied by her reaction. Using his nail, he gently traced the tiny red lines running off the five distinct wounds. Four on the front of her shoulder, inches away from the flesh of her collarbone, one buried into her back. "It's so okay that you're shoulder's inflamed."

"Dean." She growled. "You're hurting me."

"I thought the pain wasn't noticeable."

"Dean, let me go." There was a warning in her voice. But Dean's attention had already moved down the bruises on her middle back. "Now." She felt his fingers moving down her spinal column. Her fingers balled into a fist.

"Sorry, Princess." Dean said. "No can do." He felt a testy growl reverberating beneath his hands. _Got a problem with Princess does she?_ Good. Dean decided to make that her new pet name. "Someone's gotta take care of you." _Irritating Kelly is always a good time_. He smirked. He felt another growl ripple out from her throat, making her entire body thrum. _She's angry._ He shook his head. It wasn't like that was something new. _Or needs to be feared._ She'd been angry with him since the strip club. _I did promise her a date._ He swallowed, looking down at her bruised and wounded body again. All those little things, they were segregated into the back of his mind. No, right now they weren't important. Dean's first priority was making sure she was okay. That she was healthy. _That she's not going to die from internal bleeding_. He could deal with her being pissed at him later. _God knows I've done plenty of things to deserve it_. Not that he was going to apologize for any of them. Dean Winchester was a stubborn man like that. He looked down. Feeling the buzz under her skin, Dean shivered.

"Well, so far you've done a bang up job." Kelly straightened and she began to pull away, but Dean's free arm moved around her waist. Heat bubbled to the surface of her mind, and she was torn between the urge to rip his head off and throw him on Madison's bed. Both would get her into trouble. _And I've caused enough for one day._ After all, she'd already pissed off Madison. "Maybe it's time someone else took over."

"Don't think so." He said. In a rare showing of initiative, Dean closed his arm around her, and tugged her back against him. "Unless, it's what you want." His mouth was pressed against her hair, his lips moving against the crown of her skull. Tenderly sending spasms of ecstasy across her scalp. A pleasant shiver worked it's way over Kelly's skin, and down her neck. "Is it what you want?" He raised an eyebrow waiting for her response. His free hand, moved down her back, as he released her enough so that he could get a clear view. Her mid back had several large purple splotches, each one around the size of his hand, where the blood vessels had broken on impact. _If a normal person had experienced the same thing.._. They'd be in more danger. Delicately, his eyes examined the puffy lumps. It didn't look like there was any internal bleeding. But he couldn't be sure unless he checked it out with his hands. He withheld a sigh. It was something he couldn't do from a standing position. _And even that doesn't stop me from wanting to take her to a doctor._ Just to be sure. To be certain there wasn't anything he'd missed.

"You're not off the hook yet." Kelly said. Heart jumping into her throat as his callused fingertip trailed lazily down her spine. She had a feeling Dean was ignoring her protests. Yet… _He sounds genuinely concerned_. Behind his lecherous mask, there was real worry. It threw her off. "I'm still angry." She felt Dean shrug. He wasn't even listening to her.

"Lie down." He said. His hand was on her shoulder again, and he steered her towards Madison's bed. _The puffiness around her liver…_ It was a concern.

"Dean, we don't have time for this." She began to struggle against his hold, but his grip tightened. She winced again. "I need to get dressed. We need to get back to Sam."

"Not until I get you checked out." His voice was firm. It brooked no argument, and Kelly felt herself compelled to follow his instructions. "Sammy'll come find us if he uncovers anything important."

"I don't need an examination." She protested.

"Kelly." He began. They were standing in front of the bed, her knees locked stubbornly. _If I wasn't concerned about the state of her damn health…_ Dean would have pushed her down onto the bed by now.

"You're not a doctor, Dean."

"I've seen plenty of injuries." One of the skills Dean had become very good at was self-diagnosis, and self-patching. He could heal most injuries without ever having to drag his sorry ass into the emergency room. Most

"Dean." Kelly said. Her voice plaintive. "I swear. I'm fine."

"Lie down, your ass down." Dean ordered. His voice was a little harsher than he'd intended, and Kelly's back grew taught. She flinched. Dean's eyes darted down to the purpled marks, it would be impossible to determine the full extent of the damage if she was standing.

"Dean." Kelly began.

"Christ!" Dean growled. "Jesus! Kelly, for the love of God," His fingers tightened on her uninjured shoulder. "Just this once, lie down and shut up!" Kelly paused, there was unfinished part of that statement. _I'm not losing anyone else._ "I'm taking a look at you." He added. "Even if it means hogtying you to the bed." The serious tone in his voice made her think. He sounded genuinely concerned and worried about her safety. She didn't turn around, instead she said.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Damn it, Kelly!" His hand clenched against her naked skin. She swallowed. She didn't need to see his eyes to test his mood, or to know that right now wasn't the time to be messing with him. She sucked in a deep breath. Exhaling heavily, she unbuckled her knees and climbed onto the white comforter. Giving in, she lay down, letting the sheets embrace her.

"Fine." She said. "But you better make this quick."

Meanwhile. back in the living room, Sam was staring at Madison. "Did you see the guy?" He asked. He uncrossed his arms, the 17Glock 9mm held loosely in his right hand, as he gazed down at her. Madison looked up at him. There was confusion in her eyes. She hadn't fully gotten over her strange reaction when Kelly's eyes had turned a burnished gold. Something, something dark, deep inside her had welled up and overtaken her senses. She'd… well, she'd growled. _Fear. I was afraid. I was afraid of her._ But not because she'd done something Madison had deemed impossible. No, it was the exact opposite. _It was instinctual._ Violent. _I felt like the prey being hunted._ No, it hadn't been that. No. _I felt like I'd…_ Like she'd just met competition. _For my space._ If her wrists hadn't been bound, Madison would have covered her mouth. _They can't be right._ She wasn't a predator. _Not like that other girl._ Kelly. _How does she live with being like that?_ Madison didn't like her. It was an inherent hatred, something that smoldered deep within the knots of her already twisted stomach. When she thought about Kelly and those golden eyes… _I feel like I need to run, or turn around and fight._ Madison wasn't really sure which. Neither was a comfortable emotion.

"No." She said. Her voice soft. "He grabbed me from behind."

"Did he bite you?" Sam asked. Madison looked up at him, genuinely shocked.

"How?" She asked. "How did you know that?"

_If Dean were here he'd say "lucky guess"._ But Sam wasn't Dean, and this wasn't the time to be funny. Instead, he looked at her, his gaze completely serious as he asked. "Where?"

"On… on the back of my neck." The words stuttered out of Madison's mouth, and as she said them, Sam showed her his gun. Heart in her throat, Madison cowered back in the chair. Was he going to shoot her now? Instead, Sam set the gun down on the nearby end table. He lifted his hands again to show that he wasn't armed. Then he moved around behind her, and knelt. Gently, he pulled her hair back to expose the nape.

"Okay." Sam said. "This could have been a lot worse." He looked down, his hand balling into a fist. "Where were you?" He asked. "When it happened, I mean. Where were you?"

"I was walking home." Madison said. "From a friend's loft." _Why is he so interested in where I was?_ Weren't they just going to shoot her anyway?

"Let me guess." Sam said. "You were down by the docks." His eyes fixed on hers. "Not to far from Hunter's Point?" Madison nodded, and Sam closed his eyes. "I'm gonna go." He said. "And talk to my brother." The unsaid words hung heavily in the air between them. _But I'm going to be back soon._ Silently, Madison nodded, and she watched as Sam turned, took his gun, and disappeared down the hall. Leaving her alone. How had he known? She wondered. How'd he figure out that she'd been bitten? _And he could guess where I was._ Then there was her strange reaction to those golden eyes. Madison swallowed, feeling her gut wrench as the memory resurfaced. _Those terrifying golden eyes._ It wouldn't bother her if she never had to lay eyes on that girl again. Ever. Madison closed her eyes. It wouldn't bother her if they never met. _And she's only five minutes down the hall._ In her bedroom. Madison couldn't help it. She growled.

"What are you guys doing?" Sam asked. Part of him couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kelly was lying on Madison's bed, her back exposed to the overhead lights, as Dean leaned over her, his fingers gently prodding what looked like the curve of her lower back. He crossed his arms. "This isn't the time to be playing around." Dean looked up at his brother, a frown contorting his eyebrows.

"I'm actually in the middle of something serious, Sammy." He said. Below him, Kelly snorted. Dean glared at her. Calmly he exerted pressure on one of her larger bruises. Kelly winced.

"Sorry." She muttered. She tilted her head around, trying to get a better look at Sam. He was still glaring at them. His dark eyes angry as they moved from her to Dean and then back again.

"Something serious?" Sam asked. His voice was sardonic. Hard. He didn't sound like he believed a word that was coming out of his brother's mouth, or that would come. _He thinks Dean's screwing off._ Kelly thought. And as usual he'd extend the blame to her as well. She frowned, and started to move on the bed. Dean's firm callused hand rested on the small of her back. Pressure from it, held her in place. _He won't let me up until he's sure nothing's wrong._

"It's not what it looks like." Dean said. Calmly, he continued his ministrations, feeling the puffy parts of

"Really, Dean?" Sam exclaimed. "Cause it looks like you're giving your girlfriend a sensual massage, when there's a girl turning into a werewolf down the hall!" Frustrated and distracted by Sam's voice, Dean looked up and back

"You know what, Sam, in any other case it'd probably be exactly what it looks like." Dean said. "That's just not the way it is today."

"Right." Sam scoffed.

"Honestly, Sam." Kelly tried. She lifted her chin off the comforter, craning her neck around further as she attempted to meet Sam's eyes. It was a failed effort. "Dean's just…"

"I knew you'd defend him." Sam cut her off.

"The hell I am!" Kelly snapped. "I'm still pissed at him." Sending a hostile glare in his direction, she added. "You really think I'd sleep with him, when I feel like shooting off his knee caps?"

"That's a pleasant image." Dean muttered.

"Isn't it?" Kelly smiled.

"Yes!" Sam growled. "I know you, and I know you too, Dean." His gaze turned to his brother. "I just thought you two would be professional enough to not let this get in the way of the job." He swallowed. "I guess I was wrong."

"Right." Dean stood. Kelly began to move. "Don't, Kelly." He said. His eyes were hard as he looked at her. "We're not finished."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed.

"Damn it, Sam! Look!" Dean pointed at Kelly's back. "Take a good look and stop jumping to idiot conclusions." Kelly winced. She didn't like being reminded of how easily she'd gotten hurt. _How I got tossed aside like a damn rag doll._ "Last I checked, you weren't the one charged with holding the idiot ball."

"That's my job." Kelly said, wincing as Dean poked her bruise again. "Would you stop that?" She asked. "You're making it worse."

"Will you stop being an idiot?" Dean asked her. Sam's eyes moved past his brother, and he stepped deeper into the room. Finally able to get a clear view of the her, as Dean shifted to the side, he saw the three large bruises on Kelly's back.

"Do you want me to take longer to heal?"

"Gotta keep reminding you of how fragile you are." He said. His hand still on the small of her back. "Maybe then you'll stop making rookie mistakes."

"I was trying to protect you!"

"Right." Kelly stiffened under his hand. She growled softly, her gaze moving from Sam and craning back towards Dean.

"What happened?" Sam asked. "I thought she was okay." He glanced at his brother, a grudging look in his eyes.

"I am okay." Kelly said.

"She got thrown over a couch." Dean said. "Broke herself on a coffee table." Sam moved up behind his brother, his eyes on the red claw mark on Kelly's shoulder, where the flesh had been ripped away. He followed the spider webbing red lines and swallowed.

"Madison?" Sam asked. He swallowed. His eyes moved back to the claw marks on Kelly's shoulder. His forehead creased with concern. "Those look infected." He glanced at his brother.

"Thank you, Sam." Dean snapped. "That's very helpful." Sam was startled by the rough concern in his brother's voice. He seemed really worry. He suppressed the urge to flinch.

"Maybe we should take her to the doctor." Sam suggested.

"No!" Kelly snapped. "No doctors."

"You heard the lady, Sam." Dean said. Tenderly, he went back to his examination. His fingers feeling the wounded flesh, trying to discern how deeply the wound descended into her body. He could tell it was deep. He sucked in a deep breath, annoyed by how intently Sam was watching him.

"Kelly." Sam began.

"No doctors." Kelly repeated. "We honestly don't have time." She rotated her head to look up at Dean. "Are you done yet?" Kelly sounded impatient, and that made Dean smirk. He continued his ministrations, making sure that he was thorough. He didn't want anything to come as a surprise later.

"Dean?" Sam asked. Dean glanced at his brother. His gaze heated and he frowned, suddenly feeling very frustrated. It didn't take much to figure out why. His girlfriend was lying on the bed, and Dean hadn't been able to determine whether she was experiencing any serious internal injuries. _And Sam comes along to chew me out for having nookies on the job._ It wasn't that Dean hadn't seriously considered it. _Or deserve the suspicion._ But Sam should have known that Dean always took his work seriously. _Even Kelly's not going to get in the way of that._ All Dean really wanted was to make sure that she was okay. _Especially since we're still here with Madison._ Dean was nervous about Kelly being around the werewolf, especially if she changed. _And she's already been injured once._ He wasn't exactly pleased at the idea of sending her back out immediately into the fray. His fingers moved expertly along her kidneys, and pressed down. Kelly winced as he aggravated the deep bruise, biting her lip she suffocated another yelp in her throat, and held her breath until Dean let her go.

"Yeah." Dean said. "You're not bleeding out."

"Good." Propping herself up on her elbows, Kelly rolled onto her side, wincing as she did so. Lifting her brunette head, she cracked her neck to the left and then the right. She looked up at Sam. "So, you found something out?" She asked. Sam was quiet for a moment. Suddenly being reminded of Madison, sent him back deep in thought. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, looking away from his brother and Kelly. He was a little embarrassed, she was still half naked. Seeing her sitting on the bed, in that outfit… It made his heart pound. "Sam?"

"Yeah." Sam said. Her voice brought him back into reality. He glanced away from her and looked at his brother. " We were right. Hunters Point. It's werewolf hunting grounds." Dean looked skeptical, and Kelly looked a little confused. _Well, that's not surprising._ She hadn't been with them when they'd been doing the research. _And we didn't include her in the powwow._ Sam wondered if she was sore about that.

"Maybe." Dean said. "But that doesn't mean it'll be out there tonight." Kelly glanced from one boy to the other. Her nose wrinkled with distaste, as her eyebrows bent together. Her lips pursed, and she sighed.

"What are you guys talking about?" She asked. Kelly looked at Dean, then back at Sam. She leaned back on the bed, ignoring the way his fingers were trailing up her back. She resisted the urge to flick his fingers away. After all, she was still mad at him. Concern or no.

"Our father had a theory." Dean told her. "If you kill off the werewolf that bit you, you might stop yourself from becoming one."

"That sounds like a nice fairy tale." Kelly said. She shook her head. Deep down instinct told her that it was never that simple. She didn't want to burst Sam's bubble, or his fragile shard of hope. But she was still skeptical. _Still, if Sam wants to try it.._. Then she wouldn't stand in his way. _That's not going to stop me from voicing my concern though._ "But that doesn't make it true."

"Maybe." Sam snapped. "But it's the only theory we've got!" Kelly swung her legs around, and sat up on the bed. Dean's hand rose up her back, to settle possessively on her shoulder. His fingers tightened. "And it's the right time in the lunar cycle." Sam continued. His head turned around as he glanced back down the hall. Then he sighed. "Look," He said. "I know it's a long shot."

"You're telling me." Kelly muttered. She looked up

"And you're forgetting something." Dean said. "Maddie's probably going to turn soon, right." He looked over at Kelly. "We can't just let her take off to an all you can eat buffet." Sam looked away from his brother. He stared at the corner of the wall, his forehead creased deep in thought,

"I'll stay with her." Sam said.

"And if she breaks the ropes?" Kelly asked at the same time as Dean said. "And if she busts loose?" They both glanced at each other, and Kelly shrugged. Dean shook his head. He was glad that they had the same concern. _Is she planning to come with me?_ Dean didn't know whether or not that was a good idea. Was going out a better idea than staying here? Should he send her back to the hotel? Dean withheld a sigh. _Would she even go if I told her to?_ Dean shook his head. _No._ Sam was staring at both of them, and Dean let go of Kelly's shoulder. Standing, he met brother's eyes. There was a long pause, and Sam was quiet. Thick tension hung in the silence between the two brothers, the air tightened and grew stressed. Sam considered his position. Kelly glanced from one to the other, but she didn't offer commentary. This was something between the two brothers. Sam refused to look at Dean.

"Sam?" Dean asked. His tone was deadly serious. "Sam." Dean repeated. Sam looked up, and he met his brother's stare. Their gazes locked.

"I'll shoot her, alright." He said. His tone was serious, and he knew that saying this was the only way he could convince Dean to go. _And Dean needs to go._ If they didn't catch the werewolf know, there was a chance they never would. _Madison will have to die._ Because Dean would never leave her free to roam around. Not free. And Sam would never forgive himself if he did the same.

"And if he doesn't, I will." Kelly said. Her voice broke through the tension, and her words were spoken softly. Yet, there was a strength in them, a conviction. Dean glanced at her.

"No." He said. Kelly was still injured, and there was no way in hell Dean was going to leave her here. _It's not that I don't think Sam can protect her…_ Or that she couldn't protect herself. _Angry or not._ Madison had already proven to be evenly matched to her.

"Yes." Kelly said. She slid off the bed, and straightened. Sam wasn't surprised to see the stiffness in her movements. She stretched her shoulders, grimacing a little.

"I don't know if that's the best idea." Sam said. He met Kelly's eyes, and watched as she crossed her arms stubbornly. "Madison's already scared…"

"Of course, she's scared." Kelly sighed.

"And I don't want to make her…"

"Sam." Kelly said. Her voice was frank. "Be that as it may, there's one thing both you and Dean are forgetting." She looked from one to the other. "Out of all of us, if I'm bit, I won't turn." Dean's eyebrows rose and he glanced at Sam. Seeing the light bulb going off in the older Winchester's brain, Kelly continued. "Which makes me the best person here to face Madison without having to shoot her." _Let's forget for the moment that most of my powers are shorted out._ But the boys didn't need to know that. She still had a point.

"But you're injured." Sam began. "And if we forget the fact that Madison's already over powered you…"

"Okay." Dean said. Kelly glanced at him. She'd expected him to put up more of a fight. To stop her. To argue. _To agree with Sam._

"What?" Sam asked. He looked at his brother. _Dean's agreeing to let her stay?_ "Dean, you can't be serious."

"She's got a point, Sam." Dean said. He hated admitting it. _But she can take Madison on without being turned._ He was worried, because she'd already been beaten once. _Sam's got a point there too._ But as he met Kelly's eyes, he saw a determination there. _She's not going to get her ass handed to her twice._ She needed to get her own back, and Dean could respect that.

"Dean!"

"I'm staying here with you, Sam." Kelly said. _This way, you don't have to kill her._ If it came to that. Kelly hoped it wouldn't. She hoped that Madison wouldn't break free of her binds. But there was always a chance she would. _Dean can handle a werewolf on his own._ And Kelly didn't want to admit it, but it would be harder for her to keep up with him. "If you want to watch her, than that's the way it's going to be."

"Fine." Sam said. _So, I'll be watching Madison, and you'll be watching me_. That frustrated him. Did Dean just not trust him? He didn't like the idea of Kelly staying, but he knew that there was no deterring her now that Dean had agreed. "But Dean, I need you to go out there, at least go look for the thing." Dean looked down, and sighed. He didn't like this idea at all. "Dean, please." Sam said. "We can save this girl."

"Fine." Dean said. He glanced at Kelly, who was still sitting on the bed. "Take care of yourself."

"Yeah." Kelly said. "You too."

AN: I'll admit I was inspired, that and I really wanted to get through the Heart arc. So you'll probably be getting another chapter soon, just so I can finally move forward. I hope you're enjoying all of this, and aren't too upset with me for the mostly slow progression lately. I don't know if it's whether I love the episode or the characters are just deciding to sparkle, but either way, it's taken longer than I anticipated. I'll admit to you all now that I can't wait until Hunted, which will be the next episode arc. Mostly because I like Gordon. It should be a good time. We're about two thirds of the way through the story now, with only a few more episodes to go. How long that will be in chapters I can't tell you, but we're heading for the end. Slowly.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. School is busy, but I'll be trying to get the chapters out more regularly. Please leave me reviews, I love them, and when I'm not sure whether or not to keep going, they convince me that it's worth it. So, they make my muse happy, and when she's happy, she lets me write.

Spoil her, and she'll spoil you.

Special shout out to the reviewers who are always there for me:

Winchesterxgirl, who has been with reading this story since it's conception. She always gives me such good (and long, lol) reviews, and I really love how she's always telling me what she likes about the story. Thank you! ^_^

A Wilderness Rose, who always responds so promptly and gives me such good insight into my chapters and my characters. And great ideas for where to take the story. Thanks! ^_^

Angeleyenc, thank you for your consistent and constant reviews. It meast a lot.

Mrs. Cullen-Ackles, willowtree311, and B.

Thank you, you guys are always inspiring me to write more. ^_^

Stay tuned for the next chapter.


	42. Chapter 42: Of Wolves and Women

Chapter 42: Of Wolves and Women

Sam moved past Madison and stood by the window. Kelly who had rejected the idea of coming into the living room after dressing herself in some of Madison's Goodwill clothes, was sitting out in the kitchen. Sam knew the real reason was because she wanted to give him some privacy. _That and she's still stiff when she moves._ Kelly had promised him that she'd be fine after a good nights rest. _"My healing abilities will kick in, and this'll be a thing of the past."_ That was what she'd said. Sam Winchester had a hard time believing her. _She looked tired._ And worried. He stared out the window. Behind him, Madison was still sitting in the chair, her cheeks tear streaked. If she knew Kelly was still in the apartment, she hadn't said anything. _In fact, she hasn't said anything to me at all._ Not that Sam could blame her. Madison was a good girl and a strong woman. Sam hated doing this to her.

"Please." Madison said. Sam looked up, Kelly was leaning against the door to the kitchen, behind Madison's line of sight. Her eyes were on him. "Just let me go." As Madison's head turned around to look at him, Sam looked away from Kelly and back at her. Madison looked down and Sam looked away, back at where his brother's girlfriend had been leaning, but she'd vanished. _Giving me some alone time with Madison._ Memory of the words he'd spoken to her after Dean left filled his mind.

"_We're not killing Madison." Sam said as Kelly walked past him. His fingers closed around her upper arm, and she looked down at his hand calmly, before looking back up. _

"_I understand that you're upset, Sam." _ _She said. Her voice soft. "But, if she breaks out, and it's necessary to waste her before someone else dies." She looked up at him, her brown-gold eyes hard. Sam was taken aback by the intensity behind them. "I'll do it." Sam swallowed. _

"_No." He said. "I can do it." _

"_You sure?" Kelly asked. She didn't look at all convinced. "You're going to tell me that you'll be able to pull the trigger." She glanced out the door, in the direction that Dean had gone. The door had long since shut closed with a click. "Knowing how you feel about her?"_

"_I can do it." Sam repeated. "But only as a last resort." He stared at her, and she shrugged. "I mean it Kelly." He said. "Only if there's no other option." Kelly looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. _

"_Do you really believe I'd kill her without…" Kelly trailed off. She looked down at her boots, and her eyes narrowed. Sam felt the room grow a little colder and knew he'd said something wrong. "I may be a monster, Sam." Kelly said. Her voice tightening a little. "But I'm not that kind of monster." She looked up at him. "Yet, anyway." She added. Her voice soft. There was a touch of sadness too it, and Sam wondered what she thought her future was going to be like._

"_Kelly." He began. But she only shook her head. _

"_Just leave it alone, Sam." She said. "If you want to save the princess in the tower, we'll save her." She raised her right hand. "I swear on the honor of God, whatever that's worth." Sam frowned and Kelly sighed. "Fine." She said. "I swear upon Dean's head that I, Kelly Jones will not kill Madison Sinclair except in self-defense." She gazed at him. "Does that work for you?" Sam nodded. "Good." She snapped. "Now get out." _

Sam swallowed as he opened his eyes. The memory was still fresh. _"Knowing how you feel about her?"_ Kelly had asked him. _"If there's a chance we can save her..."_ He'd replied. _"I won't let you kill her."_ Kelly had simply looked at him after that, and told him to get out. Sam shook his head, trying to clear the unpleasant recollection out of his mind. _She was so cold._ The way her eyes had fixed on his, and she'd pulled her arm out of his grip. Then she'd kicked him out so she could change. Sam had been too stunned to fight with Kelly on that, especially after she showed him the bag, saying the clothing was all going to Goodwill anyway. _It doesn't matter that it's stealing._ He sighed. _Does she understand?_ Kelly had always had his back before. _Is it any different now?_ A part of him wanted to go talk to her about it, but he couldn't leave Madison. He walked around, and grabbed a chair. He paused for a moment and looked at her. Then, he took a deep breath, and sighed. Lips twitching into a small, sad smile, Sam settled himself in front of Madison and leaned forward. His eyes remained on the floor, haunted, he couldn't even bring himself to look up at her. Despite what he'd said to Kelly, he knew there was a better than fifty percent chance of him having to pull the trigger on her. "Look." He said. His voice coming out slowly, and softly. There was a long pause after his first sentence, then he looked up from his hands. "I know you're scared." He said. The sight that met his eyes was an innocent face, with a single tear line, still wet, running down Madison's cheek. _I'd give anything to make this go away._ He thought sadly, resisting the urge to look around for Kelly. "I also know that there's no way in hell, that you're going to believe me." He said. "But I'm doing this, because I'm trying to help you."

Out of sight, Kelly leaned against the kitchen wall. Her eyes on the ceiling, as she listened to Sam talk to Madison. They needed to be alone, she knew that. _But he sounds like he's in so much pain._ She rolled her head to the side, and gazed at the opening of the doorway. Her nails sinking into the flesh of her palms. She wished there was more she could do for Madison. _But there's not._ And she couldn't allow herself to feel anything for the other woman. _And it's hard too._ Since she'd already been thrown over a couch and onto a coffee table. _And Madison's wearing the monster's face._ Not to mention. _The wolf, wherever it is inside her, senses me._ Making Madison uncomfortable and territorial. _It would be worse if she had already turned._ But this was her first full moon. "If her accounts to be believed." Kelly sighed. Listening to Madison start to sniffle, Kelly pursed her lips and moved off the wall. She didn't need to be this close to overhear. Sam wasn't exactly whispering. _Sometimes I think he forgets that I'm even nearby._

"I'm not going to lie, alright." Sam said. "The odds aren't exactly in our favor." Kelly suppressed a snort at that. "But, if this goes the way I…" There was a pause as Sam searched for the right words. "I pray it does." Sam looked back at Madison. "I'll untie you, and I'll walk out that door, and I'll never come back." There was a twinge in Kelly's heart as he said the words. He sounded like it was breaking his heart to say them. "You'll live the rest of your life," Sam looked down at his hands. This hurt, this all hurt. Behind the wall, in the kitchen Kelly sighed. "And I'll just be a bad memory." Sam and Madison stared into each other's eyes, one's tears was falling freely, and the other refused to let them. Kelly stood behind the wall, and rested her head against the paisley print. She looked out the window, as night descended on them, and wondered how Dean was doing. No, she wasn't going to think of Dean. _Not his fingers, not his touch._ He hadn't apologized yet, and until he did. _I won't forgive him._ Silently, she moved off the wall, and walked over to the small table. Pulling the chair out, she took a seat, and rested her elbows on the smooth finish of the oak boards. She still hurt. Leaning back she stared up at the overhead fan.

"I won't forgive him." She said. The words came out easily. Then Kelly closed her eyes, and waited for the time to pass. Soon it would be moonrise. "And I'll need all my strength then." She had to be prepared to fight Madison again. _And protect Sam._ She'd promised Dean that she would.

The clouds passed over the full moon, as city of San Francisco descended into the depths of night. The silver moonlight was blocked by gray moisture in the air, leaving the city darkened as a light fog began to roll in off the bay. The city was still bustling, even at the late hour of eleven o'clock, with cars running back and forth up and down the highways and by ways. Still, even with this action the side streets remained empty, with the inhabitants already home and asleep in their beds. But on the seedy side of town down by the docks near Hunters Point, the party had only just begun. Women in crystalline heels and silver spandex walked the lonely deserted roads. Hoping to make some more cash that night and provide their rent for the next day. Or satisfy their pimps with a decent enough take to earn their percentage and send their children to daycare. But these were small and insignificant lives compared to the Hunter. Who only listened to their heartbeats, waiting in the shadows for one to cross over into the wrong alleyway, and become separated from the herd. For him, these lives, and these women were nothing but prey. Hot breath, a puff, a lick of moisture in the air as the fog spread through alleys of around the docks, far from downtown San Francisco. Where the men were, with patrol cars, and screaming sirens. They had guns. Bullets meant pain. Steel rounds meant nothing to him. An emptied cartridge into his chest left him bloody, but he was reborn when the sun rose the next day. Still, bullets meant pain and the Hunter did not like pain. He had learned it's meaning in the early days. When he'd first risen to begin his hunts beneath the light of the full moon. His power growing steadily over the three days it was full, and each night he left the safety of his lair. Hungrily searching for the food source he craved. Hunting. Feeding. Those were his nights. Three glorious nights under the light of the full moon. Then as it waxed, he slept, waiting as the month turned again, for the full moon to rise again. For his true nature to be released.

He came down by the waterside. To the docks. A place far away from the sirens, and the bullets, and the guns. The place where the impure walked the streets in spiky heels. He watched them as they swayed and sauntered. Leaning over car windows, shaking their asses in the air. He paced the long night in those alley's, watching, waiting, inviting one to take the wrong step. Then he made her his. Then, he fed. Black, yellow, white; all colors of the rainbow, he was not a picky creature. He settled for all types, all shapes, all bodies. So long as they were female. They all smelled the same to him. He was attracted to them. He lusted after them. He hated them. He hunted them in this place. The place where guns were never lifted, where screams were never answered.

Minutes passed, and became hours. But time meant nothing to the Hunter. He was patient. He knew with a predator's certainty that it would not be long until he found what he was looking for. And just as he predicted, the one he was looking for came into view. She was short, with curled blonde hair piled in ringlets atop the crown of her head. Stocky legs, thick thighs were webbed into high heeled leather boots by black fishnets. Arms wrapped around to grasp her shoulders over a dirt stained white fur vest. Her upper lip was cracked, and she'd clearly tried to hide the deformity by loading her eyelashes with mascara. Her mouth was painted red and she wore a lonely expression on her face, like a lost lamb miles away from the flock. The Hunter growled. Perfect. He tipped his head back to the cloudy sky, and howled to the hidden moon. The sound echoed through the mist like a fog horn, reverberating off the buildings as it moved through the alleys. Below, the clicking of heels on cement pavement ceased as the blonde stopped. Eyes wide, she looked to the left and the right. The Hunter tasted fear. For him it was the sweet ambrosia, the most satisfying part of a kill. All that was left was to make her run and then, as was only natural, he would give chase. The Hunter threw his head back, and howled again.

Back in Madison's apartment, Sam Winchester stared out the window. Above in the pitch black night sky, the clouds had parted to reveal the broken face of the moon. It's silver light streamed down across the lamps to the sidewalk below. The black asphalt glowed as the rays bounced off the water. Redirected into the fallen leaves, collected into large piles by the neighborhood children on the next door lawns and oak trunks. The light unable to maintain a proper angle of descent never splattered upwards, and thus it missed the overhanging tree limbs. However, mostly the beams simply died beneath the overpowering orange glow of the street lamps. Leaning against the wall, on the other side of him, Kelly Jones was watching Madison Sinclair. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and coolly she adjusted the powder blue long sleeved v-neck sweater. It was lumpy, having been stretched out in the front by larger breasts than Kelly's own, and was a size too large. Still, the jeans fit comfortably, and while Kelly was certain she wouldn't be winning any beauty contests, she now had an outfit that was perfectly capable of being shredded. In fact, she was more than ready to do so. Her silver USP 9mm hung loosely in her right hand, and she glanced at Sam. Was he even paying attention? It had been two hours since Madison had fallen asleep in the chair, and the uncertainty of that left Kelly on edge. "Sam." She said. Her voice soft. The younger Winchester brother turned away from the window. He cast a worried glance back at Madison, then after several moments his eyes met Kelly's.

"What?" He asked. It was the same low voice she was using, though Kelly understood that it was for entirely different reasons. He didn't want to disturb Madison, while she was hesitant to rouse the slumbering beast. Now that it was night, there was only a small chance that Madison would be the waking personality. _No._ Kelly thought as she inhaled deeply. _No chance at all_. The werewolf scent was heavy in the air. Prevalent, permeating, and overpowering all other smells in the room. Kelly closed her eyes, summoning the Dog from deep within herself. She would need it tonight.

"It's time." She said and opened her eyes. In the chair between her and Sam, Madison's fingernails began to blacken and extend. Sharpening into claws as momentarily the light of the full moon flooded past Sam to coat the room in a silver glow. Madison's head snapped up, eyes open wide. They were blue and slit like a cat's. These eyes were glowing steadily in the darkness that over took the room as the clouds shifted back. The light was hidden once again, as the moon was removed from view. But the damage had been done. The werewolf was awake and it was angry. Madison opened her mouth and roared, furious over being held in bondage. Kelly lifted her head, golden eyes glowing as the Dog flooded to the surface. She moved off the wall, ready. Sam stiffened, whirling around as Madison ripped her hands upwards. The ropes knots broke apart like glass shattering under a hammer. The beast was on her feet. Snarling and growling. Kelly's own lips curled back to reveal sharpened canines as she moved into a crouch, ready to protect Sam. A low snarl rippled from deep in her throat, angry and challenging. Blue eyes shifted to gold, then to brown, and settled there. Prey chosen, Madison charged. She cleared the space between herself and the youngest Winchester in a matter of seconds. Her claws coming down to strike him across the face, driving him to the ground. He fell with a thud, and lay still. With reflexes made thick and stuttering by pain, Kelly moved. She leapt across the space separating herself from Madison with an angry snarl. The other woman was leaning over Sam, a growl grating in her throat. She seemed unsure of what to do with him. Kelly landed on her back, claws sinking into Madison's shoulder blades. The long haired brunette threw her head back and screamed in protest as Kelly's sharpened canines sank into the side of her neck. Hot blood bubbled up under Kelly's teeth as she hissed and growled. Her hands secured themselves around the werewolf's upper arm. Dragging Madison backwards away from the unconscious Sam as the woman struggled against her hold. Kelly growled angrily, her consciousness almost completely submerged. The werewolf ripped her arm away and Kelly let go of her iron locked grip on Madison's neck.

She sidestepped, and found the werewolf in front of her. Madison shoved Kelly, and the younger woman flew backwards. Hitting the wall hard enough to shake loose the plaster of the ceiling, Kelly slumped to the floor. Madison was pacing across from her. Head hanging low, she seemed uncertain. Kelly knew why as she moved to crouch on all floors, her back throbbing with each movement. There was no certainty in Madison's ability to attack and kill Sam before Kelly could get to him. Both women were moving at equal speeds. Golden eyes flashed in the shadows as outside the overhead moon shifted beneath it's gray cloud blanket. Snarling, Kelly's lips curled back as her black claws dug into the wooden floorboards. Scraping back long flakes of oak, she lunged forwards. Her legs powering her spring as she flew through the air to seize Madison by the shoulders and drove her back down to the floor. They hit the couch and tumbled over it, slamming into the floorboards. The ground shook. Kelly lifted her head off the floor, trying to asses the situation. She scanned what lay between herself and Madison, but the only thing there was Sam. Madison's blue eyes watched Kelly warily, following her gaze. The werewolf saw an opportunity. She seized it. Propelling herself forward through the power of her legs, she leapt forward with claws extended, ready to rip through the red fabric of his shirt and sink them into Sam's soft flesh. But the Dog was a blur, her timing impeccable as she appeared over Sam's back in a flash of motion. Snarling protectively, the werewolf met molten gold eyes and glittering teeth. Only reflexes born out of generations of predators made her stop herself. She twisted in midair, a motion completely impossible for a human being and rolled sideways, rising in a crouch. Her claws remained extended as she roared at Kelly in frustration. She sensed the impossibility of striking Sam Winchester. Defeating the golden eyed girl was a gambit with bad odds. Even a feral creature could see it. Getting near her prey was getting harder and harder. Madison lowered her head, blue eyes glittering, as her teeth curled back and she roared again. Kelly straightened from her protective crouch over Sam's back and responded. It was ferocious. The werewolf took a step backwards. This predator sent chills rolling through her subconscious mind. And she knew that this was the hunter that hunted her. She had only one choice left. _Flee._

The blonde woman ran. Her heart pumping blood through her veins as her lungs gasped for air. She couldn't stop, she could feel it behind her. Moving more quickly than her eyes could follow, it kept to the shadows. But she could hear it growling in a cacophony of noise behind her. The woman hit a trash can, it's lid clanging against the cement sidewalk as she went down. Her knees hit the asphalt, scraping against the rough pebbled surface as skin was scraped away. She cried out as she scrambled to her feet. Her thin stiletto heels teetering uncertainly as she tried to find her balance. She could practically feel the hot breath of the Hunter on her neck, his growls in her ears. The blonde woman took off again. She ran on her toes in an ungainly gait, too afraid to look back. But she could feel him there. He was gaining on her. She turned the corner of the road and there was suddenly silence, but the blonde kept running. Then she heard it, not a loud growling, but a heavy panting breath. She felt it's claws seize her from behind and drag her down. She screamed and hit the pavement.

Madison lunged for the window. "Kelly?" Came the concerned voice from beneath her, and Kelly shifted sideways as Sam tried to find his feet. "What happened?" But the feral part of her personality wasn't listening, her eyes were on Madison's mad dash for the window. Once she dove through the glass and was out on the open street, Kelly knew they wouldn't able to catch her. Not without her shifting form completely and that, the Dog knew, was impossible. Kelly growled. "Kelly?" Sam asked. As Madison lunged for the window, Sam raised his gun and fired. The bullet missed the front of Madison's nose by inches as she pulled back. Penetrating the wall, the silver round left a small hole in one of the paisley flowers in the wallpaper. Sam was looking at Kelly with nervous concern. This was different than the time she'd fought against the Hellhounds. Then her mind had seemed to be in control. Now though. _It's like she's not all there._ Kelly didn't even look at him, instead she moved forward in a blur of motion. She and Madison met one another snarling and snapping as their teeth sank into each other. Kelly yelped as Madison shoved her back. Sam lifted his gun, unwilling to take the shot. Madison whirled to face him, her lips pulled back to reveal long sharp canines and she growled at him. Blood dripped down the side of her neck, and as the clouds shifted letting the moon re-light the room, he saw teeth marks. _Wasn't Kelly's mouth bloody?_ Had she bitten Madison? A thrill rushed up Sam's spine as the werewolf advanced towards him. She swayed from side to side as she growled, pushing him backwards. Sam checked behind him. There was a door to some kind of closet. But did he have time to open it? _Take the shot, Sammy._ His father's voice echoed through his mind. _Do it._ Sam gritted his teeth. _Now_. He would not kill an innocent girl. He watched as Kelly pushed herself up off the floor, her golden eyes glowing beneath the silver light of the overhanging moon. Sam's finger tightened on the trigger as Madison snarled again. Then suddenly, she yelped. Kelly was behind her, holding her by the shoulders and pushing her forwards. Sam stepped sideways and pulled open the closet door. Kelly shoved Madison inside. Sam slammed the door shut just as the werewolf launched herself screaming at him. Her claws grated against the wood as she pounded against the door. Kelly ran forward to help Sam keep the door shut.

"Hurry!" She yelled. "Find something heavy!"

"Kelly?" Sam asked. "You're back?" He looked down at her as he pressed his back against the door. It felt like Madison was throwing her shoulder against it, and he could feel the wood groaning. It bent outwards, and Sam wondered if it would snap. If that happened what would they do next?

"Don't be a nimrod." Kelly snapped. She jammed her heels into the floor and pressed her back against the door. "I never left." She groaned as the wood began to crack from the strain. "Hurry, Sam!" She yelled. Sam nodded and moved off the wall. Kelly, who was suddenly forced to bear the entire weight of the screaming werewolf alone, stepped sideways and grabbed a nearby floor lamp. She jammed it's edge under the door as Sam pushed the tall wooden media center towards them. Kelly stepped back as he pushed it in front of the door. Then she and Sam hurled their body weight behind it as it too began to shake.

The Hunter dragged the blond back, his teeth deep in her calf. She was screaming. He always liked it when they screamed. There was a long scratch as her nails tried to find a grip on the pavement, and she clawed her way forward, trying to escape him. This was the part he enjoyed most. The ripping and the tearing. Blood spurted into his mouth and he swallowed it gleefully. His tongue lapping up the sweet coppery taste as he dug his claws into her side. He would take this slow, he would be patient, and then he would have this woman. Her heart too. There was a sound. Footsteps. He heard it even above the pleasurable screams. A gun being cocked.

"Hey!" A voice yelled. The Hunter rose up, ready to attack. Dean Winchester fired three consecutive rounds into the Hunter's chest. He fell back, writhing on the pavement as blood dribbled out of his chest. His body shook, and the world went dark. The Hunter faded into oblivion. Dean lowered the gun and walked forward. The blonde woman backed away screaming, as she stared up at her rescuer in shock. She gasped for breath, then her dark eyes shot to the gun in his hand. Terror filled her as she climbed to her feet and stared at Dean for several long moments. Then she took off running in the opposite direction, as fast as the balls of her feet could carry her. "Hey, don't mention it." Dean yelled after her. He lowered his gun and moved to the still gasping body of the werewolf. The teeth, eyes, and ears had all receded. Dean realized that he recognized the beard, the yellow Christian tee, and the man. It was Madison's neighbor, Glen.

"What happened?" Glen groaned. "What happened?" He coughed. Blood sputtered out of his mouth as he tried to find some semblance of what had occurred. "Help!" He whispered, his glazing eyes staring up at Dean. They were pleading. "Help me."

"Alright." Dean said. "Alright easy, Glen." After all, what did you say to a dying man? Especially when you knew there was nothing that could be done?

"Oh, my god." Glen wheezed. "Oh, my god." Those were his last words. Seconds later, he was dead. Dean straightened and as he stared down at Glen's body, his eyes on the three bullet holes in his chest one question kept replaying through his mind. _"Dean, could you do it? Could you kill Kelly?"_ It continued over and over. And Dean couldn't shut it out, he couldn't make it stop. _Kelly._ Dean looked at the sky, morning was arriving and he had to get back. He had to make sure that she was okay.

The sun rose on the disheveled apartment, and Madison Sinclair awoke to find herself alone in a locked closet. Her head was tilted against the wall, and there was a massive crink in the muscles of her neck. However, the first thought on her mind was: _How did I get here?_ She remembered falling asleep tied to the chair. Had Sam moved her in here while she was sleeping? Madison wasn't sure. She was sore and there was a dull throbbing ache in the side of her neck. She raised her fingers to touch the dried blood. Wincing as the poked the still tender but shallow wound. _Did I get bitten?_ She looked down, blood was flaking off of her fingernails. _What happened?_ Her heart was in her throat. Then there was a creak as the door swung open. The light hit Madison's eyes and she blinked. Sam was standing over her. Madison looked around. There were thick scratch marks in the door, like something had been ripping and tearing at it for most of the night. She gazed up at Sam, there was a strange expression on his face. One that was partially relieved but also immensely sad. Madison stood on shaky legs. Her muscles shivering as she tried to straighten up. She looked past Sam, and saw a very disheveled Kelly perched on an overturned couch. Her couch. Madison rubbed her forehead. She didn't remember anything.

"It should be over now." Sam said. "You'll never see me again." Madison turned and looked around the walls. There were claw marks scratched out of the paint, the same as the door. It was as if something had been trying to climb them or break them all night. She turned around, examining each scratch and hole. She turned back around. But Sam Winchester and Kelly Jones were gone. And as she looked around the closet again, Madison couldn't help but wonder. _Maybe they were right all along._

AN: I'm really spoiling you with two updates in one day. But what can I say? I was inspired. I hope you enjoyed the Madison vs Kelly fight, cause I know I had fun writing it. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter and leave me reviews. Cause I like reviews. ^_^


	43. Chapter 43: A Heartbreak Situation

Chapter 43: A Heartbreak Situation

"I feel sorta sad actually." Dean said. His eyes on the Impala's review mirror. "Glen had no clue what was going on." He was covertly watching the backseat. Since making it to the Impala, Kelly had abruptly passed out in the backseat. She lay snuggled against the glass window, her arms wrapped protectively around her body. Her head tilted down, and Dean was more than a little peeved to see spots of dried blood on her cheeks. After all, Sammy was supposed to watch out for her. _Not let her get beaten to hell_. Though from what Sam had told him, and Kelly before she'd passed out. _She was pretty badass last night._ In that creepy monster sense. Now if she'd gone badass in the normal human sense, then Dean probably would have been more excited. He smirked. After all, Sam had come out of Madison's apartment looking harrowed and Dean was certain that wasn't entirely all out of heartbreak. Carefully, through her reflection in his rearview mirror, Dean scanned her clothes for any other sign of major injury. There were several long strips of cloth missing from her shirt, and several shallow cuts ran up her arms. Other than some bruising though, she didn't look any worse for wear. Dean was glad about that. _Because I'd hate to have to kill Madison._ Not after they'd supposedly cured her. Making sure that Kelly was comfortable, and that she was only sleeping, Dean counted the amount of times her chest had raised while he was trying to sneak a peak at her bra. The long scratch marks torn through the bottom half of the shirt left glimpses of black leather. Dean nodded, and snuck another look in the mirror. Finally, satisfied that she was only tired, he sat up. "Hey, why do you think he only turned Madison instead of killing her in the first place?" He asked.

"I don't know." Sam said. His voice was stiff. This was not a subject he wanted to be talking about. "I mean, he kinda seemed to have a thing for her."

"Maybe his primal instinct did too." Dean said. He looked back into the mirror at Kelly. She tightened up into a little ball, curling her knees up onto the bench of the backseat. Dean couldn't help but find it adorable the way she buried her head into her arm. _Cause I totally understand where Glen was coming from_. It didn't mean it was anything he'd ever follow through on, but… _But if I was a werewolf…_ Kelly mewled in her sleep. It was somewhere between a whine and a groan. Dean smiled. "Maybe he was looking for a little hot breeding action." Dean decided that he liked Kelly when she was sleeping. _A lot less combative._

"Yeah." Sam said. "Something like that." He followed Dean's gaze through the rearview mirror. "Dude." He muttered. "How long are you going to keep staring at her?"

"What?" Dean asked. His eyes snapped away from the mirror and he glanced at his brother, his face a picture of innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dean, you adjusted the mirror when you got in the car." Sam said. Feeling more than a little exasperated.

"I did?" Dean asked. He reached up and moved the mirror back into position. A little disappointed that he could no longer covertly check up on his girlfriend. He was still trying to play along with the innocent act, but he was starting to feel like a kid caught with his hand stuck halfway in the cookie jar. "Huh." He paused. Trying to assume a thoughtful expression.

"Dean." Sam snapped. "I'd appreciate you losing the stalker tendencies, please." He glared at his brother. "So do me, her, and yourself a favor. Whatever you did to piss her off... Just apologize."

"Yeah." Dean said. There was a long pause. "And how do I do that?"

"Dean you know how to apologize."

Dean paused again for another few seconds, feeling that some clarification was probably necessary. "I mean, how do I do it without looking like an idiot?" Social embarrassment didn't really appeal to Dean Winchester. He didn't like putting himself in awkward situations, especially if he wasn't sure of the outcome. Sam snorted. The air exhaled through his nose, as he looked over at his brother in disbelief.

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Yeah." Dean muttered. A flush was starting to burn under his collar. It was bad enough that Sam had noticed him looking at Kelly. "You're the one who has experience with this… stuff."

"You mean relationships?" Sam asked. "Are you really asking me for advice?" His voice was getting higher, and growing increasingly more incredulous. _This is insane._ What had Kelly done to his brother? _What kind of fight did they have?_ Dean wouldn't suffer the embarrassment to ask if he thought he could solve it on his own. _He actually trusts my insight?_ "You. Dean Winchester. The man who knows everything about how to seduce a woman." He chuckled. "You're asking me?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it." Dean muttered.

"It is a big deal." Sam laughed.

"Sam!"

"Well, for starters." Sam sighed. "Looking like an idiot? That's kind of a prerequisite." He glanced at his brother. There was confusion and annoyance on Dean's face. Still, his brother looked like he was actually paying attention. "Look." He sighed. "This is how it works. She's right, your wrong." Dean opened his mouth to object, but Sam cut him off. "So if you ever want to have sex with her again, say you're sorry." He paused. "And buy her flowers or something." Dean raised his eyebrows. "That's the short version."

"There's a long version?" Dean asked. This all sounded pretty stupid to him. _Is there a way to do it without involving flowers?_ He shook his head. It was probably time to change the subject. _Or else Sammy will get pedantic, and go off on this random tangent._ Dean paused. What did pedantic mean? Damn it, it sounded like a stupid word. _It's all Greek to me._ Dean chuckled. Then he stopped. He was making Sammy jokes about root words…. _Definitely time to shift gears._ "So," He began. "Speaking of relationships, and speaking of Madison…"

"Oh, whatever." Sam said.

"Don't oh, whatever me, you liked her. Maybe you and she can, you know." It was always easier to talk about Sam's girl troubles. Dean glanced back into his rearview mirror, trying to catch a glimpse. All he got was the top of her head. Still, he couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, and she thought I was a stark raving lunatic."

"You saved her life." Dean said. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him. _Madison… Kelly… fight…_ He turned towards Sam. " Dude, you basically got front row seats to the superhuman bitch smack down of the century." Dean said. There was a strange glint in his eye. One that Sam Winchester had come to recognize as 'Dean-Winchester-confusing-porn-with-reality-syndrome.' "How are you not in ecstasy right now?"

"I don't know, Dean." Sam muttered. He didn't like being reminded of what had happened in Madison's apartment. _Kelly's glowing eyes. She and Madison biting, snapping, and snarling at each other like wild animals._ She'd saved his life. _I'd probably be dead if she hadn't been there._ Still. _I've never seen anything like that._ "Maybe because it wasn't that great."

"Come on." Dean said. "It's like mud wresting, only better." He paused and then added. "With hot girls." Dean cleared his throat, as Sam raised his eyebrows. "Who are also monsters." He sucked in a deep breath. Images were playing through his mind again. Kelly and Madison tossing each other around. _In bikinis._

"Sometimes I don't want to know where your mind goes." Sam sighed.

Dean took his eyes off of Kelly, who was still peacefully slumbering away in the backseat, and looked at his brother. "Tell me you took pictures."

"I wasn't really in a position to at the time, Dean." Sam said. He was frustrated, but not because his brother was being an idiot. "Wolf versus dog death match and all." The words sounded funny even as they came out of his mouth. _Like I was watching an Animal Planet special or something._ Wolf versus mountain lion or crocodile versus hippo. Sam kept himself from snorting, but it seemed Dean hadn't caught on to the joke. Instead, his brother looked mildly depressed.

"That's too bad." Dean sighed. "I bet it was awesome." Sam glanced at his brother and shook his head.

"More like terrifying." He muttered. Running his fingers through his hair tiredly, he leaned back in his seat. Closing his eyes as he tried to avoid watching his brother constantly gaze into the rear-view mirror, he sighed. _Really blew it._ He thought. After all, he'd acted like a raving lunatic. He couldn't blame her for never wanting to speak to him. _Ever again._

"Speak of the devil." Dean said. He was looking out the window, Sam sat up, Madison was standing by the car. She reached out and her fingers rapped against the glass. The harsh sound made Kelly grumble, and Dean turned around, half worried she would wake up. _She needs her rest_. Sam tried to ignore the warm smile on his brother's face. Instead he turned towards the window and rolled it down.

"You know for a stakeout, your car's a bit conspicuous." Madison said. Her tone was light as she leaned through the window. She glanced from Dean to Sam, and back. "I thought there was a third member of this troop." She said. Dean smirked and jabbed his thumb towards the back seat. Madison peered past Sam and stared at the sleeping Kelly.

"She's hiding in the backseat." Dean said.

"Is she okay?" She asked. "Did I do something?" She looked down at her hands, ashamed. A flush rose to her cheeks, making her hot under the collar. Sam and Dean glanced at one another and then looked back at her. "Last night I mean."

"Who? Kelly?" Sam asked. _Don't tell me you remember what happened last night_. He thought. And as he spoke, his voice became unreasonably high. "She's fine." Madison nodded. Feeling relieved she took her eyes off of the bruises and the cuts on the girl's arms. When she'd examined her own body this morning, she'd found similar marks.

"Yeah, just wiped from the rough and tumble you two had last night." Dean said. He couldn't help but grin. Once again he was thinking about Madison and Kelly mud wresting on a full moon night. In bikinis. "Day's rest and she'll be good as new." Madison's hand moved to the bandage on her neck. She remembered Kelly showing her the secondary state of her eyes. How animalistic she'd looked.

"Tell me you're joking." She said. Her eyes moved to the cuts on Sam's face, and then went back to the myriad of tiny cuts and bruises on the girl's arms. Her eyes moved over the shredded shirt, and the dried blood on her lips.

"Sorry." Dean said. "But our little trooper back there took the brunt of whatever went down last night." He glanced at his brother. "Sam acted a pansy ass and passed out." Sam frowned and Dean smirked at him. "At least, he was for the most important parts." It had been easy to discern that Sam had been incapacitated during the fight. _For one thing there are several large holes in his story_. And for another he'd been remiss about discussing what had happened to his face. _And he wouldn't tell me anything about Kelly._ Or why she'd turned completely catatonic since climbing inside the Imapala. He glanced up at Madison. "To tell the truth Maddie, he got bitch slapped."

"Dean!"

"Knocked him right out."

Madison ignored Dean. Her eyes were on the girl in the backseat. Her fingers lingered on the irritated flesh of her neck. She knew she probably should have cleaned it. _Human germs and all that._ And since Dean had basically denied Sam's participation in last night's events that only left one culprit. "So, she's the one that bit me?" She asked. She'd decided to ignore Dean for the better part of her remaining sanity. This whole thing sounded crazy. _But I can't really deny those scratch marks in the closet_. Madison was a smart woman. She could accept the truth when it was dangled like a carrot in front of her nose. _Or when destiny bashes me over the head._ Her eyes never left Kelly's sleeping face. The urge to flee was still strong in her gut. Was it left over from last night?

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Seems to be standard issue with her." Dean said. "But don't think you're special." He added. Dean looked over his shoulder back at the young woman, who was curled up on her arm. Madison watched a tender expression cross the older brother's face. "She'll bite anything. Ghosts, demons…"

"Werewolves." Madison said.

"Sammy." Dean added.

"Yeah?" Sam looked up. "How many times has she bitten you, Dean?" He watched a winsome smile cross his brother's face, as Dean leaned back to glance at Kelly again.

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that, Sam." He said. Madison nodded. She'd noticed something funny about the way the older brother was always looking at the girl in the back seat. _I mean, Sam seems tender with her… but Dean.._. She frowned. _Are they dating?_ Dean seemed protective of her. Though why, Madison could barely hazard a guess. _She's a bitch._ And probably a major pain in the ass to boot. But talking about Kelly was beside the point. It didn't cover the main issue of why she'd come out to see them.

"So, what are you still doing here?" Madison asked. She crossed her arms. It was time to bring them back to reality. _As… interesting as Kelly is._ The girl was still sleeping. In fact, she'd only shifted position once in the entire time they'd been talking. _She's either a sound sleeper._ Or Madison had done some major damage to her. _She took the brunt of our rough and tumble._ Did that mean Madison should thank her? _Did she save my life?_

"Honestly?" Dean asked. "We're pretty sure you're not going to turn tonight, but we've gotta be a hundred percent." Madison nodded. "So, we're…" He paused. "Lurking." His lips curled into a charming smile. Sam shifted in his seat as he turned towards Madison.

"Look." He said. "I know this sounds crazy."

"Sure does." Madison sighed. She looked from Dean to Sam, and then her gaze shifted back to Kelly. "Well, if we're gonna wait it out." She said. "We might as well do it together."

"Seriously?" Dean asked. He glanced back at his girlfriend. "I figured you wouldn't want to be around her after what happened?" His hazel eyes turned back to Madison.

"She saved my life right?" Madison asked. Sam raised his eyebrows. "Look, it's true that I don't like her." She said. In fact, everything about the girl rubbed her the wrong way. _She's rude, stubborn, pigheaded_. And Sam always had a soft look in his eyes when he gazed at her. But, even with all that, there was one redeeming piece of evidence standing out like a neon sign in front of her eyes. _She's really passed out._ Meaning that whatever had happened last night, Madison glanced at the awake Sam and Dean. Well, it had obviously cost her more than either of the two men. Madison sighed. "But if she's one of the reasons I'm alive this morning…" She swallowed. "Well, the least I can do is give her a bed to sleep on." She glanced back to Kelly, who was still tucked up against the window. "Because that position can't be comfortable." Dean snorted. He couldn't help but agree.

The four climbed the stairs, and the door creaked open. Kelly brought up the rear of the group, trailing Dean. She was still groggy from having her nap interrupted. _I really just need to sleep._ She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. It was a huge cat-like yawn. Her tongue curled back, flicking out and then back again, brushing over the moist roof of her mouth. Rubbing her eyes, she followed Madison, Dean, and Sam through the door. _I feel ready to pass out again._ Honestly, calling on her Black Dog powers so soon after her first transformation had probably been a bad idea. _To the extent I did anyway._ She hadn't given herself time to rebuild her energy reserves and now she was left staggering. _I won't be able to help them if Madison turns tonight._ But Dean would be here. _And it wasn't like I had much of a choice._ She'd promised Sam that she would only kill Madison as a last resort. _And this seemed like the only way to make sure that didn't happen._ She walked into the open air of the room, the sunlight outside was bright and harsh on her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep herself from falling over. She was surprised when a warm hand reached out to steady her, and she looked up. Dean was staring down at her. His eyes filled with concern. Kelly's own eyes narrowed, and she grumbled. The sounds came out in incoherent mutterings as, grudgingly, she accepted his support. After all, he was the one who'd woken her up in the first place. _And the only reason he got me to move was with the promise of a bed._ Kelly still didn't see a bed. She yawned again, her eyelids fluttering shut as she fought to keep them open. Madison was talking.

"You were telling the truth, weren't you." She said. Her booted heels clopping on the hardwood surface as she walked deeper into the apartment. "About everything." She walked around so she was facing Sam. Her eyes were on him, and she barely noticed as Dean slipped an arm under Kelly's. Her head was tilting into the taller man's shoulder, her body position relaxing as she started to slump.

"Whoa." Dean murmured. His voice soft, as Kelly started to pass out again. "Stay with me, princess." He said. Patting her face with his free hand, he tried to encourage her back into a waking state.

"Just…" She sighed. "Need sleep…"

"Dean." Sam said. "Maybe, you should lie her down on the couch." He glanced at Kelly with concern. "And check her over to make sure there's no permanent injuries." Madison swallowed. Both men seemed very concerned about the young woman. The way Dean was holding her… Madison shook her head. It was almost as if he thought she was made out of glass. _Which is silly if you think about it._ After all, the girl had taken a werewolf on in a head to head battle. _If the boys are to be believed._ And at this point, Madison wasn't really willing to doubt them.

"I know, Sam." Dean growled. He swung her up in his arms easily, carrying her bridal style as he moved deeper into the apartment.

"Dean." Madison said. Her voice calm. "Put her on my bed." She swallowed. Deep inside of her instinct was still angrily denying allowing the girl into her space. _But…_ Madison wasn't an animal. Dean nodded, and turned down the hallway. "Oh." Madison called after him. "And tell her she can have the stuff in the Goodwill bag if she wants it." _Since I'm not going to wear it anyway._ Madison hadn't really forgiven her for stealing out of the bag. _But since she obviously knew what was coming..._ Madison wasn't sure whether or not Dean had heard her, as he disappeared. She sighed, and looked up at Sam. "Sam." She said. The words came out slowly, deliberately. "What you did, it was to help me." Sam stared at her for a long time, and Madison watched as the creases relaxed around his eyes. His gaze softened, and a sad smile found it's way onto his lips.

"Yeah." He said.

"I did all those horrible things." Her fingers moved up her throat to the bite mark. It still felt puffy, and stung beneath her fingers. "When I turned." She could see the difference between herself and Kelly now. _She can control herself._ That was why the Winchester brothers hadn't killed her. Sam looked away, to the side, down, and then back up at her.

"You didn't know." He said. His voice was soft and gentle. Sam's gaze was filled with sincerity, and Madison felt warmed beneath it. There was a long pause, as the silence hung heavy in the air. The tension was so thick between them that it could be cut with a knife.

"So." Madison said. She was trying to fill the void and get answers for herself. "When will we know for sure?" Her eyes never left Sam's face. "Moonrise?" Sam shook his head.

"No." He said. "I don't think so." He glanced to the window. "You turned middle of the night last night." He sighed. "I think we gotta hang in until sun-up." He looked up at her. Madison nodded. That made a strange kind of sense. She licked her lips as she looked up at Sam. Unsure of what to do or say, she nodded again. There was another long silence. The only sound audible was the ticking of Madison's kitchen clock. It sounded like a heartbeat, counting down the seconds. _Tick, tick, tick._

Making an attempt to break the tension, she smiled up at him. "So, how about breakfast?"

Dean set Kelly down on Madison's sheets. Carefully positioning her head against the pillows, he smiled, as he brushed the hair out of her eyes. His fingertips lingering on her cheek, he gazed down at her. She looked so peaceful. A warm smile broke across his features, and he tapped a callused index finger against her cheek. _Just apologize._ Sammy's voice whispered the back of his mind. _If you ever want to have sex again, apologize._ He pursed his lips. Dean shook his head. Sammy wasn't his conscience, but the conversation kept repeating itself. _Look, here's how it works_._ She's right. You're wrong._ It was the age old question. _Woman always beats man._ Dean snorted, and scanned Kelly's face again. Then he took a deep breath. It couldn't hurt to just practice right? He looked down at her with his hazel eyes. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'm sorry." He whispered. His breath brushing against her ear. In her sleep, Kelly murmured softly and then, she smiled.

Time passed slowly like molasses, as the two men and two women camped out in Madison's apartment. After checking Kelly over, making sure that she was only suffering from exhaustion, Dean returned to the living room. He'd found Madison and Sam acting awkwardly on the couch, trying to talk. But the nervousness about Madison turning hung between them like an albatross around both their necks. And so, time rolled by. Day became night, and night became day and Kelly slept through it all. She woke with the sunlight hitting her eyes the next morning. Sitting up, she rubbed her face. Yawning she stretched, and looked down at herself. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd worn two days previously. _Rips and all,_ Kelly sighed and pushed herself off the bed. Her hand hitting crinkly plastic as she moved across the fluffy white sheets forced her to look down. It was the Goodwill bag. Except that Goodwill had been blacked out and now written in large blocky letters were the words 'For Kelly'. _Is this some kind of joke?_ She wondered. Was Madison being mean? Or was she being nice? Kelly wasn't sure. _After all, she let me sleep on her bed_. But that could have been because she wanted Kelly as far away as possible. Sighing loudly, she stood up and walked out of the bedroom. She made her way down the hall, and walked in the living room, just in time to see Madison launch herself into Sam's arms.

"Oh, god!" Madison exclaimed. She held him in a tight hug. Her hands moving up and down his back. "Thank you!"

"So, it worked." Kelly murmured, leaning heavily against the doorframe. She crossed her arms over her chest, and rested her head against the wood. "Good." She sighed. Kelly was happy for Madison. _At least she gets to be cured_. Kelly thought morosely. Then she shook her head. Thinking negative thoughts wasn't going to get her anywhere. She exhaled loudly. _At least 24 hours of sleep cures all my ills._ Even if her healing did leave scars. Her fingers rose to her cheek, and the transparent scar that ran across the top of her right cheekbone. She was certain she'd have something left over from her encounter with Madison. _Probably a couple something's_. Her eyes moved to the hugging couple standing by the window. Then, she noticed Dean standing close to Sam and Madison. His back was to her. _Did he say something to me last yesterday?_ No, she'd probably just imagined it. Kelly watched as Madison's arms grew taught around him. The younger Winchester could do nothing but hold her.

"Thank you so much!" She murmured. Dean cleared his throat. Madison glanced at him, and then looked down. "You too, Dean."

"Don't mention it." Dean said. Madison smiled at him, more than a little wearily. Then her eyes moved up and she found Kelly standing on the other side of the room, leaning against the doorframe with tan goodwill bag in hand.

"And you, Kelly." She said. She watched as Kelly smiled and gave her an ironic thumbs up. Madison bit her lip, she didn't know what that meant. Good? Bad? Sad? She wasn't sure. _And she won't be sticking around long enough for me to find out_. She thought. Sam followed her gaze as Dean whipped around.

"Well, well." Dean said. There was a smirk on his lips. "Looks like the early bird's finally up to catch the worm." There was a chuckle in his voice as he asked. "Have a good sleep honey?"

"The best baby." Kelly responded. Her voice matching his ironically sarcastic tone as she spoke, Kelly lifted up the bag. "Thanks for the clothes." Kelly added as she looked at Madison. The other woman shrugged.

"I figured you could use them more than I could." Madison glanced up at Sam. "With your job and everything."

"Yeah." Kelly nodded. "But this doesn't make us friends… or anything." She refused to allow herself to feel touched by Madison's gesture. _Especially after the way we treated each other._ This might be some version of a peace offering or it could simply be a 'thankyouforkeepingmealive' present. Either way, Kelly wasn't willing to look a gift horse in the mouth. _I just hope she didn't sprinkle sand or pepper or anything in here._ She thought. Kelly paused. Maybe she should wash the clothes again for good measure. Yes, that was probably the safest bet. She looked back at Madison.

"Never." The other woman said. She smiled as she said them. Then, her words were followed by another awkward silence as Madison glanced at Sam. He looked at Dean. Kelly rolled her eyes at the sexual tension between the two. Dean's eyes flicked over Kelly, he was sensing possibilities. Then he looked back at Sam and Madison, who were both still staring at him. Rubbing his hands together as he looked for away to extract himself from the uncomfortable situation. He looked down, and then up at them.

"So." He said. "We're," He glanced over his shoulder at Kelly, and watched as she raised her eyebrows at him. There was a cunning smile on her lips. It gave him goose bumps. "Just gonna head back to the hotel." He said. Beginning to back away from Sam and Madison, he slowly crossed the room. Giving them literal space seemed like a good idea anyway, since they obviously wanted both him and Kelly out of the picture. "Watch some Pay-per-view or something."

"Or the AMC." Kelly said, from where she was standing by the door. _She likes the American Movie Classics channel?_ Madison wouldn't have pegged Kelly for the type with old fashioned tastes. _Are dogs interested in movies?_ She paused. Where had that come from? _When did I start thinking of Kelly as a dog?_ She closed her eyes.

"Yeah." Dean said. He glanced back at her. _Well, at least she's agreeing to hang out with me. Alone and unsupervised_. That was a step in the right direction. _After all, I did apologize._ Not that she would remember. "Somethin' like that." He turned around and headed for the door. Kelly slipped off the wall and met him by the door. Dean punched his fist in the air as he walked, then he grabbed Kelly by the shoulder, opened the door, and pushed her out. He was surprised that she didn't protest, but he was sure that he'd be hearing about his manhandling of her later. _Meaning she got the hint too._ He glanced back, and gave Sam a winning and lecherous smile. Then he disappeared out the door, following Kelly.

"Well." Madison said. "That was smooth." She laughed a little and looked down. She was trying to think of something to say to fill the awkward gaps between them. But she couldn't come up wit antyhing.

"He means well." Sam said. He was still staring after his brother and Kelly.

"You mean." Madison said. She looked out the window. Madison knew what Dean had been hinting at. After all, he hadn't done it subtly. "He thinks your going to get laid."

"Or he thinks he's going to get laid." Sam offered. "With Dean, you can never really tell."

"So he and that girl really are going out." Madison said. She'd suspected as much, but now, saying it out loud made everything start to click into place and she nodded with understanding. "That makes sense, I guess." She glanced up at Sam. "Doesn't explain the way you look at her though." She said. There was a slyness in her gaze. "You really care about her too, don't you?" Madison hadn't seen much evidence of that. Sam's reaction to Kelly around her had mostly involved him chewing her out. But Madison was voicing a suspicion, and from the defensive look on the younger Winchester's face, she knew she was correct. _That doesn't mean he doesn't care about me though._ She thought. Her rational mind said that it was only natural for him to care for someone he generally spent twenty-four hours with.

"It's not like that." Sam said. "She's a friend." He swallowed. "Just a friend." _Sure._ Madison thought. _You keep telling yourself that._ "Look." Sam said. He looked down at her.

"It's okay." Madison said. She smiled at him. After all, she understood.

"No." Sam said. "I know I scare the crap out of you."

"And Kelly's someone you don't scare." Madison said. "I can understand the attraction there." Sam shook his head.

"This isn't about Kelly." He said. Why had Madison even brought her up? "You and her, you're both different." Sam shook his head. None of this was coming out right. _If she hadn't switched the conversation to Kelly._ Well, then Sam probably wouldn't have had his foot hanging out of his mouth.

"And she's dating your brother." Madison said.

"Yes." Sam said. "No." He looked down. "This isn't about her. This about how I make you feel." He stared at her. "I know I scare the crap out of you." He repeated. "Alright." He sighed. "I mean, I tied you to a chair."

"That's right up there with me scratching up your face." She said. "Or Kelly biting my neck." She pointed to the reddened marks around the soft flesh of her neck. "Or whatever else she and I did to each other last night."

"Superhuman smack down." Sam muttered.

"Right." Madison smiled. "My superhuman smack down."

"There's just no way." Sam said. "You could go back now." He sounded like he really regretted it, introducing her to his world. Madison swallowed, and looked up at him. Sam wore a pained expression on his face as he gazed out the window. "Before it happened."

"You're right." She said and Sam nodded. He knew this was coming. She shook her head minutely. "There's just no way." Madison looked at Sam. Sam looked at Madison. There was another pause as the heat began to rise. The tension between them thickened as the silence progressed, almost as if they were being magnetically drawn towards one another. Madison exhaled loudly, and flung herself forward. She grabbed Sam by the collar and pushed him backwards, covering her mouth with his. Sam's arm wrapped around her back and he lifted her off the floor, twirling her around to press body against the wall. He began to kiss her.

"Seriously?" Kelly asked. Watching as Dean sat down on the bed to her right, she lay on her belly. Propping her head up with her hands, she titled her head to the side, and sighed. "We're going to watch pay-per-view?" Dean lifted the remote and flicked through the channels. He didn't know whether or not Kelly was still angry with him. _Fifty dollars says she is._ He thought. The girl knew how to hold a grudge like nobody Dean had ever known. Except maybe himself. And his father.

"You got a better idea?" He asked. He wasn't going to push her. Not hard anyway. There were a ton of things that he could think of doing, but right now they were off limits. Not that it'd stopped him before. He met her eyes and smirked. Kelly stared at him, lifting her eyebrows suggestively.

"Maybe." She said. Her voice light. It was true that she was still angry with him, but that wasn't going to stop her from teasing. She sat up, crossing her leg, she cocked her head to the side and smiled. Dean grinned. He flipped the channel to fifty on the television. Kelly up at it. She was surprised. It wasn't pay-per-view. "AMC?" She asked. Dean stood. He set down the remote on his bed and then he walked across the room. "I thought you hated old movies." She said. Dean sat down next to her, he reached out, and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. Marveling out how twenty-four hours of sleep had seemingly cured all her wounds.

"I like Hitchcock." He said. Kelly's eyes flicked to the TV. Onscreen, Gene Kelly was walking through a manufactured Hollywood set that was supposed to serve as the Scottish countryside. It was the 1954 musical, Brigadoon. She swallowed. Since her memories had started disappearing, she'd become engrossed in old movies from the thirties and fifties. Even though Dean tried to interest her in things like modern scary movies, Kelly kept movies like 'Singing in the Rain', 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', and Danny Kaye in 'the Court Jester' close to her heart. She'd thought he didn't like them.

"That's not Hitchcock." She said. She looked up into his eyes. Dean smiled.

"I know." He said. Then, he leaned forward, his mouth lingering inches away from her own. Kelly's lips curled. _It's a nice gesture._ She thought. Her skin tingling as his hot breath brushed across her cheeks.

"You sure you're not confused?" She asked. Dean's hand trailed leisurely up her spine, and she shivered. "I mean, they're not exactly similar." Her voice was low, and as she spoke her lips brushed teasingly against his. If Dean was excited or moved by this, he didn't show it. Their noses were practically touching as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Not at all." He said. Kelly realized that he was grinning. Onscreen behind them Mr. Lundie said Gene Kelly's character of Tommy Albright.

"It's the hardest thing in the world to give everything. Though it's usually the only way to get everything." He said. Then as the opening bars of Brigadoon began to play, Kelly leaned in and pressed her lips against Dean's. His arm encircled her back, and he pulled her down to the bed. Lying still for a moment, they stared into each other's eyes. Dean pulled back, and rolling on top of her, he put his lips to her ear.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Kelly's hand slid up his face, her thumb running over his cheekbone as he gazed down at her. His skin was hot beneath the flesh of her palm, and she felt the heat permeating her hand. Her heartbeat quickened. She had a feeling that he really meant it. Kelly smiled, warmth flooding into her brown gold eyes.

"I know." She said. "Me too."

Feverishly, Sam pulled Madison shirt off over her head. She flung it away revealing a plain black bra and gently tanned skin. She pressed her mouth to his, as they continued to kiss. Scrambling and overtaken by attraction, Madison ripped off Sam's shirt, and let it fall to the ground as Sam's arms closed around her back. His fingers moved up through her hair as he pulled her mouth closer, letting his tongue dart in and out as he teased her. Madison fell back and hit the sheets, as Sam jumped on top of her. She rose to meet him and they met for another kiss. Madison's hands ran over the back of Sam's shoulders, feeling the strong fluid muscles of his deltoids. Their lovemaking was frenzied. Unable to disconnect their mouths, they continued to kiss, their lips pumping together in unison as their tongues connected and teased each other. Brushing across lips, teeth, tongue, and the roof of the other's mouth. Sam rolled Madison to the side, and she settled on top of him. He began to kiss her neck as his fingers traced the line of her spine. Madison's fingernails sank into Sam's back, creating small jabs of pain before dissipating into nothingness. Heightening the sensations as fingers and mouth sought connection to skin. Pleasure rippled through them as off the heat of their bodies began to burn like the fire in the nearby hearth. Madison gasped, giggled, and smiled as Sam continued to kiss her. She rotated her pelvis against his, grinding down in a semicircle as her hips moved back and forth. Her teeth sank into Sam's lower lip and, grinning, she tugged on it gently. Fondling the skin of his lip between her teeth. She let go as Sam sighed, pulling her mouth back down to his. He brushed back her hair, as he hips moved in time with hers. He pressed his lips against her heated cheek. Then he sat up, pushing her back as he moved on top of her. Madison's neck and back arched as she gasped. Closing her eyes in ecstasy as Sam, with a feathery touch, kissed his way down the side of her neck. Tickling her. She sighed happily. Her fingers running down his triceps as she rolled to be beneath him fully. Sam lifted her up off the bed and cradled her in his arms as they rocked back and forth, pelvis to pelvis. Her hands moved across his back, as he brushed away her hair. They kissed and continued to kiss, until they were finished. And then they slept.

AN: I know I know, I'm spoiling you this week. So many updates in so many days, my muse really decided to crack the whip. The only question now is, how will I get any school work done? I don't know. Anyway, to all of you who are thanking me for thanking you for your reviews, y'all should know that sometimes those are what keep me driven to keep writing. So yes, of course they mean a lot. I love feedback, all kinds of feedback. I like to know what I'm doing well, and I like to know what I can improve on. Which is why I love reviews. Hardiharharhar. I hope you liked the true Dean/Kelly reconciliation sequence, I hope it fit with their characters and with how you see them. There will be more soon, if only because I want to be done with Heart. One more chapter in this particular arc to go, then we can get into Hunted, and back on track with the YED. ^________^ I'm looking forward to it.

So keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing.


	44. Chapter 44: The Impossible You

Chapter 44: The Impossible You

The sky was inky black. Tiny dotted lights of stars glimmered out of the darkness above the tall skyscrapers. There light was small, and they were few. The stars shine had been deadened by a century of artificial light, as the population around the bay grew from the hundreds to the millions. So, cluster by cluster they vanished, until only those with the strongest shine remained. But as humanity progressed, and florescent neon signs flourished they too knew there days were numbered. It is because of this that all stars are jealous of the moon. It's light remained undimmed, even as humanity darkens the sky. This was the third night of the full moon, the last night before it began to wane. This was the night it was at it's fullest and brightest. The night when it was at it's most powerful. It shone brightly in the clear night sky, down on the slumbering couple in Apartment 3. A tanned naked man with shaggy brown hair lay with his arm protectively around a naked woman. His nose and lips were buried in her long straight oak brown hair. They slept together in harmony, in the comforted sleep of those who have given everything to their desperation and are left in exhaustion. The moon had seen many such couples during it's eons of watching the movements of the earth. It also knew, in a way that only the ageless can, when love was about to be rendered apart.

Dean Winchester woke to the sound of gunfire. He sat bolt upright. He looked up. The TV was still on, and was now playing some old western. Watching as onscreen the horses tripped up and fell in the charge, he sighed with relief. Nothing was wrong. Beside him, there was a soft sigh as Kelly stretched, cursed him vaguely, and rolled over. Dean couldn't help but smile at that. "Cursing me even when sleeping." He muttered. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her forehead. "That's my girl." Dean brushed the brunette bangs back off her cheeks as he looked down at her, no longer needing to keep a warm gaze out of his eyes. _Sammy's not here._ And Kelly couldn't tease him for it. He was safe. Calmly wiping the sweat off his forehead, he lay back down. His arms slipping around Kelly as he tugged her against him, and pressed his nose into the crown of her hair.

"No." She mumbled. Dean chuckled. His hand slipping across the smooth skin of her stomach, across the dimple of her belly button, and over the bump of her abdomen. It was a part of women that Dean always found disconcerting after sex. _Pregnancy, children._ He always wore a condom, but that didn't make him wonder whether or not, as he actually had a girlfriend now, should she… _The pill?_ The pair of words crossed Dean's mind, and he stopped. Paused. And growled with disappointment. God, he was turning into a woman. He gazed down at the top of Kelly's head. Was that the price of having a girlfriend? _Having all my manly qualities ripped out by my gonads._ He traced his finger up the side of her slim upper arm. Her too slim upper arm. She needed to eat more. Dean sighed, settling his hand on top of her head.

"Damn." He muttered. There was a loud, insistent, panicked banging against the door.

"Dean!" A voice yelled through the wood. The pounding continued. "Dean!" _Sammy._ Dean sat up and reached for his boxers, while Kelly awoke. She rolled over and gazed at him with a startled expression.

"Sam?" She asked. Dean snorted. He shouldn't have been surprised. She'd know. Of course, she'd know. The obviously had the same though on their mind. _Madison wasn't really cured_. Dean glanced down at the smooth creamy skin of her chest and the crease between her breasts peeking out from beneath the comforter. He swallowed. As he slid out of the bed and began pulling on his checkered boxers, Kelly rolled over and grabbed her nightshirt and bra. She sat up, but Dean pushed her back down.

"Stay here." He said.

"But if Sam's in trouble…" She began. But Dean just shook his head.

"There's no way you could get dressed in time." He said. Kelly sighed loudly, and fell back against the pillows. Dean grinned, and climbed out of the bed, hurrying to the door. He pulled it open to see a very flustered and worried Sam standing in front of him.

"She…she turned." He gasped. Then straightened, realizing that his brother was wearing nothing but boxer shorts. His gaze moved past Dean to the bed, where Kelly smiled, more than a little self-consciously from beneath the sheets. She waved at him. _Three guesses as to what these two were dong._ Sam swallowed the thought. The answer was so obvious that it wouldn't even take three.

"What?" Dean exclaimed.

"Madison turned?" Kelly asked from the bed. She sounded concerned. Sam kept his eyes on his brother.

"I couldn't grab her in time." He said. There was a long pause as the two brothers stared at one another. Finally, Dean said.

"We'll find her, Sammy." He sounded incredibly sure of the outcome. Sam, himself, he was a little more than worried. He watched as Dean glanced back at Kelly, who yawned and stretched. Sam looked down just as the comforter fell away, but upon returning his gaze to her, discovered that his first act of modesty hadn't been necessary. Somehow, she'd managed to cover herself in a silver and teal tank top. "You up for a little tracking, Princess?" Dean asked. His voice crisp and sweet. Kelly smiled at him in return, shutting her eyes, she reopened them, her eyes glittering molten gold.

"Always, honey." She said. Her tone exactly the same as Dean's. "Always."

"Good." Dean said. "Well, get dressed in here while the grown ups talk in the hall." He grinned at her. "Meet us out by the Impala when you're ready." He stepped out past his brother as she began to snarl. He ducked his head back in. "And try not to take too long." He added.

"Be out in a jiff." She said. "Ready to rip the hairs off your chinny chin chin." Dean snorted and shut the door.

"Do you always have to do that?" Sam asked. He glanced at Dean. Madison was still at the forefront of his mind, but watching Dean and Kelly rankle each other's skirts had him sidetracked. Again.

"What?" Dean asked. He glanced back at the door. "_That?_" He exclaimed. His voice incredulous. "Sammy, we were just having a bit of fun." He looked at his brother and raised his eyebrows. "The kind of fun you were just having."

"Right." Sam cleared his throat. _Because Madison and I always look like we're ready to rip each other's throats out._ "Isn't it a little too earlier in the morning for you two to be fighting?"

"It's never too early to fight, Sam." Dean said. He walked past his brother and out onto the hotel veranda, heading for the stairwell that lead down to the parking lot. "So what about Madison?" He asked. "Did you see which direction she went?"

"I called Bobby." Sam said. The hurried down the stairs. "He doesn't know anything. Except he knew severing the bloodline wouldn't work." Sam's walk was direct, determined, and practically a half run. Dean's legs were working twice as fast to keep up with his brother's long stride. "That's everyone, they all say it's impossible to reverse."

"Then how come she didn't turn when we were with her?" Dean asked.

"Dean."

"Maybe it has something to do with the subconscious part of the brain taking over while she's asleep." Kelly called from the top of the stairs. Both brothers turned and looked up. Kelly's hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she was wearing her regular cowboy boots, jeans, the same silver and teal tank Sam had seen earlier, and her usual chunky brown leather jacket. "If she doesn't sleep, she doesn't turn." Hurrying down the stairs to meet them. "She didn't sleep the night we were all with her right?" She asked. Dean looked thoughtful, like he was seriously contemplating this idea. Together the three of them walked out into the open air.

"That could be it." Dean said. "She turned only after you put her to be right?"

"Look, Dean. What the hell does it matter?" Sam asked. He spread his arms. Kelly could see how desperate and upset he was. She swallowed and shook her head, testing the air around her. In a city this size, with thousands of feet that traveled the roads everyday… _Finding Madison is going to be impossible._[/I[ Especially since she still couldn't take Dog form. Kelly had a feeling that the change itself required some kind of shared power connection. _Why I need a Binder._ She looked up, Sam was still talking. "We gotta look harder. Find some legend we missed or something."

"Sammy, even if there was." Dean paused. "Don't you think someone we know would have known it."

"Then we have to look harder!" Sam said. "Until we find something!"

Kelly looked away, out along the drop off of the hill and towards the bay. In the distance she could hear the sea gulls squawking as they soared over the greenish blue surf. Dive bombing unsuspecting tourists and stealing their hotdogs. She closed her eyes. Down by Pier 41 the sea lions were honking back and forth to one another. They were loud and it was easy to detect them through the rumble of engines and the acrid smell of smoke on the air. When she truly opened her senses, she was inundated by the smells and aromas around her. Dean's worry over Sam was detectible through the chemical change in his natural musk. Shifting his scent to something else. Sam's smell was fogged by the cologne he wore, but Kelly didn't need a nose to tell how desperate he was. But it wasn't just them. Kelly could smell the last twenty people, old, young, fat, ugly, who had walked over this sidewalk in the past hour. Their life stories were bound away in their scents, emotions, deeds, friends. Exhaust fumes from a backfiring car three blocks down. It went off like a gun shot. A lady on the third story to the left was putting her child down for a nap. A squirrel was napping in the oak tree on the right side edge of the parking lot. He'd hidden seven nuts around in the ground beneath it Winter was coming. Four boys had tormented a small puppy behind a chain link fence in a garage up the street. Kelly could still smell it's cooled blood on the cement. The boys were long gone. Perfume, a delicate imbalance of orchid and apricot smashed into her senses, as a lady across the street walked her poodle. Overhead the wind blew in loud gusts, blowing more of the world to her. It all mixed together and became confusing, overloading. She couldn't filter one out from the other. And the voices, her ear drums pounded, they were all so loud. Pressing her hands against the side of her head, she fought the unconscious urge to drop to her knees and scream. Instead, she allowed the dog to recede back into the darker recesses of her soul. Eyes returning to a normal shade, Kelly looked up. Dean and Sam were still arguing.

"Sammy." Dean said. "I don't think we got a choice here, anymore." Sam stared at his brother and took a deep breath. Kelly crossed her arms, she could see the pain in the younger Winchester's eyes. _He's associating the circumstances._ She realized. How had that slipped by her? It hadn't, not really. _I just chose to forget._ Was he so die-hard insistent on saving Madison because he saw himself in her? _Of course._ It was the same reason why Kelly was hesitant to kill her. But she understood a crucial fact. _I can't save myself through Madison._ Kelly glanced from Dean to Sam. This was a brother discussion, and she didn't feel like getting caught up in it. _Honestly, instead of arguing, should be looking for Madison._ But that wasn't going to happen. _Not until these two nimrods sort out their differences._

"What?" Sam asked. He wasn't taking the suggestion of offing Madison well.

"I hate to say it." Dean said. "She's a sweet girl, but part of her is…"

"Evil?" Sam asked. _Here we go._ Kelly thought. It was same theme of conversation that had been occurring ever since they'd discovered Madison was a werewolf. Kelly sighed, and waited for the self-absorbed redundancy. "You know that's what they say about me, Dean!"

"And me." Kelly added. She figured it was important that Sam not make this wholly about himself. "Don't forget, I'm half evil too."

"You're not running around killing people!" Dean snapped. He glanced from Kelly to Sam. "Neither one of you!" He glanced back at Sam.

"So me and Kelly you won't kill, but her you're just going to blow away?" Sam asked. Kelly had yet to come up with a good response to that question, and she could see that Dean hadn't either. But both of them were saved from answering by the ringer on Sam's phone exploded and began buzzing. Angrily, Sam turned away from both of them. Snatching his phone from his pocket, he pressed it against his ear.

"That seems to be the size of it." Kelly muttered. She glanced at her boyfriend. "You're kind of a hypocrite." Dean glanced at her. "You know that?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "Well, the pair of you have never given me a reason to put a bullet in your skull." Kelly looked up at him, her eyes dark, and Dean felt a shiver wriggle up his spine as he watched her eyes shift from a dark brownish gold to a pure molten color.

"Yet." She said. Her voice was cool.

"Madison?" Sam asked. He wasn't paying attention to either of them. Dean glanced at his brother, but when he looked back at Kelly, her eyes had returned to their normal color and she was watching him with a sad mostly placid expression. "Where are you?" Sam took off towards the parking lot, and Kelly and Dean followed him. He was deep in conversation, his forehead furrowed into a worried frown. There was a long pause in the conversation, and Kelly could only guess that Madison was talking. Finally Sam answered. "Do you see any street signs?" Sam moved around the side of the Impala, as Kelly pulled open the door to the backseat. Now was not the time to compete with Sam for shotgun. She slid across the leather, as Dean moved in on the drivers side. "Alright." Sam said. "Hold on Maddie, we're coming to get you, just stay where you are." Kelly buckled herself into the seat, as Sam slammed the passenger side door of the Impala shut with a loud clang. Then he hung up the phone. Kelly leaned her head back against the seat. She felt rested. Except a cold pit was enlarging at the bottom of her stomach, like a rock at the bottom of a lake, growing as sediment solidified around it. She glanced down at her USP 9mm hand gun, her fingers securing themselves around it's black grip. Her index twitching over the trigger. She closed her eyes. Was there a way to save Madison? Kelly didn't want to ask, because instinct said the answer was no.

Fifteen minutes later they were back in the apartment. Kelly had assumed her usual perch on the chest of drawers, while Sam sat in a chair by Madison. Dean was sitting in the table, diagonally adjacent to where Madison sat in a chair. Staring at the table. In front of them, Dean's trusty Colt 1911 semi-automatic lay with it's rose engraved head on the plastic table. The barrel was pointed in their direction which, Kelly felt, was yet another bad omen. The cold pit in her stomach had grown and she could barely contain her shivering. Rested as she was with her health and body restored, Kelly could feel her power levels still sagging low. She looked away from Madison. The woman's worried visage and tear streaked cheeks were too much for her to take. _And I don't even like her._ And for a girl who hated admitting defeat, Kelly would have been first to describe the situation as impossible. She leaned back against the wall, tapping her forehead gently as she tried to recall all the information she knew about lycanthropy. But other than what she'd been told by the Winchester brothers and her own brief sojourn through their father's diary, Kelly found she had nothing of use. Nothing new or relevant to add to the situation. It felt like there was some kernel, some important piece of information she was missing. That it was buried somewhere in the recesses of her mind, where the old memories of home and family were being consumed. Eaten away by the primal power encroaching on her waking mind. Kelly had often tried to believe that she lived in a happy balance. But after her experience with Lorna Pimm on the boat and her battle with Madison, Kelly could now feel herself in a solid state of limbo. She put her hand against her forehead. _Always, before I could control it._ Sort of. Now, more and more, it felt like it was controlling her. _And the Yellow Eyed Demon is at the center of it all_. He knew about these changes. He knew what was happening to her. He knew how she could control it. Kelly shook her head. She delved deep into herself, where the Dog lay curled up asleep at the bottom of her soul. Her other self. She reached out, memories assaulted her. Not hers, older than hers. They came in sensory detail without thought. Simply a flurry of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings. Blood. She could taste blood dribbling down against her tongue and out the side of her mouth. Dripping down her jaw, hot against her fur. Frightened. She swallowed and looked up. These weren't the things to be thinking about at a time like this. _I know I'm not evil._ But that didn't change the fact that she could be.

Madison stared down at the gun. The barrel of the 1911 Colt pointed at her abdomen. She stared down at it, her eyes haunted. Kelly would have called it a state of shock, except it wasn't. The emotion ran deeper than anything such a simple label could provide. Madison swallowed. "I don't remember." She said. Her eyes were on the gun. "Anything." She looked away. Her expression was too static for it to express horror or disgust. It was smooth, without worry or fear. Kelly could see the understanding in Madison's eyes, the full registration of the monster she was. Yet none of these emotions made it onto her face. "I probably killed someone last night." She said. Kelly glanced over at Sam, he was staring at Madison, his face a mask of pain. His eyebrows contorting as the creases of his face deepened into an expression that went beyond suffering or empathy. Instead it was some sort of odd combination of both. Kelly slid off the chest of drawers and landed softly on the floor. None of the three around the table noticed her change of position. Madison was too engrossed in her own thoughts, and the boys were suffering over what to do. "Didn't I?" Madison asked. She looked directly at Sam.

His lips twitched and twisted, as his eyes became a squint and tears burned at their edges. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, rocking back and forth. Trying to come up with a good response. Something that would make Madison feel less guilty. Something that would save her from suffering any more than she had too. He couldn't find anything. Dean glanced from one to the other, a small part of him wanted to glance back at Kelly to see how she was doing, but he kept his gaze on the woman in front of them. She was an innocent in this. She was the one who was suffering. He opened his mouth, but Kelly beat him to it.

"Probably." She said. "You probably did." Madison's head shot up, and she met Kelly's eyes. The two boys looked at her. Dean's face was without expression, while Sam's was grudging. "What?" She asked. "Do you want me to lie to her?" A softness brushed the edges of Kelly's gaze as she stared at the other woman. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Madison dropped her gaze.

"There's no way to know yet." Dean said. Madison looked at him hopefully. "But Kelly's most likely right." The woman's eyes dropped again as she considered this. The feeling of having murdered a man unwittingly lay heavy on her breast like a rotting carcass. Disgust welled up inside her. Wasn't there some way she could escape this?

"Isn't there anything else we can try?" She asked. "To make it go away." Dean looked down and Kelly's head shook, but Madison wasn't watching either of their responses. She was looking at Sam.

"We'll find something." Sam said. "I mean, there's gotta be some answer, somewhere." Sam's face was earnest, but as Madison's gaze shifted back to the sad, cold expression on Kelly's countenance she felt her stomach sink even further.

"That's not entirely true." Dean said. Madison's gaze shifted back to him. "Madison." He said. "You deserve to know." He paused, glancing from Sam to Kelly. "We've scoured every source." He shook his head. "There's just no cure." Kelly nodded, shifting her weight between the balls of her feet as she stared down at the floor. She wasn't normally one to run from a fight. _But I'm not that good at being comforting either._ Especially of someone who'd made her dislike for Kelly plain.

"Is…" Madison glanced at Sam. "Is he right?"

Kelly glanced at Sam. _Come on, Sam._ She thought. _Be honest._ There was a long pause as Sam stared at Madison. She could see the cogs of his mind whirling as he tried to find some solution. "He is." Kelly said. She was trying to give Sam some kind of reprieve and save him from having to answer Madison's question himself. "There isn't anything we can do."

"I wasn't asking you!" Madison yelled. Emotion broke her voice, and Kelly took an involuntary step backwards as a wave of hostility came rushing towards her. There was a long pause as Madison turned back to Sam. "Well?" She asked. Her voice soft. She was barely able to keep the tremble out of it as she stared into his chocolate colored eyes. Sam looked down and stood quickly. He stalked to the window. He stared out of it for several long seconds and the void of silence between the four of them grew exponentially. Kelly swallowed and glanced at Dean. He just looked down, shut his eyes, and shook his head. Then he turned his head away. Madison's mouth opened into a small o and Kelly stared down at her feet. Sam's reaction was the only answer she'd needed.

"We could lock you up at night." Dean said. His voice finally losing the shake. "But…" He trailed off. "You could bust out and some night you will, someone else dies." Kelly's hand tightened into a fist, she didn't notice as her black nails sank into the meat of her flesh or as her knuckles turned white. Madison stared into the air. Tears on the edges of her eyes, blurring her vision. Dean glanced from Madison to Sam. "I'm sorry." He said. "I am."

Licking her lips, Madison sniffed and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Kelly stepped forward, not sure of what to do. She didn't know how to help or contribute, and know it felt like the only thing her tongue was good for was silence. Dean glanced up at Sam, who looked away. His eyes returning to Kelly. But she was avoiding any and all gazes. The connection failed. Madison sucked in a deep breath. She sighed loudly, her exhale deep and sad. "So." She said. "So, I guess that's all there is to it." Sam whipped around.

"Stop it." He said. "Don't talk like that."

"Sam." Madison said. "I don't want to hurt anyone else." Her voice broke as she added. "I don't want to hurt you." Kelly glanced at Dean and he stared back at her.

_You haven't hurt anyone._ His mind said. But still he could feel her cold answer worming it's way through the confident thoughts at the back of his brain. _Yet._ Was the bone chilling answer. _Could you do it?_ Sam had asked. _Could you kill Kelly?_ No. Dean wanted to reply. No, no, no. He looked away from her. _No. Damn it, no!_

Madison reached out and grabbed the gun off the plastic table. She stood and walked forwards. Her breath coming out soft and loud at the exact same time as she came to a stop in front of Sam. She held out, handle extended to him. Kelly swallowed. She looked away from everyone. Her gaze on the mirror hanging on the far wall. Staring into it, she saw, not her own eyes gazing back, but the pupil-less gaze of the Yellow Eyed Demon. Blinking, she shook her head and looked away.

"Put that down." Sam said. His voice heavy with emotion as he spoke. His eyes were on her face completely, unable to shrug the weight settling over his shoulders.

"I can't do it myself." Madison said, pressing the handle of the gun against Sam's hand. Sam shuddered as he moved back. He understood what Madison wanted but he couldn't do it. No. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't. "I need you to help me." She said.

"Madison." Sam said. His voice soft. He could convince her. It didn't have to end this way. He could convince her. He could save her. "No."

"Sam." Madison said. "I'm a monster." Kelly flinched, but Madison's eyes never moved to her. She never attempted to make the final dig. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on Sam's.

"You don't have to be." Sam said. He took a deep shuddering breath. "We could find a way alright?" He looked at her. "I can." He said. "I'm gonna save you." Tears trickled out of the sides of Madison's cheeks, as she shook her head.

"You tried." She said. Her voice small. "I know you tried." She looked down at the proffered gun and pressed it more firmly against Sam. "But this is all there is left." She said. Her voice soft. "Help me, Sam." She said. "I want it to be you."

"I can't." He said.

"I don't want to die." Madison said. "I don't." She shook her head. Dean glanced at Kelly, but she looked away. Her eyes were focused out the window and far away. "But I can't live like this." Dean looked down, wishing that he could take Kelly's hand and tell her that it would all be okay. _You're not Madison_. That was what he wanted to tell her. Sam exhaled heavily and shook his head again. "This is the way you can save me." Madison said as Sam's gaze locked on hers. Sam ground his teeth against the inside of his cheek as his nose twitched, and his eyebrows bent closer together. "Please." Madison said. "I'm asking you to save me."

Sam closed his eyes and shook his head. Dean looked down, and then he stood. Walking around behind Madison, he gently pried the gun from her fingers and looked at his brother. Sam's entire body shook beneath Dean's gaze, with the finality that was in his brother's hazel eyes. Sam swallowed and looked back at Madison. Hers remained the same, pleading with him. Sam didn't want to believe that this was the only way left. He glanced over at Kelly, hoping against hope that she would offer a solution. Instead she looked away from him, and down at the floor. Sam sniffed, blinked back the water stinging the edges of his eyes and walked past Madison. He left the room for the safety of the study, and leaned against the doorframe as he stared into the kitchen. He was overcome by emotion, but he wouldn't let his tears fall. This was what Madison wanted. Why did she want it? How could she? Was this really the only option left to them? Did he have to kill her? She was an innocent. Innocent like Kelly was. Like he was. She was like them, so why did she have to die? It wasn't fair. He didn't notice that both Kelly and Dean had followed him, until Dean spoke.

"Sam." Dean said. Sam turned his haunted eyes from the door, woken from his contemplation, as he turned to face his brother. Dean fought to keep in control of his emotions, but it was a losing battle. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're right." Sam said. Tears leaked from his eyes, and slid down his cheeks. He sniffed loudly, as he shook his head. His eyes trying to find somewhere, anywhere to look other than his brother, he knew what he had to do. "She's right."

"Sammy, I got this one." Dean said. "It's okay, I'll do it."

"No." Sam said. "She asked me."

"Sam." Kelly said. Her voice soft and unobtrusive. Both brothers turned to glance at her from where she was standing. Her brown bangs brushed over her eyes, as she lifted her head. Neither Sam or Dean had noticed her entrance, and as she crossed the hardwood floor, Dean couldn't stop his heart from palpitating painfully as he looked at her. Sam's words still rang in his ears. _Could you do it?_ His brother had asked. "You don't have to." She said. Sam looked down at her, tears slipping down his cheeks, as his face contorted into a mask of pain. Kelly walked up to them, and reached up to brush away his tears. She took his face between her palms, and stared into his eyes. Worry suffusing her brown gold eyes as she gazed up at him. "Please."

"She asked me to." Sam said. Kelly swallowed. "She wants me to do it." Hot wet tears slipped out of the corners of Kelly's eyes as she bit her lip. Defeated, Kelly let her hands fall away, as Dean stepped up to put a protective arm around her, as he pulled her against him. Kelly closed her eyes, and accepted his embrace. She turned her head into his chest, as Dean held her, his mouth pressed against the crown of his head. Then Dean looked up at his brother.

"You don't have to." Dean said. He was still trying to convince his brother not to go through with it. Sam met Kelly's eyes, recognizing her tears, and found himself wondering how he could have ever doubted her humanity.

"Yes I do." Sam said.

"No." Kelly whispered. With his free hand, Dean stroked her hair. His fingertips running over each strand, as his arm tightened around her. It was easier this way, he knew. If he could have, he would have sent her outside, or left her back in the hotel room. This was the sort of thing he'd wanted to shelter her from, and it was frustrating to find that he couldn't.

"Please." Sam said. He held out his hand. Silently, Dean released his hold on Kelly, and stretched out his arm, handing Sam the gun. Tear streaks glinted in the light of the apartment, as Sam said. "Just wait here." His voice thick. Kelly whimpered into Dean's chest, and Sam watched as his brother's arms slid around her small frame. Then he turned and walked to the doorframe. Kelly turned around and watched with Dean, as Sam looked back at them. The depth of his pain apparent in his eyes, as his brows bent together, his lips tightened, and his visage became the most pitiful that Kelly had ever witnessed. She wanted to go after him, and take the gun from his hand. She glanced up at Dean, his face a similar mask of barely concealed agony. Kelly knew he shared her sentiments. But there was nothing they could do. Sam's eyes met hers, and then he turned and vanished into the living room. There was a long pause and Kelly turned her eyes away from Dean's face. She didn't watch as a single tear slid down Dean's cheek. His arm tightened across her chest, and Kelly slid her fingers through his. She closed her eyes. Flinching at the gun shot.

Later that evening, when Dean was fast asleep on the hotel bed, Kelly was woken by the sound of a door shutting softly with a click. In the dark of the room, she carefully disentangled herself from the arms of her lover and climbed out of bed. She never had to call for the night vision, it came naturally to her like so many of her secondary gifts. She looked down at Sam's bed. The sheets were ruffled and the comforter was flung back, but Sam Winchester was no where to be seen. Quietly, without needing to search for evidence as her nose led his scent directly to the door. She grabbed her plaid bag and swung it over her shoulder. She reached out and snatched up her boots from beside the bed. Footsteps more silent than a mouse, she opened the hotel door and stepped out into the hallway. Her pace quick and methodical she walked down the hall. She shoved open the door, and was greeted by a cold wintry wind that swept up between the skin of her bared legs. Leaning over the railing, she gazed down at the familiar head of Sam Winchester, who was now in process of committing a felony. "You know that's against the law, don't you?" She called. Her voice echoing down from the top of the stairs. Sam looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. Then ignoring her, he returned to his work. Kelly sighed, calling up her yellow eyes, she hopped over the edge of the railing and fell one story down. Her bare feet hit the pavement hard, and her knees shook from the impact. She nearly fell backwards, but maintained her balance and straightened.

"Next time walk down like a normal person." Sam said. His voice hard. "Or better yet, go crawl back into the arms of your boyfriend."

"No can do." Kelly said. She walked forward to inspect the old rusty 19609 Ford F-250 pickup. It was brown, and she had a feeling Sam would be ditching it as soon as they were outside the city. She leaned down across the hood of the car and stared up at the youngest Winchester.

"You going to try and convince me to stick around?" Sam asked. His voice was rough. Kelly sighed.

"You're obviously not very quick on the uptake." She sighed. Shrugging her shoulder to indicate the bag, she lifted the boots in her right hand and waggled them underneath his nose. "You're obviously going to hunt the Yellow Eyed Demon." She said, referring back to the conversation they'd had in the middle of this mess. _Right after that son of a bitch visited me._ "I want in."

"Yeah?" Sam asked. She could feel him challenging her as she threw her stuff in the back of the pickup. "And what connection have you got to Yellow Eyes?" Kelly paused, her hand resting on the metal as she silently considered telling him the truth. Instead, she shook her head.

"None." She said. Her voice cheerful. "But I can't let you go alone."

"Why not?" Sam demanded. "I'll be fine, and Dean'll be worried when he wakes up and finds both of us gone." Kelly looked down at the car, just as Sam finished unlocking the door. He opened it and slid inside.

"Yeah." Kelly said. Making Dean worried had occurred to her. Still, she shrugged. "But with what happened to Madison you're obviously not alright."

"I'm fine." Sam repeated.

"Sure." Kelly shrugged. "Even so, I'm not letting you go anywhere by yourself." She leaned against the driver's side of the car, as Sam pulled a knife out of his pocket and began to hotwire the engine.

"Kelly." Sam said.

"Sam." Kelly replied. She raised her eyebrow. "I get that you need some space after what happened, but take me with you or I swear to god, I'll wake up Dean before you're halfway down the driveway." The threat hung in the air between them. "You want to go looking for answers." She said. "You take me with you." Finally, Sam sighed and leaned over. He unlocked the passenger side door. Kelly walked around the front and clamored inside. She shut the door, and buckled herself in. Finally, Sam got the right spark and the engine began to rumble. He shifted gears, and looked at her.

"Why is it so important that you come with me?" He asked.

"Because Sam." Kelly said. "That's what friends do." _That._ She thought. _And you're not the only one looking for answers._

AN: It took forever to get this updated, lol. Way to go . It's frustrating to finish something and be unable to share it. Anyway, we're finally done with Heart. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sammy and Kelly are off to find the YED and get into lots of trouble. So look forward to that. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will update again soon.

Remember, review.


	45. Chapter 45: Hunted

Chapter 45: Hunted

The night was dark, darker than the darkest kind of black. It sank around the desolate landscape, hiding the twisted trees from view. Out of all the roads in Indiana, only one lead out to the house. There were no crossroads; no signs pointing the way back to civilization except one lone exit onto a nearby highway. But it was miles away and the face of the sign had been hidden by overgrown bushes. Rhododendrons with their puffy flowers and the needle hands of the lambkill kalmia filled in the open spaces between the tall trunks of the beech, yellowwood, and white birch trees covering the landscape. There were many more trees, each with it's own genus and name. Some had been imported from far away countries like Japan and Korea. While some had been converted to the local flavor, most trees whose descendants were brought by man remained at least bilingual, if not eschewing their nonnative tongue all together. These were trees left to grow wild and unchecked by man. They had no concept of strip malls or parks. They merely stood and witnessed time. Their roots had yet to extend out into the road as the different breeds were still in heated competition for the best sunlight. Their infighting left little room for expansion, even of the most mundane kind. For when one tree spread its roots in an effort to broaden its territory, another was there to block it. And so, with their minds always focused inward, they left the road alone.

The road was not much of a prize worth winning. The ages had left it muddy by nature, and it was filled with ditches, potholes, and suspension destroying ruts. Still, broken and deadly as it was to the wandering car the road remained in existence. There was nothing truly special about it. Beneath the overhead sky the road wound snakelike on it's journey. The wild state of its surrounding populace was the hammer to the empirical data that the road hadn't been long abandoned by man. Still, the gales came every year during the wet season and the sweeping rain of each tempest washed a little more of the road away. It decayed with each passing year. Remaining unused as other roads, highways, and interstates received loving attention from construction workers. But there was a rhyme to why the state allowed this road it's slow death. Simply put by many bureaucrats, there was no reason to come out here. On the abandoned stretch of land between the interstate 65 and 74, the road led away from the city of Lafayette. Here in the depths of Indiana. The road existed under the same sky, underneath the blackness and the dots of cold stars. The road, like all the creatures of mankind, lived out its life beneath the ambiguous moon. With all the murders the moon had witnessed, the silent observer, the road could not understand how it maintained it's pure glow. The road itself seemed to be suffering from it's distinct and violent past. Serial killers, and generations of rapists had all at one point used this place. This lair hidden from the eyes of society. But the innocence of the road in these matters could not be questioned. It is not in the nature of the road to guess where it leads. Nor is it in its nature to question the morality of its passengers. It simply goes on. It was on one evening, like many evenings that the overhead moon had begun to wane. It's silver light bleeding across the lonely road and the cold house at its end.

The house was old, rickety, and it was falling apart. The roof was beginning to cave under the strain of branches fallen during the last winter's storm. Old Barry Manhattan's place. In days long past it'd been a hunting lodge, a place of quiet tranquility and a taxidermy back when animals still lived in the forest. Now, only the crickets remained on hand to sing and they made a fine snack for the local flock of birds, who made the forest their home. These little mocking creatures roosted in the eves of the rundown building labeled 5637, mimicking their prey in long ballads about crunchy bugs and tasty flesh on the warm nights. But they were the only residents of Barry Manhattan's old hunting lodge. Abandoned for many years, the yard was still filled with all kinds of junk. Rusting car engines lay strewn along the side of the house; their noses buried face down in the thick mud. A moth eaten mattress stood tipped up against the side of the house, its fluff hanging down like loose intestines as the casual wind brushed against protruding springs. On the roof and shaped like a rooster, a jammed wind vane stood forever with it's beak pointing north. This was in spite of Nature's best attempts to convince it otherwise. In the dark beneath the layers of peeling white washed paint and the tagged gang signs, the molding planks groaned.

Headlights flashed in the distance. Bright and yellow they preceded the rundown Ford steadily rumbling up the road. Probably stolen. It's tires bumped along the long dirt stretch as the engine rattled and the transmission hummed like a hornets nest. The car rolled to a stop several feet down the driveway, and a cautious young man stepped out. His boots sinking into the mud and leaving a deep impression of his sneaker's sole as he squished across the yard. Checking the small slip of paper that he held in one hand, the tall man looked around. He sucked in a deep breath, his lungs filling with excess air as he exhaled. This place was quiet, too quiet. He looked around, and then motioned coolly with his free hand. A young woman with shoulder length brunette hair slid out, her feet landing in a large pool of grime and muck. It splashed up her leg, and she bit her lip. Grumbling unhappily, she looked up at the sky with bright golden eyes, then she glanced back at the man. He flipped his hand, indicating they should move forward. The girl nodded. She followed him along a wall heavily tagged with black spray paint. Gang logos, upside down triangles, and other unrecognizable symbols. The man only looked at house numbers again, rechecking to see if they were at the correct destination. The girl merely shrugged, her eyes glowing as she assessed the area. There was something off about her. The man didn't seem to notice at all. He stepped up onto the porch. The planks moaned beneath his weight like a lover discovering a new caress. The man paused for a moment, checking around him to see if anyone had noticed. Then he glanced back over his shoulder at the girl and said something. She shrugged and motioned for him to go on ahead. The man continued across the deck, his sneakers carefully silent as he avoided loose boards. Termites had already eaten half the supports and portions of the wooden porch, turning them into unstable pulp. The woman, light on her feet, followed the man's steps with precision. From a far off view it looked as if she was mocking him. The man peered inside the house through an opening in the boarded windows. Worriedly, he glanced back at her and then motioned for her to go around him. She did, the boards creaking beneath her as she rounded the side of the house, and knelt to examine the lock on the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she whistled softly as the man walked around behind her. The door swung open. They glanced at one another.

Inside the once gleaming walls were stripped bare. Charred remains of newspaper and ash littered the floor, whispering as the pair stepped inside. The man went first. He moved silently along the walls, his hand hidden in his coat pocket and he held it out in front of him. In the moonlight the outline of a gun barrel glittered through the cloth. He looked around the edge of the wall. There was nothing. The only sound to be heard was that of his own anxious breath, and the steady whispering intake of the girl bringing up the rear. Satisfied that there was nothing, his eyes moved across the shadows flickering on the walls. Sure that it was safe, he stepped forward. His foot moved through a small wire at the level of his ankle. There was a click. As if in slow motion his eyes moved sideways. Seeing the pin fly free from the grenade plastered to the wall, his eyes widened with shock. Behind him, the golden-eyed girl moved.

"Get down!" Came the yell. Hands went forward, seizing the jacket of the man, shoving him down. Then, the world erupted in yellow and red. Walls exploded as charred wooden pieces flew across the hallway. Blood spattered the remainder of the walls. As the smoke cleared, a single shoe lay smoking on the concrete floor.

In Peoria, Illinois Ava Wilson sat bolt upright in her bed, gasping for breath. Lifting a palm to rub across her sweaty forehead she looked around her empty apartment. Beside her, fiancée Brady continued to slumber. Trying to convince herself it was just a dream, Ava lay her head back down against her pillow and shut her eyes.

The Roadhouse, Wyoming

It was six hours after dawn, two weeks later when Sam and Kelly walked through the creaking old wooden door of the roadhouse. On their long journey to Ellen's Sam had divulged the rest of his dealings about the Yellow Eyed Demon to Kelly. He told her about Max Miller, when the Yellow Eyed Demon had possessed their father in the events leading up to Dean's coma. Sam revealed Dean's suspicion that they're father had made a deal with the Yellow Eyed son of a bitch to restore him to life. Sam told her about what had occurred with Andy Gallagher and his twin brother before Kelly had fallen into his brother's lap. Then, with great uncertainty, he told her about the events of Croatoan during her months spent training under Bobby, and his immunity to the demon virus. Kelly knew everything now, or at least she thought she did. Sam had withheld one key piece of information. What John Winchester had told Dean minutes before his fatal heart attack. _That Dean might one day have to kill me._ It wasn't that Sam didn't trust Kelly enough to tell her. It wasn't that. Not really. No, Sam didn't want Kelly worrying about anything else. She was already in enough trouble with Dean, and it seemed unfair to cloud the future with a thought so unpleasant. She'd come on this journey because she said she wanted to help him. _Because that's what friends do._ Apparently. She would be facing the Yellow Eyed Demon soon enough, it would be good if she learned more about him. At least, that's what Sam told himself.

Following Kelly across the smooth floorboards to the rousing tunes jerkily expectorating from the juke box, Sam walked slowly. He didn't mind being behind her. In fact, it was somewhat gratifying. The door shut behind him and several sets of eyes snapped in the direction of the sound. Including those of Ellen Harvelle, who was calmly cleaning a glass mug behind the bar. When she saw them her lips pursed together, Kelly smiled hesitantly back.

"Hey Ellen." Kelly said. Her gaze falling guiltily on toes of her brown cowboy boots as the woman's sharp eyes moved over her.

"You're damn right it's hello." Ellen said. She leaned across the bar. "Do you know how much trouble you're in young lady? Running off on Bobby and the Winchester boys without so much as a note. Had most of us up here at the bar worried sick." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And now from what I hear you've done it again." Kelly winced as Ellen's sharp tone hammered into her. It was hard to be strong against Ellen. Fighting against her was like fighting an avalanche, Kelly could try standing in the way but Ellen would just keep barreling on. She'd steam roll right over her. Even after only a brief interaction and months of separation, Kelly still knew the best course of action was to bow her head and get out of the way. Sam cleared his throat. Ellen glanced at him. "Yeah." She said. Her hands on her hips. "Dean's been callin', worried sick, looking for you'." Ellen glanced at Kelly again. "Both of you."

"Figured he might." Sam nodded. He smiled and looked down at his feet as Kelly slid past him and onto one of the barstools. Ellen's eyes were still on Kelly as Sam spoke, and the girl squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. Ellen had a sharp eye, and Kelly wondered if she'd guessed at the relationship between Kelly and the older Winchester. She hoped not, but when Dean got desperate his emotions started breaking through the nonchalant façade.

"Doesn't surprise me." Kelly mumbled.

"Didn't think it would." Ellen smiled. Her gaze still on Kelly as Sam tried to avoid making eye contact. "Can I get you something to drink honey?" The girl smiled up at her, and Ellen was surprised to see the shift in her features. It was subtle, but she'd become more angular, gaunt even, and her eyes were no longer the mahogany shade that Ellen remembered. No they seemed to stand undecided between gold and brown, mercurially shifting between the two beneath the overhead lights.

"Water." Kelly said. Ellen nodded.

She glanced back at Sam and asked. "What's going on between you two?"

_And why do you have Kelly? Why isn't she with Dean?_ Sam thought as he finished the unspoken half of Ellen's question. Ellen handed Kelly a glass of water as the girl shifted in her seat, staring down into the clear liquid determinedly. From where Sam was standing, it seemed like she'd thrown her usual spunk thrown right out the window.

Kelly liked Ellen a lot. But the truth was that she didn't want to be questioned too closely about her reasons for leaving Dean and following Sam. Somehow, she doubted that a statement like 'for the sake of a friend' would fly past Ellen's bullshit detector. At the very least it wouldn't make it through unscathed. Kelly had no desire to leave the Roadhouse limping. She wanted to make it through this interview intact. _At least with as little lying as possible_. She didn't like to lie, and she especially didn't want to lie to Ellen. She didn't look up from her drink when Sam spoke.

"How's Jo?" Sam's voice thickened as he tried to change the subject. Ellen smiled and shook her head. She looked down and blinked.

"Something happen?" Kelly asked.

Ellen glanced at her. The girl had lifted her head and was looking up at her. The curiosity in her eyes didn't belie Ellen's suspicions. _Those two never really got along did they?_ She thought. _So, why's she worrying about Jo?_ Was it all for the sake of conversation? Sucking in a deep breath, she replied. "Well, I don't really know."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I ain't seen her in weeks." Ellen said. The older woman shrugged. "She sends a postcard now and again."

Kelly took a long sip of the water. Her eyes on a point behind Ellen, her nose detecting subtle shifts in the chemical make up of Ellen's scent. _Embarrassment, shame, discomfort._ Those were the starting point. This was an uncomfortable topic of conversation for Ellen. _But it does distract from the Dean question._ Suddenly, her fingers itched to reach into her pocket and check her messages. She'd been gone two weeks. He was obviously worried, mostly over Sam. _And I left just when things were starting to get better._ Karma would probably bite her for that. _I'm never able to stick with a good thing._ He was probably jealous again, maybe he'd forgive her if she promised him a lap dance in the stripper costume. That wouldn't be so bad right? He'd believe that she was just friends with Sam, right? "What happened?" She asked. Her voice came out slowly, almost stuttering. Sam leaned down on the bar, his expression doubly earnest. Kelly could practically feel the concern emanating out of his soft brown eyes as he gazed with Ellen. She sniffed. There was a bit of guilt mixed in with the sugary scent of worry. It peppered Sam's scent.

"Well," Ellen said. She pulled another glass out from underneath the bar and stuck it under the tap. Filling it full of dark amber liquid Ellen set the mug in front of Sam. "After she worked that job with you boys… and girl." Ellen nodded to Kelly who lifted her glass and took another sip of water. "She decided she wanted to keep on huntin'. I said not under my roof, and she said fine." Ellen looked away, Sam sighed, looked down and then over at Kelly. She shrugged.

"We're sorry, Ellen." Kelly said. She met Sam's eyes and smiled a little. The younger Winchester brother's lips twitched. Kelly's heart skipped a little beat at the expression on his face. Blinking she looked away, and smiled at Ellen. "Sam and I are probably the last people you want to see right now." She shifted uncomfortably on the barstool.

"Kelly, honey, you are welcome to stay with me anytime." Ellen replied. Sam lifted the cup to his lips and drank deeply. These days it felt like it was never too early to start drinking. Maybe he was starting to take after Dean. "On paper you're my niece, and while that might not let me stop you from hunting." She cast a rough glare in Sam's direction. The younger Winchester drained the mug. "That still makes you family."

"So, I'm the only unwelcome one?" Sam asked. His throat felt itchy.

Ellen snorted. "Don't get me wrong." She smiled. "I wish I could blame the hell out of you boys." Ellen said. "Truth is, it's not your fault." Sam looked up from his empty mug, still uncertain about meeting her eyes. His gaze made it as far as the midsection of Ellen's neck. "Sam." His lips pursed. "None of it is." Sam's gaze fell back down to the smooth surface of the bar as he tried to count the greasy fingerprints. He was both comforted and unnerved to hear her forgive him. Still warmth bloomed his chest, growing steadily stronger as Kelly reached out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sam couldn't bring himself to look at her. She was his brother's girlfriend, but despite all his claims to the contrary, he couldn't fight the way she made his heart flutter. "I want you to know that I forgave your daddy a long time ago." Ellen said. "For what happened to my Bill." She shook her head, a haunted expression passing over her eyes, and then she looked back at him. "I just don't think he ever forgave himself."

Kelly let her hand stay on Sam's shoulder for another moment or two as the entire group sat in silence. Finally, Sam asked. "What did happen?" There was another pause as Ellen looked away and then down.

"So." She said. She glanced from Kelly to Sam. "Why did you come here sweetie?" Kelly's gaze flicked to Sam and then back to Ellen, who smiled. "Kelly, honey, I'm assuming you're here because of the knucklehead in question."

"Smart guess." Kelly smiled. She wondered how easily her lies would get past Ellen. "He didn't want Dean around, so I figured I'd offer my services." _Sam doesn't feel the need to prove himself to me._ She thought. Chewing on her lip, she glanced at Sam.

_That's not the whole story though, is it?_ Ellen wanted to ask. But she held her tongue. Kelly's business was Kelly's business, something the headstrong young woman had made very clear in her past actions. _And challenging that._ Trying to dig to expose the truth, well, that could lead to Ellen alienating her. _I don't want to lose another member of my family._ So she wouldn't ask. Instead, she'd just wonder. _Are you in love with Sam or Dean?_ Dean had sounded pretty worried on their frequent phone conversations. _Not to mention paranoid._ He couldn't seem to figure out why Kelly had gone off with Sam. _Poor boy._

"I need help." Sam said. His words bringing Ellen out of her thoughts and back down to earth.

"All right." She said. "Let's see what we can do." Sam grinned thankfully at Ellen before he turned to Kelly. She smiled back, and Ellen noted a gentleness in the girl's eyes as she looked at the younger Winchester. Somehow, Ellen didn't doubt that the girl was in love with Dean. Still, Sam seemed to have an effect on her.

Several hours later Ash had turned up a small set of sources about children whose mothers had died in nursery fires. It didn't cover all the potential special children, many of whose mothers hadn't been murdered while they were sleeping in their cribs. But Sam needed a place to start, and the best way was at the beginning with the familiar. It was something that his father had taught him. As had turned up four leads who fit the profile after Ash had done a nationwide search. It was disappointing that they'd turned up so few results, but Sam knew that a single clue was better than none at all. The names were all people he'd met before, Max Miller, Andrew Gallagher, and himself. However the last was someone new, Scott Carey.

"You got an address?" Sam asked.

"Kind of." Ash replied. "The Arbor Hills Cemetery, plot 486. Lafayette, Indiana."

Beside Sam, Kelly sighed. "Well, that's basically a dead end." Kelly glanced from one face to the other, and a few minutes later the weight of the pun hit Sam. "Get it?" She asked. "Dead end?" Sam groaned.

"Bad puns not withstanding." Ash said.

"No one gets me." Kelly sighed. Sam glanced back over his shoulder at her, he couldn't stop his lips from twitching into a smile. She looked so forlorn. Sam was glad to see her recovering her armor. She'd been unusually quiet most of the trip, and aside from a few pointed questions during his story Kelly had kept quiet. He'd seen a side that was different from her usually strong willed personality. In some ways it reminded him of what she'd been like back when they'd first met. _When she was still scared of everything._ Including the dark.

Ash glanced at her, his eyebrows quivering with annoyance. "He was killed about a month ago."

_I guess I'm not as verbally stimulating as Dean._ Sam thought. He paused for a second to consider the irony in that statement. "Killed?" Sam asked. "How?"

"Stabbed." Ash said. "Parking lot." He shrugged as Kelly took Sam's beer and drank a long swig. Sam knew better than to call her out on it. She was just being herself. Instead, he kept his eyes on Ash. "Local authorities don't have much. No suspects."

Sam nodded. It would probably be better if they hit the road soon. He nudged Kelly, who finished the rest of the beer. Taking the information from Ash, he said. "Alright, thank you." Then Sam stood. Kelly watched as he headed for the door, she turned back to Ellen.

"Thank you, Ash." She said. "You're a miracle worker." Her voice earnest as she looked at him, her lips curved in an almost cheerful smile. "This really helps a lot." Ash started at her for a long moment, and then he grumbled something unintelligible. From the words keys, she figured it was about magic fingers. Taking another long draft of his beer, Ash looked away from her. Feeling the burn of dismissal, Kelly turned to Ellen. "And you, Ellen." She added. "I'll remember what you said." She looked into the older woman's eyes, wishing that she could completely express her gratitude over Ellen's claiming her as family, and giving her a place to stay. If she wanted it.

"Your boy's by the door." Ash mumbled into his glass. Startled, Kelly glanced up her eyes searching the doorway. But she only found Sam standing there, looking impatient.

"Then I best be off." Kelly said. She shrugged, and then leaned back on her heels. Turning quickly, she headed after Sam.

"Where are you going?" Ellen asked. The high, emotional note of worry in her voice made Kelly pause. From his position by the doorway, Sam also looked back.

"Lafayette, Indiana." Kelly said. She glanced at Sam, and he nodded.

"Sam. Kelly." Ellen shook her head. "I gotta call Dean, I gotta let him know where you are." Kelly had just reached Sam, when she turned around. This was the younger Winchester's show, and she was just along for the ride. _Doesn't matter if I want to find out about the Yellow Eyed Demon too._ This was his search, and if anyone was going to convince Ellen not to call his brother, it would have to be Sam. He didn't let her down.

"Ellen." Sam said. His voice patient and filled with honesty. "I'm trying to find answers, about who I am." He looked away. "And my brother means well but he can't protect me from that."

Ellen lifted her head. "And I suppose she can?" Kelly flinched at the finger suddenly pointed in her direction. "For god's sake Sam, she's barely more than a child." Kelly growled softly beside Sam, that stung. She wasn't a child. She could take care of herself.

"I'm looking out for her." Sam said. "Nothing'll happen to her while she's with me."

"And nothing will happen to him, while he's with me." Kelly retorted. She hated it when they started talking about her like she wasn't there. "That's a promise, Ellen." A small smile broke across Ellen's lips at Kelly's statement.

"Please." Sam said. Ellen paused, then she sighed. Kelly could see her breaking underneath the weight of Sam's desperation. Then she nodded.

"Fine." She said. Then she glanced at Kelly. "But if I so much as hear about you breakin' a nail." She lifted a warning finger. "Then I'm calling Dean."

_Then you won't hear about any broken nails, bones, or gunshot wounds._ "Deal." Kelly said. With a shake of Ellen's head, Kelly pushed Sam out the door. It would be a long drive to Indiana from Wyoming, and Kelly wanted to get a start on it as quickly as possible. She doubted that Ellen would keep their secret long, especially if Dean called her while they were out on the road. Still, Kelly hoped that it would give them enough time to find some answers. _And having a small lead is better than not having one at all._ As she climbed into their third stolen car, she glanced at Sam. His face was a mask of purpose, and she figured that now wouldn't be the best time to talk to him. "Think she'll squeal?" She asked. Shutting to door with a loud clang, she buckled in beside Sam. The younger Winchester pressed together the wires underneath the steering wheel, starting the engine. He didn't say anything. Kelly sighed and settled back into the seat. She knew that this would be a long trip. _And me without anything to talk about._ "Fine." She sighed. "Don't talk to me."

Sam looked up as his right hand shifted gears, and the car backed down out of the driveway. "What's there to talk about Kelly?" Sam asked. "Ellen said she wouldn't tell Dean where we were going."

"But she probably will." Kelly said.

"Probably." Sam conceded. "Either way we'll still be in Indiana by the time Dean finds out." He glanced at her. The sneaking suspicion about her reasoning that had been unraveling his confidence during the trip suddenly coming into the light. "Unless." He muttered. "You want him to find us." He watched as Kelly's expression darkened. Her golden brown eyes snapped towards him and Sam heard a soft growl pass through her lips.

"Of course not." She snapped.

"But you miss him?" Sam asked. He suspected this was the case, even so, he wanted her to confirm it. Instead, Kelly retaliated with a different question.

"Don't you miss Madison?" She asked. Her eyebrows rose challengingly as she looked at him. Suddenly, Sam realized that all the shyness she'd had in Ellen's presence was now drifting away on the evening tide and he was currently running to catch up. Sam swallowed. Either way, her question was a low blow. Why was she reminding him about Madison? There was a long pause. "I'll take you're silence as a yes." She said. Sam stiffened.

"What would you know about it?" He asked. His voice harsh and heavy with pent up emotion. It was like her words had broken a dam inside him, and now the feelings were flooding out. "You? Kelly? You don't remember anything!" He snarled. "Not what it's like to have a family, or siblings, or loved ones. You don't remember the people you loved before you came here." Kelly flinched. He was being harsh and it hurt. She knew he was mostly angry about Madison, but that didn't change the impact of his words. It was frightening to see Sam start spinning out of control. Unable to stop himself, Sam continued. "So what the hell would you know about losing someone? Who have you lost? Who have you let down? Who have you failed Kelly? That's right, you haven't yet." His fingers tightened around the steering wheel until the knuckles turned white. "What the hell would you know?" He growled. "You can't compare with what I've lost. My mother, my father, Jessica, and now Madison! Everything is being taken from me. Everything." Damn. He'd thought he'd come to terms with Madison's loss weeks ago. So why was he shouting at her now? _Maybe it had something to do with putting a bullet in her chest._ Maybe that was it. But he'd chosen that. _Because she asked me to._ And even though Madison had told him this was how he could save her… Sam Winchester didn't believe it. He couldn't look at Kelly, not right now, he didn't want to face her. Instead Sam glared straight ahead, his eyes fixing on the flat landscape, the winding road, and the far away horizon. "And now, after everything, you're taking Dean from me." _Or is Dean taking her away?_

Kelly's nails buried into the flesh of her palm and she gritted her teeth. _A lot of things._ She wanted to say. _I've failed a lot of innocents. People have died._ Who knew, maybe her actions this time had finally resulted in her losing Dean. Kelly swallowed. Instead she bit her tongue, she wasn't going to take the bait and fight with Sam. That wasn't what she wanted, and it sure as hell wasn't what their trip was about. Kelly sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils and, silently, she listened to Sam's voice grow softer.

"How am I supposed to live with being a third wheel, Kelly? Huh? How the hell am I supposed to live when everyone keeps leaving me?" Kelly swallowed. She stared down at her hands. She wanted to retaliate but Sam was in real pain. "Answer me!"

"I can't." She said. Her voice was small. _I've lost..._ Her mind trailed off, her voice choking in her throat. _Can you kill me?_ What would her future be? In the face of Sam's rage why didn't she fight back? Why was she lying down at taking this like a whipped dog? _Because Sam needs to vent._ So no matter how much it hurt, she had to take it.

"Dammit!" Sam swore. _Why did you love him and not me?_ He asked. His eyes setting on a point in the distant horizon. _Why didn't you save me from loving Madison?_ Why was she here now? _Why aren't you with Dean? Why do you keep torturing me like this?_ She was sitting next to him, had chosen to follow him, and yet he still couldn't kiss her or touch her hair. He couldn't snuggle with her in bed. Damn. _Why did I have to lose Madison?_

"Sam?" Kelly's voice was soft and tentative. It wasn't afraid, no, Sam wouldn't have been able to take it if she was afraid of him.

_I'm not that scary now right?_ He'd needed to find answers. The answers everyone seemed to be denying him. The truth about himself. He needed this mission, he needed the distraction. _So, why did I let another distraction come along?_ He asked himself. _Because she threatened to wake Dean if I didn't._ But that wasn't the real reason. No, he could have made it out of the parking lot before Kelly reached his brother and been long gone. So why had he brought her with him? Sam sighed. "It's fine." He muttered. His eyes still on that far distant point. "I'm fine."

"Good." Kelly retorted. Crossing her arms across her chest, she sank deeper into her seat. They drove in silence for the rest of the day, trying not to look at one another. This was how they passed the entire trip. In contemplative silence, Sam tried not to think about Madison and Kelly tried to shut Dean out of her mind. Neither were very successful, and the more Sam thought about the Yellow Eyed Demon the angrier he grew. The silence didn't calm him down. Instead, it made his blood boil. He would find the solution to his family's nightmare. He would get revenge for his mother and for Jess. And he would do it after he'd finally figured out what the Demon wanted. Then Sam Winchester would pull the trigger of Samuel Colt's Colt and watch the Yellow Eyed Demon die. Yes, then Sam Winchester would watch the Yellow Eyed Demon die.

AN: That's right, we're finally into Hunted. Yay, huzzah, all that jazz. I've been busy with school so it took a little while to write the chapter and put it up, but I'm very eager to get done with this arc too, so it shouldn't be as long as the last one. *crosses fingers. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, I'm sorry there wasn't a lot of Dean but I haven't gotten to focus on Sammy much during this story and I really wanted to. So we'll be seeing a lot more of Sam and Kelly's interactions (unfortunately they don't flow quite as well as Dean and Kelly's when I'm trying to come up with conversations... Darn it Sam!) Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up soon. So keep a weather eye out! In the next chapter there will be more Kelly fun, Ava, and hopefully some Gordon.

Remember, I love reviews. So please tell me how you liked it.


	46. Chapter 46: You're Going to Die

Chapter 46: You're Going to Die

Dean Winchester was pissed. Very pissed. He was angry with his brother for running off, and he was upset at his girlfriend for leaving him for the second time without explanation. He couldn't call them because both their cell phones were turned off. _But Sammy had no interest in Kelly._ That's what Dean had thought. He realized that his brother needed some grieving time, that was why the older Winchester brother had been all set to propose a visit to L.A. After all, they were in the neighborhood, and Dean never passed up on the opportunity to see Kelly in a bikini. That was what he'd been planning on suggesting. Instead, he'd woken up the next morning with both of them gone. Thankfully, they'd left him the car. While he didn't have a clue as to where they might have gone, one thing was clear to Dean Winchester. Sam was probably looking for hints about the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _And to find that he'd have to talk to Ash._ Who was at Ellen's Roadhouse.

Lafayette, Indiana

The next day, Kelly and Sam were sitting in the Carey house hand in hand. Their backs sinking into the brown sofa as the cracked leather whimpered beneath their weight. Sam and Kelly had decided to pose as a young couple while interviewing Scott Carey's father. Crossing her legs, Kelly leaned against Sam's shoulder. Her hand resting on his chest as she stroked his collar in a gesture of support and affection. Sam was pretending to be an old high school friend of Scott's and in his grief, Mr. Carey hadn't thought to look beyond that. Kelly was posing as Sam's girlfriend, here to help him deal with the loss of his friend. It had been the only way they could agree on. Kelly wasn't pleased at having to pretend to be Sam's girl, but it'd seemed like the solution with the least amount of problems attached.

"Yes, sir I did." Sam said. He looked into the eyes of the haggard old man. Beside him, Kelly kept her supportive fingers pressed against his chest.

"And you?" Mr. Carey turned to Kelly. "You're here for?"

"Well, Mr. Carey." Kelly began. She kept her voice gentle as she glanced up at Sam, forcing warmth and concern to soften her eyes. "My boyfriend Sam here was just so broken up when he heard about your son, that I figured he shouldn't go alone." She cocked her head to the side and patted Sam's chest.

"That's right." Sam said. "She's been pretty concerned about me since I found out." A flush was rising up his neck as Kelly nodded. Trying not to appear stiff, Sam wrapped his free arm around Kelly's shoulder. He hugged her against him, and got a sneaky elbow buried in his ribcage for his trouble. Coughing, he covered his mouth wishing he had some way of retaliation against her.

"You're lucky to have someone who cares about you like that." Mr. Carey said. He looked incredibly sad as he stared at the two of them. "Scotty was a good boy, and I always hoped…" He trailed off. "He changed a lot since you knew him."

Releasing Kelly, Sam leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"It started about a year ago with these headaches." Mr. Carey said. "Then he got depressed, paranoid, nightmares."

"Nightmares?" Sam asked. "Umm, did he ever talk to you about his nightmares? What did he say?"

Shaking her head, Kelly leaned back against the sofa and let the men talk. She kept one hand on Sam's back, and let her attention wander around the room. It was small. There wasn't much to the sitting area other than a small TV, a dinner tray, the leather couch and the pretty yellow polka dotted sitting chair. The one Mr. Carey was sitting in. There was a small fireplace to the right of a low hanging window, and on the mantelpiece Kelly silently examined the small collection of state dinner plates. There was one from each of the surrounding states, plus Minnesota and North Dakota. Each had their own little black tripod stand, and unlike everything else in the house they were perfectly polished. Kelly swallowed. If nothing else, this man had cared deeply about his collection. Quietly she stood and walked over to the fireplace. She'd never been good at playing the supportive girlfriend. _Not even when it counted._ Guilt over leaving Dean without even a note gnawed away at her gut. She walked along the wall, her eyes moving over the browned pictures in the silver frames. They like the plates were still perfectly polished. She reached out, resting her hand on the wood. In each of the pictures there was a woman. From rounded button nose and the soft lips Kelly could tell that they were the same person. One taken when she was young and in her early twenties, black hair piled atop her head in beautiful ringlets. Tendrils tickling her cheeks as she looked at the frame. She was in an evening gown, but the picture was so faded that Kelly couldn't even tell the color. She glanced at the second picture, it was a woman in her mid thirties. She was smiling proudly and sitting up tall, her eyes were on the camera, and in her arms a small black haired baby slept. She was lifting him towards the lens as if proudly showing him off.

"Margo." The voice of Mr. Carey said from behind her. "My wife." Startled, Kelly nearly dropped the picture.

_You'd think for someone with intensely good hearing, I wouldn't let people sneak up on me._ She thought. "Mr. Carey." Kelly said. Adopting a breathier tone in her voice she rested her hand on her breast. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry." Mr. Carey said. They were silent for a few moments and Kelly resisted the urge to look around for Sam.

"She's very beautiful." Kelly offered. She was trying to break the silence, but wasn't succeeding in anything more than stilted conversation. "Sam told me that Scott's mother passed away?"

"A nursery fire." Mr. Carey said. "No idea how it started. But I took to drinking not long after that. Now, I'm thinking if I'd been a better parent maybe Scotty would have…" He trailed off. Kelly could practically smell the salty tears welling up in his eyes as the creases of his face crinkled together.

"I'm sorry for your loss." She intoned. It was the standard response to any person suffering from grief. It was cheesy and insincere, but she didn't have anything better to offer. "This all must be very hard for you." She added. Mr. Carey stared at his feet.

"You know." He began.. "I know I shouldn't be wishing for things in the past, but I can't help thinking that if I'd done something different. If I'd been kinder, if I hadn't drunk so much. "I always thought that if Scotty had met a nice girl, then maybe, maybe…" He trailed off again. He looked up into her eyes. Kelly scooted backwards she didn't like the misplaced hope she saw there.

_Please don't imagine me as Scott's girlfriend._ She thought. She had enough boy troubles already. _I don't need dead ones added to the mix._ "Thanks, Mr. Carey." Kelly said. "But if you could point me in the direction of… my Sam. I should really be with him at a time like this." She tried for her most charming smile, and sighed with relief as Mr. Carey nodded in assent.

"Of course, he'll be needing your support." Mr. Carey said. "How thoughtless of me." He lifted a finger. "You're boyfriend has gone upstairs to say goodbye to Scotty. Go up the stairs and into the first room on your right." Kelly nodded and fled.

Upstairs, Sam clicked on the light in Scott Carey's room. As the floorboards creaked, he walked inside, his steps light. The room was the usual kind of room. It was a twin bed with a blue bead spread, matching sheets, and two pillows with a comforter. It was small, even smaller than the downstairs living room without much space between the end of the bed and the bookshelf on the far wall. Crammed full of books that were unevenly stacked with others chaotically set upright, the bookcase stood six feet high with seven shelves. It was made from maple wood. There was a desk in the corner of the room with a computer, and a large set of speakers. Sam walked inside quietly, looking through the small boxes on the desk and ignoring the trophies proudly displayed next to the end table. Calmly he moved to the other side of the bed and searched through the bottles of pills. Lifting them up he read the name of the doctor who'd prescribed them. "Doctor George Waxler." Sam muttered. There was a knock on the door. Startled, Sam put the pills down and turned around. He half expected it to be Mr. Carey storming in full of questions, but instead he saw Kelly leaning against the door. "Oh." He said. His voice incredibly bland as he looked at her. "It's you baby."

Kelly shrugged and moved off the door. She stalked through the room, her eyes intent on the bed. "So," Sam sighed. "Still giving me the silent treatment?" Since his blow up at her in the car, Kelly spoke to him as little as possible. In fact, other than deciding on whether or not they should behave like a couple in front of Carey, they hadn't spoken at all. "I'll take that as a yes." Sam muttered when she didn't respond. Instead, he watched as Kelly ran her fingers expertly over bedspread, searching for something, anything that might lead to clues about Scott Waxler's nightmares. "How long are you going to keep this up Kelly?" Sam asked. Finding a fresh sheet of paper he wrote down the doctor's name and stuffed it in his pocket. "I already apologized." He added. Her back was frigid as she stepped away from the bed. She didn't even look at him as she went to Scott Carey's closet. "Twice." When she didn't respond, he sighed. "Look, really, I'll say it again. I'm sorry." He swallowed. "I didn't mean to blow up at you, I know you didn't deserve it. Hell, most of the time Dean doesn't even deserve it." Sam paused. "Except that he does, but…" He trailed off. "Anyway, I know you're not Dean."

"Sam."

"Yeah, I know it was stupid of me to treat you like Dean. Because I normally blow up at Dean, which is stupid I know, but…"

"Sam!" Kelly snapped. Thinking they might actually need it later, Sam stuffed Scott Carey's medicine inside his jacket and looked at Kelly. This was the first time she'd spoken to him in hours.

"Yeah?" He asked. Had he finally convinced her to stop being mad at him? Or was she only talking to him because she'd found something?

"Come here." She'd found something. Sam felt his heart flip flop. He'd been hoping for the former. After all, he hadn't meant it. Where had the understanding gone?

Sam walked over to the closet and stood behind her. "What did you find?" He asked. Kelly's back straightened as he leaned over her, mutely, she bit her lip and pushed apart Scott's clothing. The metal hangers rattled as they were moved outward and Sam exhaled sharply. "Wow." Was all he could manage.

"Honestly?" Kelly asked. "I prefer crap." Her lips pursed as she stared into the closet worriedly. Inside was a large collage of eyes, people's faces, eyelids, eyelashes, the bridges of their noses, and the eyes. Each and every one had yellow eyes. "In this case, crapola."

"Speaking to me again?" Sam asked. He glanced down at her. Kelly sighed.

"For now." She said. "But if you blow up at me again, Sammy, I swear to god I'll permanently revoke your speaking privileges." She met his eyes with a serious gaze. Sam blinked for a moment, he was surprised by the quick turn around time.

"Sam." He said. Kelly snorted and offered him her hand.

"Here." She said. "We should get going." Sam's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Kelly." He said. His voice coming out slowly as he looked down at her. "I don't think…"

"We're pretending to be a young couple right?" Kelly asked. Sam nodded. "Very much in love?" Again, Sam nodded. "Then cough the discomfort out your ass, Sam and take my hand." She said. Kelly lifted her fingers up towards him. The tips trembling in the air. She looked confident, but Sam could feel her insecurity.

_She expects me to snap at her again._ He thought. Sucking in a deep breath, he said. "Fine, but don't tell Dean." Sam had no wish to find himself on the receiving end of one of his brother's punches, especially for messing with Dean's girl. He knew what his brother could be like and Sam had enough troubles without giving his brother a definite reason to kill him.

"Never crossed my mind." Kelly replied. "We're holding hands strictly in a business capacity." Her hand remained in the air. "Take it, Sam." She said. Finally, after a long breath, Sam reached out and took her hand. It felt comfortable in his own, her fingers sliding comfortably between his. Her skin was warm against his, neither cold nor clammy like he'd expected. Instead, her fingers closed around his, and experimentally Sam gave them a gentle squeeze. This resulted in a very sharp glare from Kelly, and Sam lifted his free hand defensively. "Don't do that." She growled. He knew she loved his brother. After all, she let him claim all her free time. Despite the fact that they were almost always at each other's throats, they seemed to enjoy it. That kind of antagonism wasn't something that the younger Winchester understood. Still Sam couldn't help but wonder if this was the way Dean felt when he held Kelly's hand.

"Okay, since we got what we came for." He said. He was trying to not feel uncomfortable while holding her hand. After all, Sam Winchester was a grown man and grown men didn't get excited over something as simple as hand holding. _Especially when it's your brother's girlfriend_. "Shall we go?"

"Let's." She replied. Her other hand closing around his arm and Sam's heart flopped around like a fish on land. A thrill tickled his spine. This was wrong. It was play. He should be thinking about Madison. He should be feeling guilty about Madison. He should be... Sam looked down, Kelly was staring up at him, a frown creasing her forehead. "Sam?" She asked. She sounded concerned.

Broken from his reverie, Sam shook his head. "Come on." He said. Dragging her towards the doorway out of Scott Carey's room. "I saw a burger place on route back to the hotel." Charmingly, he added. "Besides, I think this fake date deserves at least a dinner and a movie."

"Yes." Kelly said. Her tone was light, even though her expression was serious. "Because we need to give Dean more reasons to never let us be alone again." Sam flinched as they walked into the hallway. His fingers still secure around hers. He was careful not to let his grip tighten possessively. Kelly was his friend. That was all they were.

"At this rate, I doubt he'll let me within ten feet of you without supervision." Sam joked. "So let's skip dinner and hit the movie."

"Right." Kelly giggled. "Because that will lessen the charges."

"I don't know." Sam grinned. "Dean's more pro dinner than he is pro movie."

"Depends on the movie." Kelly said. "It might be worth the sacrifice of dinner."

"Not to Dean." Sam said. "Not when there's pie." He watched a bright grin come over her features. _I never noticed what big canines you have._ He thought, staring at her teeth. They were larger than the average human beings and they looked sharper.

"True." Kelly smiled. "Pie is the one way ticket to Dean's heart."

"To the Winchester heart." Sam replied. Laughing, Kelly let him pull her out of the house and down to the stolen car. They waved goodbye to Mr. Carey and thanked him again for letting Sam say his goodbyes to a high school friend. Then, Sam started up the car, and they headed back to the Blue Rose Motel.

In the dark, the 1967 Chevy Impala roared down the highway. Speeding out to nowhere, Dean Winchester sat behind the wheel. He didn't know where he was going, he didn't have a destination. All Dean knew was that he was pissed. He was pissed at Sam and he was sure as hell pissed at Kelly. _She could've at least left me a note_. He thought, reliving an earlier conversation with himself. In truth, Dean was worried. Sam had taken Madison's death hard and in retaliation he'd struck out on his own. _Taking Kelly with him._ Dean didn't know whether Sam had asked or if Kelly had volunteered, but either way he was pissed at the both of them. _It's not like they're in some private club…_ Both of them had a bad habit of taking off when things got tough in their personal lives. Dean respected the need for space, however he also was tired of the two of them never telling him where they were going. He trusted Kelly and he trusted Sam. His brother wasn't the type to move in on another man's girl. _No matter what he might feel._ And Kelly was loyal. _Like a dog._ The only way those two would fool around was if Dean was buried six feet under. _And that's not damn likely to happen anytime soon._ He wasn't worried about that. Sure, he was jealous of his brother. Kelly and Dean had only spent two nights together. Two fantastic nights to be sure, but it was still a miniscule number. Dean hated the idea of anyone taking his girl away from him. She was _his_. "Damn it." He growled. The speedometer creeping towards ninety as the car barreled down the road. It was at this point in the dark night that his cell phone went off. The jangling beat of 'Hell's Bells' blaring through the cab. Hastily Dean reached for it and put it against his ear. He hoped that Kelly was finally calling to check in. Dean never had any hope for Sam. When his little brother was feeling stubborn, there was no telling when he'd get around to letting his brother know he was all right. "Hello?"

"Dean?" Came the familiar voice on the other end of the line. Dean felt his heart sink down towards his stomach. "It's Ellen." Quickly, Dean tried to swallow his disappointment. He hoped that she at least had good news.

"Hey have you heard from Sam?" He asked. It struck him suddenly that his brother's disappearance and Kelly's might be entirely coincidental. _Maybe she just took off again._ Maybe Sam had rejected an offer of help and she was off in a corner sulking. "Or Kelly?"

"I have." Ellen replied.

"Both of them?" Dean asked. "Together?"

"Yeah, honey." Ellen said. "But Sam made me promise not to tell you where they are."

"Come on, Ellen!" Dean exclaimed. He was glad that Kelly hadn't suggested that Ellen not contact him, but hiding their location certainly sounded like Sammy's shtick. "Please!" He said. "Something bad could be going on here and I swore I'd look after that kid."

"You talkin' about Kelly or Sam?" Ellen asked.

"Both!" Dean yelled. Exasperated, he banged his hand against the steering wheel. The Impala swerved for a moment, and then she straightened out. Was Ellen trying to torture him? He wondered. She dangled the prospect of telling him about the location of Sam and Kelly, only to have her snatch it away again. _Because of a fucking promise._ Dean thought. _Shit. Goddamn. Fuck._

"Now, Dean they say you can't protect your loved ones forever." Ellen said. There was a pause, and Dean wasn't entirely sure how to respond. This whole conversation had just led to him getting more pissed off than he'd been previously. "Well, I say screw that. What else is family for." There was another pause as Ellen sucked in a deep breath. "They're in Lafayette, Indiana."

"Thanks." Dean said. Then he hung up the phone. Destination now in mind, Dean set out to make sure he got their as quickly as the Impala could go. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Lafayette, Indiana. He'd take the Mickey out of Sam, Kelly, or both. _And get more angry sex._ In this mood he was more than ready for that kind of action.

The Blue Rose Motel, Parking Lot

Lafayette, Indiana

Laughing, Kelly and Sam walked across the asphalt of the parking lot. The blue Honda Civic, Sam had stolen was parked in one of the empty spaces furthest away from their motel room. They were staying in Room 6 on the ground floor. It was a double. After visiting Scott Carey's house and meeting the father of the deceased, Sam and Kelly had taken the rest of the evening off. After finding a dollar theatre, they'd caught a rerun Dracula: Dean and Loving It. The pimply-faced redheaded teen at the window had proudly told them that this was a special one-time showing. Despite their reservations on the service, Kelly and Sam had been willing to risk it for a good movie. Now, as the clock struck ten they were ready to get back on the job.

"Seriously?" Kelly asked as they walked along the sidewalk and beneath the flashing neon sign that read Blue Rose Motel. "Seriously?"

"What's to misunderstand?" Sam replied. "I stated my position clearly."

"But how can you say that Young Frankenstein is better than Dracula Dead and Loving It?" Kelly asked. Her lower lip stuck out in a pout as they rounded the cars and walked along the doors. "I mean I get where it's Mel Brook's masterpiece, but…"

"How does someone who can't remember her own past know so much about movies?" Sam asked. "Honestly, I want to know."

"Well." Kelly shrugged. Her tone winsome, she tapped her forehead and then glanced up at Sam. "There's not a lot space being cluttered by memories, so random facts tend to stick in my head." She tipped her head to the side as they walked, and wrapped her arms around her chest. It was a little cold. Vigorously, she rubbed her upper arms as gooseflesh crawled across her skin.

Sam glanced down at her, wondering whether or not he should offer her his coat. "Let's get inside." He said. "Here." Pulling off his jacket, Sam held it out to her. "Wear this."

"I'm fine, Sam." Kelly said. Minutely shaking her head, she pulled the key out of her pocket and slipped past him. She moved to the door, and inserted the small blue key into the lock. Feeling like an idiot standing there holding his jacket, Sam sighed. _Why?_ He wondered. He wasn't like Dean, he wasn't going to come up with some clever saying to get her to take it. If Kelly didn't want it, then she didn't want it. Still, it stung. What was it about Dean that made him so much better? Sam didn't know. Pulling his jacket back on, he leaned against the wall and watched her in silence. Behind him, there was the clip clop of high heels on pavement. Kelly turned first, but Sam reacted faster. He whipped around and, grabbing the stocky girl by the shoulders, shoved her into the wall.

"Who are you?" Sam demanded. Staring into her eyes with overt hostility, as Kelly smacked her palm against her forehead.

_He's always jumping the gun._ She thought. Even from here she could tell that the girl wasn't possessed. "Sam." Kelly began. She didn't like where this was headed. Kelly moved a little closer, her eyes remaining their usual mottled brown gold color. There was no danger. Quietly, she put her hand on Sam's back. He needed to calm down.

"Please!" The girl shouted. Her voice was breathy. "You're in danger." She glanced at Kelly. "Both of you." Kelly snorted.

"Darn." She said. "And I thought it was going to be something new." Shaking her head, she grabbed Sam by the sleeve. "Come on then." She said. Her eyes were on the girl as she dragged Sam sideways and pressed the key into his palm. "Let's get inside." Kelly pushed Sam forwards, and he stumbled a bit. "And you can tell us all about it."

Ava stared at Kelly blankly as the other girl put her arm around Ava's shoulders. "You mean…" She trailed off. "You actually believe me?"

Kelly smiled. "Let's just say it's not the strangest suggestion I've heard today." She said, as she ushered Ava inside the hotel room.

"I think it's a little off the deep end." Sam muttered. He watched as the girl's walked past them and then, after checking outside, he shut the door. Turning around, he followed Kelly as she walked Ava to the bed, and sat her down. Sam took a seat on the opposite one and crossed his arms. He didn't understand why Kelly wasn't acting hostile and suspicious. _Which I suppose is a good sign._ She only seemed to get that way around things that were supernatural. _So,,, Maybe Ava's normal?_ That was probably too much to hope for.

Aggravated, Ava unhooked herself from Kelly and stood. She paced back and forth across the room as Kelly pulled her legs into Indian style. She watched Ava with an amused expression, while Sam's was unsure and on the borderline of outright shock. He didn't know whether to believe her or not. But Kelly's blasé attitude was putting him on edge. _And I should be finding it comforting_. He didn't like it. Sam glanced at her as Ava finally started her story. "Okay." Ava said. "Look, I know how all this sounds. But I'm not insane and I'm not on drugs." She said.

"You're sanity was never questioned." Kelly said. "We already figured you for jumping off the deep end. In fact," Kelly checked the clock on the VCR. "We're expecting men down from the funny farm any minute. They'll be taking you away shortly." Ava glanced at her, trying to figure out whether or not she was joking. Her eyebrows creased together as her lips pursed. She opened her mouth, then shut it again. Kelly stuck out her tongue and smirked.

"You're funny." Ava said. "You're really funny."

Kelly shrugged. "It's been known to happen." She said. "Carry on." Ava stared at Kelly for a long moment.

"Seriously?" Ava asked.

"Sure." Kelly said.

Relieved, Ava sucked in a deep breath and continued her pacing. "Okay, so, I'm normal." The words came out jumbled, but still distinctive. She shook her hands out as Sam sat up off the bed. "This is way, way off the map for me."

"Alright." Sam said. Ava walked back across the room. "Alright, just calm down." She stopped in front of him, and looked up. There was something calming about this guy, she decided. He seemed to be the only rational one here. _Crazy girl on the bed not withstanding_. "Okay. What's your name?"

"Ava." She said.

"Ava?" Sam asked.

"Ava Wilson." She finished.

"Okay." Sam said. "Ava, I'm Sam Winchester." He nodded to Kelly, who shrugged. "And that's Kelly Jones."

"Right." Ava said. "The mouthy one."

"Now." Sam began. "You were telling me about these dreams of yours?"

"Yeah." She said. "Okay." She rubbed her forehead and brushed her bangs back out of her eyes. "About a year ago, I started having these, like, headaches and nightmares. I guess." Kelly watched her with intense eyes, her head cocked to the side as Ava moved back and forth across the room. She seemed to be caught up in her own little world. "And I really didn't think much of it, until I had this one dream," her voice rose an octave higher and she made stabbing motions with her hand. "Where I saw this guy get stabbed in a parking lot!"

Sam's eyebrows rose. He glanced at Kelly. _Sounds like our boy._ He thought. When she nodded, he knew Kelly was thinking the same thing. _Okay, that's a strange coincidence._ Or maybe it wasn't a coincidence at all. "When was this?" He asked.

"About a month ago." Ava said. She paused. "But anyway." Reaching into her bag she pulled out a newspaper clipping and held it up for Sam to see. "A couple of days later, I found this." The headline read "Local Man Stabbed to Death in Parking Lot", and on the front there was a picture of Scott Carey. Sam took it, and looked it over. Then he passed it to Kelly. "I saw this guy die!" Ava cried. Her voice breaking into an even higher octave as her vocal chords shivered. "Days before it happened…" Both Sam and Kelly looked up at her, surprise unmasked on each countenance. "I don't know why, I don't know, it's just some reason my dreams are coming true." Kelly looked back down at Scott Carey's picture again. Her eyebrows rose higher.

_Great._ She thought. _We found another psychic._

"And…" Ava began. This time the words were coming out more slowly. "Last night…" She continued. "I had another one."

"Lovely." Kelly muttered. She could feel this entire conversation heading in a direction that she wouldn't appreciate.

"Okay." Sam said. His voice breathless as he looked from her to Kelly.

"About you." Ava said. She looked up at Sam, then she glanced at Kelly. "And you." She added. "I saw…" She trailed off. "I saw one of you die."

There was a long pause in the air after she spoke. The silence hung heavy between the three of them as Sam looked from Ava to Kelly and then back again. The minds of Sam Winchester and Kelly Jones were each whirring with concern over the possibility. It could be either one of them, who died in the dream. But it hadn't been clear which. If it had, then Ava would have pointed them out. _She would have pointed and said you're going to die._ But in this situation Kelly Jones only had one recourse left to break the tension and allay the inevitable paranoia. Jokes.

"Well." Kelly fell back against the sheets. "This is turning into the best field trip ever." She muttered. Sarcasm dripping off her words. She rolled her head to the side and stared up at Sam. "Sam." She said. Sam looked away from Ava and back to her. "Jesus! Now, I can't even let you go to the bathroom alone." She threw her arm over her eyes. "What a pain."

"Kelly." Sam glanced at her. _Kelly's going to die?_ He wasn't going to let that happen. After all, Dean would kill him if Kelly died. And death by Dean Winchester was probably not the most pleasant way to go.

"I'm serious Sam!" She sat up. Jabbing her finger at him. "No bathroom breaks!"

Ava stared at Kelly. "Are you completely insane?" She demanded. Kelly snorted. "One of you is going to die!"

"I know." Kelly said. "But I die at least once a week, so I'm not worried." She glanced at Sam. He was frowning. "Maybe this time it'll actually stick though…" She trailed off. Sam's eyes burned into her forehead. Kelly could feel him getting angrier. "Dying jokes too much?"

"A little, yeah." Sam said. His voice incredibly stiff as he spoke. Kelly smiled up at him, then she lifted up her fingers in a peace sign. Sam couldn't help it, he laughed.

"You're both insane." Ava muttered.

"Probably." Kelly got off the bed. "So how'd you find us?"

"You had motel stationary, and I googled the motel and it was real! So, I just thought that I should warn you." Sam exhaled loudly in disbelief, while Kelly shrugged.

"I don't believe this." Sam said.

"Oh, of course you don't." Ava sighed. She was beginning to feel exasperated, like the mission was a dead end. She'd failed. But of course she'd failed. _After all, who would believe this?_ She sounded like she'd just woken up and jumped off the deep end into crazy.

"I do." Kelly said. She looked at Sam. She knew what he was getting at, even if Ava didn't.

"You think I'm a total nut job!" Ava exclaimed. She lifted her arms up over her head. Depressed. Then she turned around. "Wait…" She trailed off. "You what?"

"I meant that you must be one of us." Sam said.

"One of him." Kelly pointed at Sam.

"Sorry?" Ava stopped running her fingers through her hair and stared at Sam. "One of who?"

Sam blinked. "One of the psychics." He finished.

"Like him." Kelly said. Sam glared at Kelly for a long moment before he turned his attention back to Ava. "I don't know the secret handshake."

"There's a handshake?" Ava asked. She was starting to feel incredibly confused. Kelly talked fast and worse she seemed perfectly at ease with the situation. _And she's making fun of me…_ Or was she making fun of Sam? Or was she just cracking jokes for the hell of it? Ava didn't know what to feel or how to react. She hated this whole thing. And now, Kelly Jones was staring at her blankly, her lips quivering, and she looked like she was ready to burst out laughing.

"She's just kidding." Sam said. His voice hurried as he tried to move the topic of conversation to safer ground. _Away from snark._ "You're like me." Now, Ava was starting to feel really scared. "Look, Ava." He said. "I have visions too, alright, so we're connected."

She couldn't help it, this whole this was so unbelievable that Ava burst out laughing. "Okay, so, you're nuts. That's great. I came all this way to talk to a crazy person and his crazy girlfriend. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Not his girlfriend." Kelly snapped.

"They should just lock me up in the loony bin. Throw away the key. Cause that's all this stupid stunt's gotten me." Ava sighed. "A one way ticked to Arkham Asylum." She turned away from them. "This is a little too nuts for me." She muttered. "I'm going home. Saving the rest of my sanity."

"Wait." Sam said. "Wait. Look." Ava turned back around to face him. There was a part of her that really wanted to stay. She wanted to hear him out. He seemed, what was it… Right? "Did your mother happen to die in a house fire?"

"No!" Ava exclaimed. "My mother lives in Palm Beach!"

"She doesn't fit the pattern, Sam." Kelly said.

"Yeah." Sam said. "Just like Ansem Weems."

"What are you guys talking about?" Ava asked. Her voice pitched even higher than it had been the first time round. "Why can you just leave town? Please? Before you blow up!" She glanced at Kelly. "Or you! Do you want her to blow up?"

"We can't." Kelly said.

"Actually." Sam said. Kelly fixed him with a very solid glare that held the promise of terrible things if he finished his sentence. "No, we can't."

"God!" Ava sighed. "Why not?"

"Because there's something going on here." Sam said. "With you, with me."

"With her?" Ava asked. She jabbed her thumb back at Kelly.

"Don't drag me into this." Kelly sighed. "I'm just the moral support."

"And you say you're not his girlfriend…" Ava muttered.

"There are others like us out there." Sam said. He was trying to keep a clear head in this, stay above the muck. "And we're all a part of something. And I gotta figure out what."

"She's gonna bolt." Kelly sighed. Sam glanced at her right when Ava stood up.

"Okay." She said. "Screw you, buddy. Because I'm a secretary from Peoria and I'm not a part of anything!" Standing Ava lifted her hand and shoved the ring in Sam's face. "See this?" She asked. "I am getting married in eight weeks, I'm supposed to be at home addressing invitations, which I'm way behind on by the way!"

"So glad I'm not getting married." Kelly said. Sam glanced at her, and then turned back to Ava, who was still shouting.

"But instead I drove all the way out here to save your weirdo ass!" Ava said. "But if you just want to stay here, and die. Fine!" She turned around. "Me? I'm due back on planet earth."

"I like her." Kelly said. "She's spunky." Sam watched as Kelly sat up, and then he saw a distinct change in her eyes. They were starting to glow again. _She's going to scare Ava isn't she?_ Or she'd do something supernatural to convince her that they were still on planet earth.

"Don't you want to know why this is happening?" Sam asked as Ava headed towards the door. She stopped. "Don't these visions scare the hell out of you?" Ava paused and sucked in a deep breath. What he was saying made sense. A lot of sense. More than Ava ever wanted to admit. "Because if you walk out that door right now." He said. "You might never know the truth."

"Like." Kelly said as Ava turned around. "Exhibit A." She pointed at her eyes. Ava couldn't help but stare at them, they glowed like some kind of wild creature. Ava took a step backwards. "We need your help, Ava." She said. "We might be crazy freaks, but we can't do this alone."

"Okay." Ava said. "If it'll get me answers." She glared at Kelly. "But you! You're not allowed to do that scary eye thingy anymore!"

"Deal." Kelly said. She grinned at Ava. The other girl sucked in a deep breath.

"Okay." She said. "So where do we start?"

AN: A lot of dialogue in this one. It was a pain to work it all out, especially with two snarky girls. I hope you liked it. This AN is short because I'm busy. Anyway, look forward to more chapters soon.

Leave reviews, they make my muse happy.


	47. Chapter 47: Bullets and Bruises

Chapter 47: Bullets and Bruises

Lafayette, Indiana

The building containing the office of George Waxler was old. Not old in the way of abandoned buildings, but old in the way that it contained living history. Through the decades this place had been changed, and bore in it's architecture a reminiscence of the crammed tight spaces of the nineteen fifties. However this was a place that had been under constant remodel since its building era. The walls had been knocked down, rebuilt, expanded. In so much as it was possible. There was only so much that could be done, after all the lot was of limited space, and that usually meant contractors could only build upwards. Still, for all the flurry of activity this place had experienced over the many years of its existence it only stood five stories high. It was the inside that acted as a maze. With offices to the left and right, and offices that were built into other offices with left over doorways that lead nowhere like a Midwestern version of the Winchester Mystery House. It was the perfect place for a clinic, especially one that dealt with patients who were mad of mind. Either way, Ava Wilson had found it to be a strange place upon entry. The hallways were narrow with little walk space between them, barely allowing for five grown men to walk abreast of one another. Most who entered through the swinging glass doors were required to follow one after the other until they entered the waiting room. This is what Ava had done when she'd entered. She'd made an appointment that morning to see George Waxler in the afternoon, apparently he wasn't the most popular psychologist in Lafayette, Indiana. Ava Wilson could believe that, after all, he hadn't been able to help young Scott Carey. When the nurse had called her name, Ava had climbed a staircase, one even narrower than the halls. When she'd asked Sam Winchester why he was sending her and not Kelly Jones, Sam had said simply that it was because Ava was a local. Or closer to being a local than either of them. Something niggled away at her though. Something about his answer didn't sit right with her, and the way Kelly had snorted at his answer made Ava even more suspicious. After all she'd seen the girl's eyes glow. Glow! Like some manic werewolf out of an old Hollywood flick. But Ava was an accepting girl, after all, she was the freak who'd seen the girl with glowing eyes die. Well, no. Ava wasn't sure whether or not it would be Kelly Jones who died. There was chance that it would be just as likely it was Sam. Yes, Sam was equally as likely to die. So why had Kelly decided to show off to her? Had that been showing off? Ava didn't know. She was curious about Kelly Jones but, she figured there would always be time to pry later. So, instead of allowing her mind to become overly crowded with unanswerable questions when she'd arrived at the office, Ava had tried to focus on finding a decent reasoning for her to seek therapy. The problem was… she had nothing.

The office of George Waxler, Ph.D was a plain place, cozy. It had gray walls offset by a mottled gray carpet. This psychologist had never received the memo that taupe was the most soothing color for a frightened soul. Not that Ava minded. She was still of the opinion that she was completely insane for letting herself be talked into this. There was a window on the far right wall that faced the street, allowing the shadows of the outside branches to creep across the sill and mix with the gray. To the left, above Doctor Waxler's desk, hung three proudly displayed diplomas. All of them were from the University of Indiana. Ava decided that George Waxler hadn't gotten out much. She was willing to bet that he'd been born and raised in Indiana, if not in Lafayette then some city nearby. He was sitting across from her in a black leather chair. So, he was doing well enough to be able to afford that, at the very least. The very least.

She didn't think much of Dr. Waxler, but then Ava didn't really know what to think. She'd never been to see a psychiatrist before, and sitting here in a small room on a black sofa covered with a white crochet rug that pressed into her spine wasn't making the situation any more comfortable. Ava decided that the rug had probably been knitted by his wife, because there was no way that Dr. Waxler practiced crochet himself. There was just no way. Unless he did. Ava snorted. A black bushy eyebrow rose in response. Dark eyes, a thick head of black hair, and a swarthy complexion made Ava peg him for being no more than forty-five years of age. And He was staring at her. She needed to smile. She needed to say something. What the hell was Sam going to do? Why hadn't they let her in on their plan? Why hadn't they coached her? How long was this going to take? These were all the questions that left Ava's tongue paralyzed in her mouth. Dr. Waxler tapped his cheek. He looked impatient. Maybe he was just bored. No, it was skeptical. But as a doctor it was his responsibility to check out every possible angle of her mental state before he released her as being completely sane. Right?

"So." He said. The long drawn out 'so…' used by countless psychiatrists in countless counseling rooms across the United States. Ava expected him to lean forward and rest his arms on his knees. He didn't, instead he remained upright, his finger continuing to tap away against his cheek. It was methodical, steady, and mechanic like the smallest hand of a ticking clock. He didn't sound skeptical. But he was a psychiatrist and that meant anything was possible. "What made you want to seek out counseling?"

Ava swallowed. This was it. The moment of truth. Her success was vital to the overall mission. Damn. Now she was starting to feel like a spy out of one the old James Bond movies with Sean Connery. Ava was the female counter part meant to set up a distraction while Bond performed a brilliantly smooth caper in the pursuit of espionage. Outside of her suddenly wild imagination, Ava knew her goal was to distract him long enough for Sam or Kelly to steal Scott Carey's confidential medical files. "Well…" She began. Her voice was calm. Or at least, it was an attempt at calm. "I'm not sure, really." _Stupid. Stupid._ She was going to blow this whole thing. She stiffened, her back straightening reflexively, and she knew her face was wearing an expression somewhere between shocked nervousness and blank uncertainty. _I sound like a complete idiot._ She tried to smile. It was coming out as a grotesque grimace. _Why am I here?_ Dr. Waxler tilted his head sideways. He was expecting her to elaborate. _The truth, focus on the truth, focus on getting rid of the nightmares. Focus. Focus._ _ Smile._ Her smile widened. Dr. Waxler's eyebrow rose higher. He wasn't buying it. Oh god, was he going to throw her out? She needed to come up with something. Anything. "I have no idea." Honesty. Not the best policy.

"No?" He asked.

"No." Ava said. "I mean, I'm feeling really super…" What was the word? What was the word? What was she feeling? "Anxious." She said. _Damn._ She was being honest again. _I was never meant to make it as a spy._ Sam's friend, Kelly, his not girlfriend. Ava didn't believe that for a fifth, not the way Sam looked at her. Not with the way he valued her opinion. _No, she could just be a valued and trusted friend._ She could totally be. _No she's not._ Not with the way he looked at her. _Focus, Ava!_ Damning her inability to lie under pressure, Ava adjusted herself on the couch again. "Right now."

"Okay." He said. He didn't believe her. His lips were twitching. She could see it. He thought this was some kind of joke. An April Fool's Day prank! _Don't be stupid Ava!_ She thought. It was still March. It wasn't time for pranks. _Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits_. Good luck wouldn't do her any good. She swallowed as he added. "Anything else?"

Before Ava's eyes a shadow moved across the window, obscuring the skyline. It was the familiar baggy brown leather jacket that belonged to Kelly Jones. Her blue tank top was bunching around her midsection, and Ava could see her navel. "Uh…" Ava said. Her eyes were past him on the glass and the girl who was carefully moving across it. Why had Sam decided to send Kelly? How had Kelly gotten up here? Brown eyes flicked down towards her and met Ava's blue eyes. She winked. "Holy crap!" Ava exclaimed.

"What?" Dr. Waxler turned towards the window. There was a rustle of feathers and outside doves cooed as they took off. Ava's eyes snapped away, and she squeezed them shut. _He's going to see her, he's going to see her, he's going to…_ He wasn't saying anything. Ava opened one eye carefully. There was no one there. Just thin flimsy branches and an uneven skyline. She withheld a sigh of relief. They were safe. Doctor Waxler looked back at her, this time with genuine concern. Ava's jaw clicked shut.

"I… just remembered…" She said. The words spilling out her mouth like a runaway rail train, they came out in a stringed jumble as she continued. "Iswallowedlikeeightthingsofpoprocksandthendrankawholecanofcoke. You don't think that counts as a suicide attempt do you?" Doctor Waxler's eyebrow rose a little higher. His face changed from concerned to annoyed, as he lifted his hand behind his head. The rest of this hour was going to be very long.

Heading south on highway 65, Dean Winchester was only seven miles outside of Lafayette. Having passed the small towns of Badger Grove and Cairo as the Impala hurtled southerly down the long stretch of flat asphalt, Dean could feel a tickling sensation rising in his gut. It was the feeling of anticipation. Angry as he was, the thought of seeing Kelly Jones always brought a smile to his face. His thoughts were filled with ideas, like slamming her against the wall of the motel room as he undid the buttons of her blouse, and laying her flat against the table while he ran his hands down the flat of her belly, stroking the insides of her thighs with his free hand while she gasped and moaned beneath his touch. Her hair would fall back against the pillow, creating a small brunette halo around her face as she looked up at him with glowing golden eyes. She would growl and snarl, before raking her fingernails down his back and arching her own so that her pelvis pressed against his. He would grab her by the hair and drag her face to his, roughly kissing her mouth as his stubble chafed her chin and cheeks. Stubble. Dean Winchester paused. The lecherous grin that transformed his smile and spread over his lips during his imaginings shrank to a thin hard line. He hadn't slept much since Kelly and Sammy had disappeared. His heart thudded harder and he found his hand searching for the warmth of her skin when he tried to sleep at night. Flirting in random bars along the west coast had done nothing to ease the ache in his chest, while the thought of Kelly alone with Sammy poisoned his late night dreams. Dean reached up and ran his callused fingers over the bottom of his chin. Maybe he should shave before he saw her. Dean swallowed. No, there wasn't time for that. He needed to find her and Sam before they got themselves into deep trouble. It wasn't that Dean didn't trust them. He just didn't want them to go anywhere without his protection. He'd promised Kelly that he would protect her, that they would find the answers together. He didn't know why she'd gone with Sam.

_Sammy's always been paranoid about his own destiny._ And Madison's death had only reminded him about what Dean had said after the events of Croatoan. _Dad said that he wanted me to watch out for Sammy, to take care of him. I have to save him._ Dean was sure that this had something to do with the Yellow Eyed Demon, he just didn't know how it was all connected. _Does Kelly fit into this?_ His love for her didn't belie his suspicious nature, or the way in which she'd been unceremoniously dumped into their laps. Was she different from all those other girls that he'd slept with? Why hadn't she disappeared when they had sex? These questions had surfaced for him the last time she'd left, but then he'd been content to just let it lie. He hadn't wanted to push her. _And then she was only around long enough for a reunion._ A short one that still left Dean aching for more. _Wanting to see her in that stripper outfit._ He needed to figure out someway to trick her into wearing it again. _Then store the picture on my camera phone._ Sam's destiny was different from Kelly's. _Kelly isn't connected to the Yellow-Eyed Demon._ At least, that was what Dean believed. He didn't know her reasons behind joining Sam on his quest for answers. Dean just wished that she'd found it in her heart to call him. _I can understand wanting answers._ He just didn't want Sam or Kelly to look for them alone. Either way, he knew that he had to hurry up and find them. _And if I know Sammy, he'll be staying in a motel just outside the city._ After all, that's what Dean would do.

Back at the Blue Rose Motel, Ava followed Kelly and Sam through the sliding glass door. She walked into the room, her heart still beating a mile a minute over what had happened at Dr. Waxler's office. She brushed the clammy sweat from her brow and exhaled deeply as Kelly Jones set the gathered evidence out on the small round table. Sam began flipping through the first file, his eyes on the printed words. Kelly's brown was contorted into a shallow frown as she searched through a small box of tapes and pulled out a recorder, setting it down in the center of the table. She glanced at Ava from the corner of her eye, before removing a tape labeled January 6, 2008 from the small cardboard box next to her fingers. Ava looked like she was flustered and Kelly's nose indicated that her state was close to shell shocked. She could smell the salty nature of her skin as Ava's sweat glands had increased their perspiration. Even the girl's deodorant was no longer enough to hide her natural scent. Kelly reached across the table and nudged Sam. He was far better at being comforting than she was. Surprised, Sam glanced up at her. Kelly nodded in Ava's direction, and then she watched as Sam swallowed. Recognition breaking over his features.

"You okay?" He asked.

Ava gasped and spun around. Her large blue eyes wide as her eyebrows rose up towards her hairline. As her lips parted to reveal a small set of pearly white teeth, her arms remained crossed protectively across her body. "Am I okay?" She asked. Why was Sam asking her such a weird question? Of course she was not okay.

"Yeah." Kelly said. "You look a little frazzled."

"I just helped you five steal some dead guy's confidential psych files." Ava said. She took a step towards them. She'd always had a sneaking suspicion that they were insane, and these questions were only providing her with conformation. "I watched her scale a window on the fifth story, and make it down without breaking a single bone." The words came out slowly. Then Ava's eyes lit up and her lips pulled back into a large grin. "I'm awesome!" She looked at the two of them. "You guys are like, seriously, the coolest people I have ever met!" Sam and Kelly glanced at one another. "Do you guys do stuff like this all the time?"

Sam blinked. He wasn't sure what to say. It was Kelly who smiled broadly and tilted her head to the side as she chuckled. "You're a rock star." There was a trace of irony in her tone, but Ava was willing to let it slide. She didn't know Kelly Jones all that well, but she was willing to take a compliment from the creepy girl. "Most normal people's heads would have exploded by now." Kelly added.

"Then it's a good thing, I'm not normal." Ava said. Her voice filled with mock seriousness as she grinned at Kelly. "You have got to teach me how to do the wall scaling thing." Kelly laughed. Sam grinned.

"Okay, then." He said. "Let's see what's in the box."

Kelly tossed him the tape. "Try this one." She said. Sam caught it and picked up the cassette player. He stuck the tape inside and clicked it shut, then he pressed play. Two voices filled the room. One, Ava recognized at Dr. George Waxley, the other was a young man's voice. Someone she didn't know. It had to be Scott Carey.

"_It started a little over a year ago._" The voice of Scott Carey said. A chill slithered up Ava's spine. It was sort of creepy hearing the voice of someone who was deceased. _Even creepier when you watched him die._ Ava had hoped that she'd feel some connection to the voice of Scott, something that would help her identify why she'd dreamed of him in the first place. But she felt nothing. No tingle, no sensation. _"Migraines at first, then I found I could do stuff."_

"That's like you and me." Ava said. Glancing at Sam as she spoke. Scott had experienced the same symptoms. The same thing that she'd felt right before her powers started. She glanced at Kelly for conformation, but the other girl just put a finger to her lips and indicated that she should keep listening.

"_What do you mean do stuff?"_ Dr. Waxley asked.

"_I have this ability."_ Sam looked up at Ava as Scott paused. Then as the voice of the now dead man picked up again, he looked back down. _"When I touch something I can electrocute it if I want."_

Kelly swallowed, and walked away from the table towards the window. She leaned against it, her eyes on the floor in front of her, shoulders tensed. This didn't have anything to do with her. Scott wasn't talking about the Yellow-Eyed Man. Sam could have all the fun he wanted while he was searching for answers, but these weren't the answers Kelly was looking for. _Who is the Yellow-Eyed Demon? What are his plans? What does he want?_ And most importantly... _How do I fit in?_ Sure that this wasn't going to reveal anything she didn't already know, Kelly closed her eyes and continued to listen. After all, she didn't want hubris to get the jump on her. _There might still be useful information._ And it was important for them to figure out what was happening to Sam. _That trumps my problem._ This journey was about Sam's destiny, not hers, and as much as Kelly wanted to look for real answers, she knew that she couldn't enlist the help of the Winchester brothers to do it. This was the best that she could do. _And it sucks._

Outside, the 1967 Chevy Impala circled around the parking lot, and came to a stop across the street from the Blue Rose Motel. Dean Winchester sat behind the wheel, his eyes on the open window and the fluttering white curtains of Room 12. His anger was overridden by concern as he searched for any signs of Sam and Kelly. First he needed to find them, next he needed to talk to them, and after that he could let himself be angry with them. But not before. He didn't want to spook them into running, something that Kelly Jones was especially prone to doing. He wanted to sit down and have a chance to discuss what was going on. Then he would convince them that it was best if they all worked together. Dean's heart skipped into his throat as he watched Kelly's lithe form brush the curtains back. Her hair fell into her eyes, and he was relieved to see that it looked like she was all right. "Got you." He muttered and tried to find Sam. When Sam's head swam across Dean's vision from where he moved behind Kelly. Dean couldn't help but sigh. "Oh, thank god you're okay." He was glad to see both of them alive and well. But it didn't stop his stomach from twisting into knots at the sight of them together. They didn't seem to be lovey dovey or touchy feely, but Dean didn't take PDA into serious account when he was trying to determine the extent of a relationship. Then Kelly moved off the window and Sam shifted sideways, revealing another girl leaning against the back wall. She was slim with a round face, long brown hair, and very pretty. "No, you're better than okay." Dean whistled appreciatively. This was what he would be doing if he was out on his own. And if he didn't have a girlfriend. "Sam, you sly dog." A traitorous thought crossed Dean's lecherous brain. _Didn't know Sam was into threesomes._ He thought. _I didn't think Kelly shared._ Came the second round. Dean frowned and resisted the urge to slam shut the door of the Impala. Even though he wanted to march across the street and hammer on the motel room door, it wouldn't do him any good. Right now, it was better to watch from afar and make sense of the situation.

Inside the motel room the conversation between Dr. Waxler and Scott Carey continued. _"What else does the Yellow-Eyed Man say?"_ Kelly walked towards the table. Sam was leaning forward attentively, while Ava fought to keep confusion off of her face. She was beginning to look scared.

_The Yellow-Eyed man._ The demon that appeared to Kelly in her dreams. Apparently she wasn't alone in that particular department. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned her head back against the wall. Her eyes on the ceiling. _He came to Scott Carey also. Why?_ Did he come to Sam too? Kelly's eyes moved towards Sam. Was Sam keeping quiet about having dreams about the Yellow-Eyed Demon? _Maybe he doesn't just have death visions._ Was Sam lying to her like she was lying to him? The thought left an unpleasant taste in Kelly's mouth.

"_He…"_ Scott Carey paused. _"Has plans for me. He says there's a war coming… and…people like me, we're going to be the soldiers. Everything's about to change."_

"He's not talking about us, right?" Ava asked. Her voice was soft, high pitched, and confused. Kelly glanced at the serious expression on Sam's face and pursed her lips.

_He's not talking about me._ Kelly thought. _I don't know what the Yellow-Eyed Demon wants with me, but it's not to make me a soldier._ She knew that much. "Yeah." She muttered. She looked up. "Sam?

"Yeah." Sam nodded. His voice low and haunted as he straightened up off the table. "Yeah I think he is." Sam moved around the table, rubbing his forehead as he stared determinedly at the floor.

"But…" Ava glanced from Kelly to Sam, she was unnerved by the serious expressions she saw on their faces. "How can we turn into that?"

Kelly closed her eyes. "Nothing's impossible." She said. "Nothing." Sam glanced at her, a concerned expression in his eyes. Kelly sounded tired and worn out. Sam was certain that it had something to do with what they'd just discovered.

_I just don't know what._ After they got Ava safely home, he'd pick Kelly's brains to find out what she was hiding. He promised himself that. But right now Ava needed reassurance, and Sam was the only one who could give it to her. _Because Kelly sure as hell won't_. "I don' t know." Sam said. "That's what I," From the wall Kelly grunted. "We." Sam smiled. "That's what we intend to find out." It was in the pause after he spoke, that a bullet came through the window, shattering the glass. In a moment, Sam closed the distance between himself and Ava. "Get down!" He yelled. Grabbing her as Kelly stiffened against the wall, Sam pulled Ava down to the floor and covered her with his body. "Kelly!" Sam yelled. He didn't dare lift his head to see what was going on, or where she was.

"Oh my god!" Ava screamed. "What's happening! Oh, my god Sam!"

"Stay low!" Sam bellowed. A twinge of guilt flickered in his heart for not grabbing Kelly, but Ava was the innocent and she needed to be protected first. _Besides, Kelly can take care of herself._ He looked up to see Kelly looking out the window, a strange expression on her face. "Kelly get down!" He yelled. Fear touching his voice. He didn't want her to be reckless. Ava's vision still haunted his mind. Sam didn't want Kelly Jones to die.

But Kelly had other ideas. This shooter, whoever they were was trying to harm her friends. Her family. She wasn't going to just stand by and allow the barrage to continue. She reached inside herself and her eyes began to grow brightly as her lips curled back to expose large canines. Her countenance took on a predatory expression and as the second shot came through the window, pummeling through the blue circle wallpaper, Kelly Jones made her decision.

"Kelly!" Sam yelled. But she didn't look back at him.

"Holy shit!" Ava screamed.

The girl jumped out through the shattered window, and landed on the sidewalk. Gordon Walker felt disappointed in himself, he'd missed her during his first sweep of the motel room's occupants. He hadn't seen her by the window. He watched as she strode across the parking lot, her eyes scanning the rooftops for where the bullet had been fired. She was unarmed. That was foolish. Grinning from his vantage point on the opposite side of the street, Gordon watched her carefully. She looked like she was ready for a fight, but why come out without a gun? At least she had the brains to figure out that it had been fired from above. He'd give that to her, but only that. Staring through the scope of his gun, Gordon Walker examined her. She was of average height, some five foot four kind of height with brown hair that hung down to her shoulders. She was dressed like a hunter. But why hadn't she taken cover. Why was she just staring up at him? Gordon paused. He aimed the gun up towards her face. She was staring directly at him, her eyes flaring like a twin suns. Gordon swallowed. That wasn't normal human behavior. He shrugged. If she wanted to be suicidal who was he to stop her?

Kelly lifted her chin, and cocked her head to the side. Where was he? The man who had so blatantly attacked her family. Golden eyes glowed out of her skull, as her lips curled back into a ferocious growl. She inhaled. The acrid trail of the bullet still lingered in the air, carried by the wind back to its place of origin. She looked up. To high for her to jump. "I see you." She murmured.

Where had Sam Winchester picked up something like this? Was she a monster? What kind of monster was she? Even from here Gordon could see that there was something odd about the way she moved. Something inhuman and while it was true that his main objective was killing young Sam Winchester, that didn't stop him from following his sworn duty to kill every supernatural creature he found. And on the off chance she might be human, it would be her own damn fault for getting in the way. Gordon Walker wasn't a killer, but that also didn't mean he couldn't look past acceptable losses. Still, it would hurt him if he lost out on a valuable chance to question her. She might know something more about little Sammy Winchester's big destiny. He needed to keep her alive for that. Only that. Then he'd found out if she really was a monster or not. If she wasn't, he'd let her go. If she was, well, then it would be her turn to go the way of the dodo. Incapacitate, don't kill. The words were a mantra in his mind. "I see you." Gordon said. Aiming low at the girl's right shoulder, he pulled the trigger.

Kelly Jones felt the bullet whiz through the air and fly past her, over her left shoulder. It missed her by a thin margin. Behind her, the window of their stolen Honda Civic shattered and Kelly said a silent apology to the car's owner as she dove to the nearest form of cover. Peering over the hood of a teal Ford Truck, make and model unknown, she snarled up in the direction the bullet had come from. Her sharp vision remaining fixed on the man who fired it. How the hell was she going to get up there? Her entire plan had revolved around making sure that Sam was the one who wasn't fired at. _Great, Kelly._ She thought. _Simply fan-fucking-tabulous_. _Make yourself the target so that the shooter doesn't go after Sam, and ensure that there's no way to stop him._ But at least this was better than letting him fire into the motel. _Sam or Ava could get hurt._ Or killed and Kelly Jones couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen. _Not while I can distract him._ She kept her eyes on the barrel of the gun, trying to make out the face of the shooter. The wind was not working with her, refusing to share his identity.

He was forced to admit to being more than a little shocked. _Who would've known that Sam Winchester was running around with something like that?_ Still, she was trapped down there. _And making herself an easy target_. The brunette girl with the glowing yellow eyes hadn't moved. No, those strange eyes were still firmly fixed on his location. As if to say, 'give it your best shot'. Well, Gordon would, whether or not that was what she wanted. "Well." He raised the sights to center on her forehead, Sam Winchester momentarily forgotten. "If a bullet won't scare you, then maybe one between the eyes will leave you down for the count." He'd completely forgotten about questioning as he cocked the gun. His index finger twitched over the trigger, ready to pull. An angry shout alerted him to the fact he was no longer alone.

"Gordon!" Dean yelled. His foot connecting solidly with the other hunter's face, and as the other man rolled over, Dean leapt on top of him. He struck him across the jaw with a strong punch. Gordon grunted. Furious, Dean hit him again. And again. And again. Then he punched him with his left, before switching back to his right cross. He seized Gordon by the collar and dragged the man's face to his. "You do that to my brother!" Dean snarled. "My girl! I'll kill you!"

"Dean, wait." Came Gordon's weak response. But Dean wasn't listening. His face a mask of fury he continued to pound Gordon's face against the cement. Hitting him over and over again.

Down below, Kelly could not avert her eyes. She smelled the familiar scent of her boyfriend in the air, and it sent thrills shivering up her spine. Excitement made her heart beat quicken as her loins grew hot at the thought of seeing him again. _How the hell did Dean get up there?_ Now, she was torn. Wanting to go help Dean, she was stuck with making sure that Sam and Ava were alright. If he was going to stop the shooter, then that would give her leeway to make sure that no one was seriously wounded. "Why do I always get shot at?" She grumbled. Even if the bullet had missed, it was still damn annoying. Casting one last glance at the rooftop where she could now see Dean battling some unknown black stranger. "Why doesn't Dean, or Sam? But no." She groaned. "It's always got to be me." Her original goal had simply been to distract the fire. Something she would eventually have to learn how to do without taking bullets. "Going up unarmed against a high powered rifle… smart Jones. Real smart." Kelly stiffened. She turned and ran back towards the motel room. _Next time I'm telling Sam to get a room with a little more cover!_

Above, Gordon hit Dean with the side of his rifle, knocking him to the side. Stunned Dean rolled off the other man. Then the world spinning before his eyes, he began to straighten. Gordon lifted the butt of his rifle and struck Dean hard across the face. The world went black and Dean collapsed. Gordon stood over him, casually wiping the blood off of his mouth. He looked down. The girl had her hand against the wooden frame of the shattered windowpane. She was leaning in, calling to see if everything was all right. What surprised Gordon most wasn't the fact that Dean had called her his girl, no that he found odd, no what had surprised the other hunter most was the fact she'd seemingly dodged an armor piercing round. _I know I had her in my sights_. And then there was her strange eye coloration to consider. No normal one glowed. At least, not like that.

"No way that girl of yours is human." Gordon muttered, kicking Dean in the side for good measure. He assumed the other hunter had meant the one who'd dodged behind a truck. The one he'd shot at. The one he'd missed. Gordon's eyes remained trained on her position. Then, almost as if she sensed him looking at her, the girl rotated her head and looked back at him. Her hand on her shoulder. Gordon could practically feel those blazing eyes burning into him. He sensed the fury in them. The anger. She'd be coming up here soon with Sam. Cover blown, and with no time left to finish off what he'd started, Gordon decided it would be best to fly the proverbial coop. Grabbing Dean by the collar, he pulled the unconscious man over his shoulder with a grin. Still, there would be other chances and now he had a trap with better bait. "Come to papa, girly." Gordon whispered. "Come to papa."

AN: See, I told you I was anxious to get this arc out of the way. It's going by quickly, which is something I like. Plus we're getting to the point, much faster. Also something that I like, I mean it's good when my characters have something to say, but this story is getting very long, and I'd like to move onto the next part.

Plus, I'm a whore for reviews. See, if you give me lots and lots of reviews then you get chapters much faster. Works for me, does that work for you?

Chapter 48 will have more Gordon, more Dean, more talking, and possibly the conclusion of this episode arc. I make no promises though. The story's ramping up again, and we're about to launch into the final part. I hope you've been enjoying the ride as much as I've enjoyed writing it. ^___^ Anyway, let's make sure we don't part ways too soon.

Remember, review.


	48. Chapter 48: Separating Spots

Chapter 48: On the Horizon, Spots are Separating

After Kelly made sure that Sam and Ava were okay, the trio searched the nearby rooftop that Kelly had identified as the shooters location. But in her mixture of worry and excitement, Kelly had forgotten to tell Sam that she'd seen Dean, and in truth, she'd half expected him to be up on there waiting for them. But he wasn't. When Sam, Kelly, and Ava had made their way onto the roof they'd found no one there. Both Dean and the shooter having left long before they'd arrived. Kelly wondered, had she imagined it all? She shook her head. No. Inhaling deeply, Kelly walked across the roof. _Dean was here_. She could smell him. Beneath the clear sky the roof was laden with his scent, she moved to the edge and peered over. What had happened? _Where is he?_ The smell of the shooter hung heavy in the air as well. It was all over this place, on the cement, and the edge. It felt like he'd been up here for a while. _He'd have had to be_. He'd probably been watching them for a while. She sighed. _When did Sam and I get so sloppy?_ But truth be told, she hadn't really been expecting an attack like this. _Sam's got some major enemies._ Kelly knew that the shooter hadn't been firing at her. At least, not to begin with. _The bullet hole in the wall was behind where Sam had been standing._ "Whoever was up here." She said. "They're long gone by now."

"Do you recognize any scents?" Sam asked. He was looking at her with hopeful eyes, and Kelly hated to disappoint him.

She shrugged. "I think Dean might've been here." Kelly said. _For one thing, I saw him earlier._ She thought biting her lip as she looked around again.

"Dean wouldn't shoot at us, Kelly." Sam said. His voice was flat with disbelief as he looked at her. "And he doesn't even know where we are."

Kelly sighed, Sam had already clearly dismissed the possibility, and even if he did believe her. _It doesn't matter now, because Dean's long gone._ Still, she couldn't let him get away with believing that she was a complete and utter phony. _Not that Sam would believe that anyway. _"I'm telling you I smell him." She retorted. "Dean and someone else. Probably the shooter, I just don't recognize it."

"A lot of help you're abilities are." Sam said. He sighed loudly.

Kelly snorted. "Well, sorry." She said, stressing the 'o' as she tossed her head. "But this isn't an exact science."

"It's not a science at all." Sam snapped.

"Wait." Ava glanced at Kelly. "You can _smell_ the people that've been up here?"

"The ones for the past couple weeks, yeah." Kelly said. Vigorously rubbing her nose as she turned back to face her companions. "They don't wash this place very often." Then as if to prove her point, Kelly sneezed. "Sorry." She muttered. "Dust."

"Allergic?" Ava asked.

"Just a lot." Kelly said. "Clogs up my nose, which messes with the tracking."

Ava just shook her head in disbelief. She glanced back at Sam. "Back to my original question." She said. "Why aren't we calling the cops?"

"Trust me." Sam said. "They wouldn't do us much good." Walking across the loose cement surface, he looked around for anything that might have given them a clue about their assailant. A bronze casing caught his eye and he knelt down, hesitantly Ava walked up behind him. "These are 223 caliber subsonic rounds." Sam said. He held it up for Ava to see and then he handed it to Kelly. She looked it over as he stood. "The guy must have put a suppressor on the rifle."

"Dude!" Ava exclaimed. "Who are you?" She glanced at Kelly. "And for that matter who are you?" She asked. "One of you can tell who's been where with nothing but her nose, and Sam here seems to know everything about bullets and weapons." She looked at them again. "Are you guys federal agents from the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense or something?" She covered her mouth. "Does Hellboy exist?" Kelly raised an eyebrow at her and Ava blushed. "What?" She asked. "It's a valid question."

"I just… I just uh… I just watch a lot of T. J. Hooker." He glanced at Kelly. "We watch a lot of T. J. Hooker."

"Riiight." Ava said. "If you say so." She didn't believe him for a second, but if that was the weak excuse he wanted to haul in front of her then fine. _I don't really need to know._ "Doesn't explain her sense of smell though." She glanced at Kelly. "You a werewolf or something?" Ava didn't notice Sam flinch, but she did see Kelly wince. _That's a no huh?_ Well, she'd figure it out eventually.

"You read too many comics." Kelly said. Shaking her head she looked back at Sam. "You should call Dean. I'm worried."

"I was just about to." Sam said. "If he's already here in the city, then that'd be a big help." Pulling out his cell phone, Sam hit one on the speed dial. Putting the phone to his ear, he listened to it ring.

"Hello?" Came the voice at the other end of the line. It was Dean, and he sounded like he was okay.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. He was happy to hear his brother's voice. _No matter what kind of trouble I'm going to get into for having Kelly to myself for two weeks._ Even with the occasional drama Sam had enjoyed them. He had nothing to complain about. _Except apologizing to him._

"Sam, I've been looking for you." Dean said. His voice sounded unusually strained, just a little higher than normal. Kelly walked forward, her eyebrows knitted together with concern.

"Yeah, I'm in Lafayette, Indiana." Sam said. "Kelly told me to tell you that your covers blown. She caught your scent on the rooftop."

"I know." Dean said. "Ellen told me." Was he purposefully ignoring what Sam had said about Kelly? Why wasn't he asking about her? Why hadn't he jumped down Sam's throat about it? Sam sucked in a deep breath. Something was definitely wrong. "In fact, I'm already here." Dean said. "It's a real funky town. You ditched me, Sammy."

_Okay, he hasn't mentioned Kelly._ And he'd said the code word. Something was definitely wrong. "Yeah." Sam said. The words coming slowly out of his mouth as he spoke. "Yeah." Kelly frowned. She knew something was up. "I'm sorry, look um, right now there's someone after me."

"What?" Dean asked. "Who?"

"I don't know." Sam said. "That's what we need to find out. Kelly got his scent to, so maybe you already know, but she can't tell who it is."

"Right." Dean said.

"Where are you?" Sam asked.

"I'm staying at 5637 Monroe Street, why don't you meet me here?" Dean said.

"Yeah, sure." Sam said. Then he hung up the phone.

Dean looked away as Gordon put down his cell phone, his gun trained on Dean's chest. "See?" He asked. "Was that so hard?"

Bound to the chair with ropes strapped around both his wrists and his ankles, Dean had no other option. "Bite me." He said. He didn't look around the abandoned house. He could already smell the tainted chemical scent of recently sprayed paint, and the evidence of the tagging was all over the abandoned house. This place was a rundown shack, falling apart, and if it wasn't for the remote location, Dean was fairly certain this it would already be something nice. Like a strip mall or a baby gap. He was silent for a few moments, but then, Dean Winchester was overwhelmed by the urge to once again tease his foe. "Gordy." He said. "I know me and Sam ain't exactly you're favorite people but don't you think this is a little extreme?" He lifted his hands. He knew there was little chance of reasoning with Gordon. The last time they'd met, Dean had been forced to take Gordon down hard after he'd refused to let a group of non-human eating vampires go.

"Why? You think this is revenge?" Gordon asked.

"Something like that." Dean replied. He raised an eyebrow in the quintessential Dean Winchester expression as he looked Gordon up and down. "We did leave you tied up in your own mess for three days." Dean chuckled. "That was awesome." He looked up at Gordon. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh."

"Yeah." Gordon said. "I was plannin' on whuppin' your ass for that." Dean chuckled knowingly, it was the same thing he'd do. "But this isn't about what happened." He turned around. "I'm not a killer, Dean." Gordon said. "I'm a hunter, and you're brother? He's fair game." Gordon shoved a fresh cartridge into the bottom of his gun with a click. Dean couldn't help it, he stayed silent.

"I don't I should leave." Ava said. She walked beside Kelly and Sam towards the car. Worry suffused her features as she looked from one to the other. Each had a serious expression on their face and both were deep in thought. Kelly though, Ava noticed, her face had turned white underneath her tan and she was chewing on her lower lip. Ava hadn't spent much time around the other girl, but she knew what it looked like when someone was spooked. _She's really worried about this guy._ Sam's brother. This Dean. _I thought she and Sam had a thing._ But no, the minute Sam had said that Dean given a code word for him having a gun on him, Kelly's face had turned white. Her expressions seemed to cycle through fear, anger, and intense bouts of rage. She'd barely said anything since the rooftop, and she hadn't contradicted Sam when he suggested that Ava should leave.

"I want you out of harm's way, Ava." Sam said. His voice resigned, and he didn't look at her, even as they approached her old-school Volkswagen bug. Ava got that, but she didn't think it was this simple.

"What about you?" Ava asked.

"Harm's way doesn't really bother me." Sam said.

"Or me." Kelly said. "And he's right." Her voice had the same kind of resignation in its tone as she spoke. She wasn't looking at Ava, instead her eyes were far away on the horizon. "At this point you won't be able to help." She glanced up at Sam and then back at Ava. "I really like you Ava." She said. Ava was surprised to find that the other girl's voice was sincere. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay." She said. "You guys are walking right into my vision! I mean this is how one of you, cause you know heaven forbid if it be both…" She trailed off. "This is how you die!"

"It's Dean." Kelly said. "We can't not go." _I love him._ And he was in this mess because she'd decided to check on Sam and Ava instead of going after the man with the gun. _That's what I get for thinking that Dean can take care of himself._ She thought, her inner voice bitter. _If I had done something else, if I had done more…_ If she hadn't trusted that Dean could take care of himself then maybe… No. This wasn't the time for maybes. Saving Dean was all that mattered. _My own survival be damned._ Sam agreed with her. She knew he did.

"That's why Kelly 's going with you." Sam said as Kelly spoke.

She stopped. "What?" Kelly asked. Sam nearly sighed, her tone was deeply resentful and borderline aggressive. He hadn't wanted it to come to this, but it was important for her to understand that she couldn't go with him. Sam came to a stop a few paces ahead of her and turned around, his eyes on her face. Ava stopped by the driver's side door of her car and leaned against the window. She could feel some kind of showdown coming, and she was curious to see who would be the winner.

_Even if their both idiots._ She thought. Her gaze moved from the back of Sam's head to Kelly's determined expression. She watched the black eyebrows narrow and the golden eyes flair as the girl crossed her arms over her chest. Her head tilting to the side as she leaned back on one foot. _Uh-oh._ That was the standard young woman 'I don't give a shit' expression. _Sam's in big trouble._ But somehow, Ava felt that he could hold his own.

"You're not coming with me." Sam said. His voice firm. "You're going to Peoria to look after Ava."

"In other words you just want to get me out of the way." She snapped. "So that you can go save Dean by yourself." She lifted her chin and her eyes flashed. Brushing her bangs back out of her eyes, her lips pressed into a thin hard line. Sam was willing to admit that she looked fairly beautiful standing there. She looked so defiant. "So tell me Sam, why not?"

Sam swallowed. He wasn't going to break under her ferocity nor was he going to give in. _Kelly's tough as nails._ And she loved Dean. "First off there's Ava's dream." He said.

" There's a possibility of you dying too." She retorted. "It's not conclusive, Sam! It could be me, or it could be you!"

"Which is why you're not going. If it's just me then maybe we can avert the whole thing!" Sam yelled.

"Right." Kelly said. "Because that makes a whole ton of sense."

"It's better than you coming along!"

"No it's effing not!"

"I don't want to see you get hurt, Kelly!" Sam roared. His voice nearly breaking under the strain of his emotions as he stared down at her, Kelly flinched. Her eyes narrowing as her gaze moved over his face. Sam could see her growing angrier. _Apparently my feelings on the subject don't matter at all_.

"That's a load of bullcrap, Sam!" Kelly responded. Her voice sharp as she glared up at him, her arms crossed back over her chest and her eyes defensive as she shook her head at him. "We both know that it was you the shooter was trying to hit!"

"Maybe it would be different if you hadn't jumped out that window!" Sam yelled.

"I did it to save you!" She retorted.

"And you nearly exposed yourself." Sam roared. "If you haven't already. We don't know whether it's one or the other!" Sam closed the gap between them. He grabbed Kelly by the shoulders, shaking her vigorously. His fingers sinking into the soft spots in the front of her shoulders as he stared down at her. "That shooter might have been a hunter, and if he was…"

"And if he was?" She asked. Her voice was filled with irony. "Say it Sam, seriously, say it." She knew what was coming next. "I'm not human and we all know what hunters do to things that aren't human." Her voice was mutinous as she spoke. The words were dripping with disgust and anger. Sam knew that she was lumping him in with the 'hunters' but right now he didn't care. Kelly needed to stay safe, and he wasn't letting her go anywhere where there'd be a vision of where she was going to die.

"It would be open season on you! Every hunter from coast to coast would know that it was okay to take you out! That's what would happen do you want that?" Sam yelled.

"Yeah?" Kelly scoffed. Her voice hard as her teeth clenched together and a feral growl rolled off her tongue and echoed through her lips. "Let them come!"

"You can't take them all, Kelly." Sam said. Suddenly, his features softened as he stared at her. Her shoulders were bunched and she was frowning. Even under all of that, she still looked incredibly warm. He just wanted to hold her. "And you should never have to."

"This isn't about my life, Sam!" Kelly growled. "I'd sacrifice it all! I have to save Dean! I have too! Sam!"

"I know, but you are going to stay with Ava." Sam said. "I'll be back for you when I have Dean."

"That's just more BS, Sam!" Kelly snarled. "Don't try to jam that protective macho shit down my throat!" Her fists balled and she lifted them at him. "I don't need it from Dean and I certainly don't from you. I'm more durable, dammit! It'd be better for me to go! I have a higher chance of surviving!"

"Even you can't survive getting blown up, Kelly." Sam said.

"Let's put it to the test." Kelly lifted her chin. She stared up at him defiantly, her eyes far away, even as Sam stared at her. Her golden gaze blazing, it was like a physical manifestation of her anger and her sense of purpose.

"No." Sam said.

"Tell me the real reason why you don't want me to come, or I swear to god in heaven that I'll beat you bloody and go by myself!"

"I'd like to see you try." Sam snapped. Dry laughter filled his voice as the words echoed challengingly through the open air.

"Don't tempt me." She growled.

Sam sucked in a deep breath. He knew that the time was coming where he'd have to be honest. And there was one thing he could use. One thing that Kelly wouldn't be able to say no to, and would make her step out of harms way. At least, for the moment. _She might come to her senses and get Ava to go back._ But Sam hadn't given her the house number. He didn't want her anywhere near this. "It would break Dean if anything happened to you." Sam said. "It would break him, Kelly." He stared into her eyes for a long moment. "At least one of us needs to make it out of this." Sam said. "So that Dean won't be left alone." Kelly and Sam gazed at each other. Her eyes darkening as she swallowed. "He needs you, he needs you alive, and he needs you healthy." It killed him to have the words come out of his mouth, for him to admit how much she meant to his brother. It was like a burning reminder of why he could never have her. No matter how much he might love her. _It would kill me too_. He wanted to say, but he couldn't. He might be going to his death, but he still couldn't tell her how he really felt. Maybe he never would. "And that means putting you out of harms way." Kelly stared at the concrete. She knew he was right. She knew it. Sam put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll save him, Kelly." Sam said. "Trust me." He smiled down at her.

Kelly lifted her eyes and stared up into Sam's honest face. "Fine." She muttered. "But you call me right away after you get Dean." She lifted her finger and jabbed it at his nose. "And you come right back to get me." She added. "Promise?"

"I promise." Sam grinned. "Scouts honor." Quickly and suddenly filled with daring at the thought of never seeing her again, he pressed a chaste kiss against the top of her head.

"Good." Kelly said. "Because this," she jammed her right fist into Sam's stomach. "Is exactly what you'll get if you don't bring him back alive." Sam staggered backwards, gasping for breath.

"Sounds good." Sam wheezed. "Now go to Peoria. That way I can work knowing you'll both be safe."

"Goodbye, Sam." Kelly said. A sad smile spread over her lips. "Try to not blow up."

"Yeah." Sam said. There was a lump clogging his throat. He cleared it hurriedly. Why did this feel like a real goodbye? _I'll be back to get her soon._ So why? "You too."

Kelly turned to Ava. "Come on." She said. Her voice forcibly cheerful as she put her arm around Ava's shoulders and walked towards the old navy blue Volkswagen Bug. "Let's blow this pop stand."

"Is he going to be all right?" Ava asked. Her voice low, she looked back over her shoulder at Sam and listened to Kelly swallowed. The other girl stared at her boots as Ava opened the navy door, and unlocked the passenger side. Then she climbed into the car. Finally, she looked up, but Sam had already vanished back down the street. Ava glanced at Kelly as she stuck her key in the ignition. "I mean this isn't exactly like my dream but…"

"We just have to hope that'll be enough." Kelly said. She glanced at Ava. Who swallowed at the glimmer of tears in the corner of Kelly's eye. _It hurts her to not be able to go with him._ Ava realized. _It's cutting her deeply._ She swallowed. "I trust, Sam." Kelly said. She stared down at the dashboard as Ava backed up the car. "I trust him." She repeated.

"Yeah." Ava said. She put her hand on Kelly's shoulder. "Okay." Kelly glanced at her and smiled. "Anyway you'll totally love Brady." She added, trying to change the subject to something happier. "And if Sam takes forever then you can help me catch up on my invitations."

"Whoop-di-doo." Kelly sighed. She bucked her seatbelt and leaned her head against the class as Ava started the engine. Ava smiled sympathetically at her, she knew how hard it must be for to be told that she couldn't save her boyfriend. After all, Ava had seen her scale a window on the fifth floor without breaking a sweat. _This must be pretty dangerous if Sam didn't want her along._ Ava kind of understood the reasoning. From the way Kelly and Sam had argued it'd become apparent that Kelly wasn't human, at least it didn't seem like it. _No matter how often she acts human._ After all, the girl had jumped in front of gunfire from a high powered rifle. _And she didn't even get shot._ At the very least, Ava decided, Kelly Jones was superhuman. Which didn't bother her. _I'm a freak too right?_ They could be freaks together. Ava stepped on the gas and pulled off the curb, heading down the road towards Highway 74 and back to Peoria. _It's over now_. Ava thought. She glanced at Kelly. _We're safe._

Meanwhile at house 5637, Gordon continued his conversation with Dean. "See, I was doing an exorcism down in Louisiana." Gordon said. Across from him Dean sat bound to a chair, his eyes boring a hole in Gordon's forehead. Every since the black man had said that Sam was 'fair game', Dean had been paying extra close attention to see what had brought him to this conclusion. "Teenage girl, same routine, some low level demon. But between all the jabberin' and the head spinnin', damn thing muttered something." Gordon's eyes snapped back to Dean. He wasn't unnerved by the way the other man was looking at him. In fact, he'd expected it. Gordon believed that Dean deserved to know the truth, and if he did already then it was up to Gordon to remind him of his true duty as a hunter. "About a coming war." Gordon shrugged. "I don't think it meant to, it just kind of slipped out, but it was too late." Gordon's eyes remained far away. His expression fixed on a distant horizon. A place Dean couldn't follow him to. Not that the older Winchester brother wanted to go there. Even thinking about it made Dean feel filthy. He didn't shake his head though, he just kept his eyes trained on Gordon. He knew he'd made a mistake when he'd told the other hunter to stay away from his girlfriend. Dean knew that he needed to find out what Gordon suspected about Kelly, and he couldn't make it look like he was fishing.

_And Gordon's smart._ There was no telling what kind of conclusions the man had come to on his own. _He's already figured out Sammy._ What if he'd figured out Kelly too? Dean hadn't been able to warn Sam about not bringing Kelly here. He just hoped that his brother had enough sense not to. _The kind of person who'd be shooting at him could only be another hunter._ Dean knew they didn't have that many enemies of the mundane variety. _And none that know to put a suppressor on a rifle that shoots armor piercing rounds._ No, Sam would know that this was Gordon. And if he didn't completely, at least he'd suspect. Sammy was smart and Dean had to trust in that. He didn't have a choice. _Please god, don't let him bring her here._

"Peaked my interest." Gordon said. "And you can really make a demon talk if you got the right tools."

"And what happened to the girl it was possessing?" Dean asked.

"She didn't make it." Gordon said.

_Same thing that'll happen to Kelly._ Dean thought. _If he catches her. Whether he believes she's human or not, he'll torture her for any of the information he thinks she knows. And then he'll casually just say 'She didn't make it'. Not a care in the world. Damn fucking bastard._ Dean was not about to let this hunter harm his girl, and he wasn't going to let him hurt Sam. _I just need to figure a way out of this situation._ And he had to trust that his brother would know what to do. He had to. _Don't let me down, Sammy._ "Well, you're a son of a bitch."

Gordon's eyes snapped to Dean, his lips pressing into a firm line. He stood up and walked over to Dean. Then he slapped him hard across the face, leaving a stinging red mark on Dean's skin. "That's my momma you're talking about." Gordon said. Dean knew it wasn't that. Gordon had just wanted to hit him. There was a strange smile on his lips, like he'd enjoyed doing it. Dean knew that answered his original suspicion. He flexed his jaw, wishing that he could rub it. The rough rope was chafing the skin of his wrists. He looked up at Gordon then he closed his eyes and smirked. "Anyway." Gordon said. "This demon tells me they have soldiers to fight in this coming war." Dean lifted his head and looked up at him. This was starting to sound familiar. "Humans. Fighting on Hell's side." Gordon nodded. "Can you believe that?" The man was starting to sound more enraged, and yet his tone remained cool. Almost psychotic. "I mean they're psychics…" Dean flinched. "So they're not exactly pure humans, but still…" He looked down at Dean. "What kind of worthless scumbag do you gotta be to turn against your own race?" A smirk stretched across his lips, puckering his goatee.

Dean remained silent. He knew that Gordon was talking about Sam, but he knew he couldn't confirm it. Not unless Gordon knew, not unless Gordon was sure. And if he was… _Then it doesn't matter anymore. Gordon will hunt anything that he believes deserves the title monster._ Sam, Kelly, either one of them was fair game for this man.

"But you know the biggest kick in the ass?" Gordon asked. Dean's eyes didn't leave Gordon's face. The man laughed, he was talking like it was some big joke. Like the universe had unleashed it's own personal practical joke down on Gordon Walker's head. "This demon said I knew one of them. Our very own Sammy Winchester." Gordon started to laugh again, and Dean laughed with him. Then he shook his head.

"Well this is…" Dean trailed off. "This is a whole new level of moronic even for you."

"Come on, Dean." Gordon said. "I know. About Sam's visions? I know everything."

"Really?" Dean asked. "Because a demon told you?" He laughed. "Yeah, cause it wasn't lying."

"Dean, I'm not some reckless yahoo, I did my homework. Made damn sure it was true." Gordon said. "Though, there was one other thing the demon said." He looked down and shook his head. "Something that was too incredible for even me to believe. That the thing floatin' around you're little brother was some kind of fairy dog." Dean stiffened. "Said she'd lead the way to the end of the world." He looked at Dean. "Can you believe that? A demon talkin' to me about fairies." He shook his head, the laughter continuing to echo through the abandoned house. "You know, I thought I'd heard it all, but fairies? There's something I was sure didn't exist." He paused. "Now though, after seeing your golden eyed girlfriend I'm not so sure." Dean frowned as a cruel smile fixed itself on Gordon's lips. "So tell me Dean." He asked. "What's it like to fuck a fairy? Do they make the same sounds humans do?" He laughed. "You know, I thought it was your brother who was the monster lover, Dean. I never figured it ran in the family."

_You shitfaced son of a motherfucking whore_. That was what he wanted to say. _She's not some kind of fuckin' fairy, you son of a bitch. She may transform into a big black dog and she may be the most annoying girl I know, but she's no killer. She's no monster. Not like you. Not like you, you bastard._ Instead, he said something else entirely. "Demons lie all the time. What makes you think this one was telling the truth?"

"Look." Gordon said. "You got your roadhouse connections, I got mine." His eyes fixed on Dean's. "That's how I knew how to find Sammy and the little bitch in the first place." He smiled and then he walked away.

Dean looked down. This was a big blow. _Who do I know?_ He wondered. _Who do I know who could have possibly squealed?_ Ellen? Ash? Jo? Sure as hell not Bobby, the man was like a second father and he'd never blab about Sammy. If anyone in Dean Winchester's life knew how to keep a secret, it was that grizzled old hunter. Gordon sat down across from him, resting his rifle across his knees.

"Bout a month ago I found another one of these freaks here in town." Gordon said. "He could deep fry a person just by touchin' em."

"Did he kill anyone?" Dean asked. His voice low as he stared down at his roughed up biker boots. His mind was still spinning from what Gordon had said about his roadhouse connections, and after what he'd said about Kelly. He swallowed. _Fairy dog? What the hell was that demon getting at?_ This was the second time a demon had said that Kelly would lead the way to ending the world. _That doesn't make it true._ Demons lied. Hell, Gordon hadn't even believed it until he'd seen Kelly in the flesh. _He still won't really believe it until he sees her transform._ Then, Dean guessed, he'd just peg her as a hellhound. _After all, he's saying that Sammy's some kind of Anti-Christ._

"Other than Mr. Tinkles the cat? No." Gordon said. He looked over at Dean, his eyes serious. "But he was working up to it." Then he looked away as Dean looked at him. The older Winchester's eyes serious as not fighting to keep the disgust he felt from showing plainly on his face. "They're all going to be killers, Dean. We gotta take 'em all out." Gordon said. "Even Sammy." He leaned forward. "Maybe even your girlfriend."

"Leave her out of this." Dean growled. "She's not a part of this mess."

"No?" Gordon laughed. "How well do you really know her?" He glanced at Dean. "What she's been traveling with you five, maybe six months now?" Dean swallowed. He thought Gordon didn't know Kelly. "Showed up out of the blue, no traceable name, her entire past a fabrication?" He raised his eyebrows. "What's she told you about herself?"

"Enough." Dean snapped.

"Enough?" Gordon nodded. "Right, I bet she just widened those big golden eyes and you fell all over her. Thinking she was exotic." He grinned. "That she was special." Gordon chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, she's special all right. Special enough for me to put a bullet in the center of her forehead." He looked over at Dean. "That's all she's getting when she shows up, if she doesn't get blown away by the trip wire." He smiled. "You see, I'm not stupid. I know Sammy'll case this place and that he'll be coming in the back."

"What if they get you from both sides?" Dean asked.

"No." Gordon shook his head. "I'll don't think he'll be bringin' her." He looked at the rifle sitting on his lap. "If he's as smart as I think he is, then he already suspects it's me." He smirked. "And if he doesn't then that's all the confirmation I need." His gaze moved to Dean. "To know that she's a monster."

"And you think Sammy's stupid enough to get tripped up by a trip wire?" Dean asked.

"You're right." Gordon said. He lifted a second grenade. "That's why I'll have two." Dean sucked in a heavy breath, and did something unthinkable. He prayed.

It took several hours to reach Peoria, longer than Kelly thought she could stand. Ava was pleasant enough company, but she made the kind of inane conversation that had Kelly wanting to put a bullet in her skull. It wasn't her fault. Kelly understood that. She was getting married and it was an exciting time for her. The kind of time it should be. _Just reminds me of all the things I'll probably never live to see._ Like a family and a white picket fence. Deep down, after her adventures were over, this was one of the silly cliché things that Kelly longed for. _And what I'll probably never have._ Dean wasn't the settling down type, and even if this relationship lasted, Kelly knew that they'd never be able to give up hunting. _We'll do it until it kills us._ How could they not? Knowing what was out there in the dark. How could they not spend their lives trying to rid the world of it? _We can't_. And so, Ava's happy jabbering was like pouring salt into an already raw wound. It stung, and made Kelly want to repeatedly bash her head into the glass window. She did, several times during the trip, and afterwards she promised to help Ava make out her invitations. Ava had smiled at that. Kelly wondered if this was what it was like to have female friends. She shook her head at the thought. This was something she could do without.

The car pulled to a stop at the end of a small, blue, weather worn house's gravel driveway. It looked like it'd recently been given a new set of paint, because everything from the white eves to the blue siding to the banisters leading up the entry stairs glowed as the sun sank down in the east behind it. Kelly sucked in a deep breath. "So this is where you live?" She asked. It felt like an inane question, but Ava, who was still swinging her keys around her index finger, simply smiled and laughed.

"Yup." She said. "This is home sweet home."

"It's a nice place." Kelly offered. She didn't really know what else to say. In fact, there didn't seem like much else to say. There was just those bland words, and they fell out of her mouth like lead. _A total cop out._ Was this what friends said? Did she even sound like she was being honest?

"You think so?" Ava asked. Grabbing Kelly's arm, she tugged her up the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you the inside! Brady's probably home from work by now, so you'll be able to meet him too!"

"Yay." Kelly said as Ava fumbled with her keys and undid the lock on the screen door, and then pulled it back and started working on the wooden door ones. The sarcasm in Kelly's tone was not lost on her new friend.

"I know it sounds lame." She said. "But you'll really like him. He's the sweetest guy I know." Jangling the key she tried to twist it in the lock. "I mean, you probably want to be back with Sam saving Dean."

"What gave you that idea?" Kelly asked. Irony dripped off her tone as she looked at Ava. "You want me to give you a hand with that?"

"I got it." Ava said. "Sometimes it's just sticky. Needs to be opened on the inside. Brady!" She banged her fist on the white painted door. "Come out here and give me a hand!" Her fist hit it again, and Kelly could hear the echoes moving through the house. She paused. There wasn't any sound of movement. They waited a few minutes, but for Kelly it felt like an eternity. She looked away from the door at the sun sinking towards the horizon. _I wonder if Sam's all right._ He hadn't called her yet, so she'd assumed that he hadn't saved Dean either. "Brady!" Ava yelled. "Get your lazy ass out here! We've got a guest!" She glanced back at Kelly and shrugged. "He's probably just sleeping. He works really hard up at the University. He's studying to be a high school science teacher." She smiled. "He's going to make a great teacher."

"Ava." Kelly said. Something didn't feel right. "Maybe we should go."

"Nonsense." Ava said. "We'll be safe as houses once I get us inside. And you can put up some incantation or something that'll make sure nothing gets in."

"I don't do magic." Kelly said. She took a deep breath, and glanced back at the champagne Civic in the driveway, trying to suppress the knotting that was currently occurring in her gut. "That kind of magic anyway."

With a firm twist of the key, Ava pushed the door open. "See?" She said. "No problems." Walking inside and shutting the door, Ava lay her purse on the kitchen table and then lead Kelly through the tight hallways of the house. "We can have a total girl's night while we work on the invitations." She said. "Like we can watch movies, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Ever After, until Sam and Dean come to get you." Kelly followed Ava through the living room, and past the bathroom as they headed towards the back of the house. "We can get started, once I say hi to Brady." She added. "He'll want to meet you too. "Come on." She pulled her to a stop in front of a door. Sucking in a deep breath as she put her hand on the knob.

"Ava?" Kelly asked. Her voice soft. She stood behind the other young woman, prepared to enter the bedroom. But as the door creaked on it's hinges and swung open, Ava refused to move. She stood there frozen like a statue as Kelly put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Ava had been bubbling about this reunion all the way here. About how she was looking forward to the wedding preparations and seeing her fiancée Brady. A name that had been repeated in Kelly's ear so many times, that the girl didn't think there was anyway she could possibly forget. But Ava's shoulders had gone stiff, and her hand holding the keys fell loosely to her side.

"Ava?" Kelly asked. She stepped up behind her and as she did, a twist in the air carried a well-known scent to Kelly's nose.

"No." The jingle of keys clanged against the floorboards as Ava stood in the doorway. Her hand flew to her mouth. "No!" She screamed. _Sulfur._ Kelly thought. _Damn it._ Ava ran into the room. "Brady!" Kelly responded seconds too late, her fingers missing the back of Ava's shirt by fractions. The girl escaped into the room. Then Kelly saw what she'd seen. The body of a young black haired man in his early twenties. He lay on the white sheets of the bed, blood splattered in crimson droplets across the fabric. His throat was slit. _Like a sacrificial lamb._ Kelly shivered.

"Ava!" She yelled. "Wait."

Making a decision she knew she'd regret, Kelly ran in after her. _But I also wouldn't forgive myself if anything did happen._ But as she took her first steps inside, she felt an overwhelming and crushing power strike her from the side. Kelly flew. _I knew they were there._ She thought. _I knew it._ Her back hit the wall and she hung there suspended. Ava was on the bed, leaning over Brady's body. Tears streaming down her cheeks, and she seemed oblivious to what was happening behind her. Kelly struggled on the wall, her eyes glowing brightly as she fought against the hold. _Ava!_ She wanted to cry out. But her jaw was snapped shut as if bound by iron wire. She looked down, there were three men in the room. Two unrecognizable suits that she guessed were minor demons, and one dressed in flannel and denim. She knew him all too well. _The Yellow Eyed Demon._ She kicked her legs against the wall, trying to get Ava's attention. The men in black were walking up behind her, and they seized her by the shoulders. She shrieked.

"Who are you?" Ava demanded. "What happened to Brady?" Roughly she was turned around, so that she was facing the Yellow Eyed man. He walked forward at a leisurely pace, and as he did so Kelly felt the hold on her releasing. She slid down the wall, but as she struggled to get off it, she found she couldn't. She was still held still. _Ava!_ Her mind screamed. _You bastard, what are you planning to do to her?_ She wanted to scream. "Kelly!" Ava called. She was staring past the Yellow Eyed man to her friend. But Kelly was stuck against the wall, unable to help her. Kelly struggled against the binds, and felt them tighten once again.

"Now, now." The Yellow Eyed Demon said, as he approached Ava. "That just won't do." He lifted a finger and ran it down her cheek. "You see." He said. "If you want her help," He leaned in close. Kelly's ears were perked to listen to what he was saying. "You're going to have _earn_ it." On command, one of the suits reached down to Ava's left hand and lifted it up. With a gentle delicacy, the Yellow Eyed man reached out and slid the ring off her finger. "You won't be needing this anymore." He said. A smirk played on his lips as he backed away, tossing the ring up, he snatched it out of the air. "Take her away, boys." He said. The demons stepped back and, together with Ava, they vanished. When they were gone Kelly felt her jaw unlock, and she stepped off the wall. He turned around to face her. "Howdy." He said. His voice was cheerful. "Long time, no see."

"You bastard!" She yelled. "Where did you take her?"

"Oh, I don't think that's very nice." The Yellow Eyed Demon lifted the flat of his palm and pointed it at Kelly. She hit the wall again. Growling, her eyes glowing she struggled. He walked forward. "You know, with my long standing generosity towards you, one would think you'd have better manners." Kelly met his pupil less yellow eyes. A smirk spread over his mouth and Kelly shivered. "Guess not." He flicked his finger sideways and a long cut appeared on Kelly's opposite cheek. Warm crimson droplets slid down her cheek as she glared up at him with mutinous eyes. "I thought I told you not to go poking around." He said as he approached her. "Not in the things that don't concern you."

"I've never been one for following directions." Kelly said. She was trying to feel tough, but her entire soul felt like it was cowering against the corner of the wall. Her mind repeated the mantra. _Don't come closer, don't come near me, please._

"You are a bad puppy that way." He said. Nodding as if this came as no surprise. _Almost as if he was betting on it_. "But do you know what happens to disobedient dogs, little Miss Jones?" He asked. His eyes were glowing in the light.

"They get punished?" She retorted. She kept her tone light, but there was still a quiver in her voice. He stopped in front of her, the casual smirk remaining fixed on his lips. A shudder fled up Kelly's spine. _Run, flee, escape._ It said. _I wish._ Kelly thought. _Oh, I wish, I wish._ She should never have agreed to escort Ava home. She knew that now.

"Yes." He said. His face was a moue of sadness, but his voice held no such feeling. "They get their chains yanked." His eyes fixed on hers and he smiled at her. But the feelings Kelly received were ominous, filling the cold pit of her stomach. "Despite it all." She swallowed. "I knew." He said. "From the first moment I saw you, that you," He reached out a traced a finger along the cut on her cheek. "You were exactly." Collecting the droplets of red blood on his fingertip, he slid the finger between his lips. "What I needed." He gazed at her. Kelly felt her stomach somersaulting as his strange pupil-less eyes ran over her face. "But it seems." He said. "That we've hit a little snag." Kelly swallowed, but her throat was dry and cracked. She couldn't get words to come out of her mouth as terror seized her tongue. "I've been a little too lenient, giving you a little too much freedom." Kelly's gut twisted into a knot, and sank to the pit of her stomach. A chill shivered up the skin of her cheek as she gathered up the spit in her mouth. It was no use playing the good girl now. "It might be time to scale back." He said. "To bump up the timetable." When he was close enough, Kelly spat.

The spitball sailed through the air and froze. "Manners." The Yellow Eyed Demon said. It splashed on the floor, and Kelly collapsed with it. The Yellow Eyed Demon knelt down, and brushed her brown hair back over her shoulder. "Don't worry." He said into her ear. "We'll have eternity to fix it." Tears welled up at the edges of Kelly's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not cry, not in front of this demon; even if he left her feeling empty and hopeless. _I should have stayed with Sam._ She thought.

The Yellow Eyed Demon showed her Ava's ring, and carelessly he dropped it on the floor. She understood the warning. The Yellow Eyed Demon offered her his hand. "Come on, kiddo." He said with a cheery grin. "Destiny awaits." Seeing no other choice, no other option, Kelly reached out and took it. Together, they vanished, leaving no trace of their presence behind except for the ring on the floor and the sulfur on the windowsill.

AN: Ahhh, it feels so good to get that plot point out of the way. Really, I feel refreshed, and I even leave you hints, what I nice person I am. ( ^_^ ) I've been really on a roll this week, just pumping out the chapters, I guess that tells you how much I want to get this done. Anyway, I hope you liked the twist at the end.

What does the YED have in store for our dear little Kelly? You'll find out soon. As always, I hope it leaves you wanting more.

Remember to review!


	49. Chapter 49: Worlds Apart

Chapter 49: Worlds Apart

Behind Dean the world exploded in flashes of fire. Heat singed his back as he was thrown forward, ducking his head low as he tried to avoid the spray of wood chunks flying across the room. They hit the walls and slid down, clattering as they hit the floor. Dean's heart froze in his chest as he listened to Gordon's heavy footsteps on the creaking wooden floor. He was making sure that Sam was dead. _Sam…_ Dean thought, his heart in his throat, reverberating against his trachea as it melted off the paralysis and began beating rapidly. _Sam…_ Dean's mind moaned. _Kelly…_ Had Sam come alone? Had the blast taken out both of them? Dean wasn't sure. He couldn't be sure. Hell, he didn't even have the heart to turn around and look. To scan the area to be sure. To assuage his fears and his guilt, and be forced to accept the realization that he was suddenly very alone in the world. _Kelly…_ Rage overtook fear inside Dean Winchester's soul. If Gordon had hurt her. If Gordon had killed her… Then Dean would never stop hunting him. _Kelly…_ Dean knew he couldn't lose either her or Sammy, the thought of living without both of them made his mind tailspin into the darkest kind of depression. Utter failure. If they'd died, then he'd failed. Completely. He wanted to yell out her name. But on the off chance that she was, indeed, alive. Then he couldn't risk it. _Gordon already knows that I care about her._ But Dean was certain that he didn't know how much.

In the blown out hallway, Gordon looked down at Sam Winchester's smoking shoe. His lips curling into a smirk as the hairs of his goatee stood out on end. He moved forward. Even though he was certain that Sam Winchester was dead, it never hurt to be careful. Gordon would not be satisfied until he found the bloody chunks of Sam's body and what was left of his charbroiled corpse. Then he'd finish taking his revenge on Dean Winchester. While, Gordon readily admitted that he wasn't a killer, that didn't stop him from realizing the necessity of removing a threat. From his conversation, Gordon had determined that the older Winchester would never forgive him for killing Dean's little brother. _Or his girlfriend._ Gordon wasn't sure if she was actually here, and by the lack of rushing from the front, he'd decided that either both she and Sam lacked a necessary understanding of tactics. _Or I'm just going to have to hunt the bitch down later._ He wasn't looking forward to that. _Meaning I'll have to kill Dean first._ The idea left a bad taste in Gordon's mouth, but it was one that he was willing to live with. He stepped around a pile of wood and ash debris. His eyes on the far wall, trying to scout out any signs of blood. So far he didn't see any. Gordon lifted his rifle higher. There was a click behind him and Gordon felt cold steel pressing against his skin behind him. The barrel of Sam Winchester's gun was pointed at the back of his head. _Damn._ Gordon thought. He was going to have to do this the hard way. _What the hell._ He thought. This way it would be more satisfying.

"Drop the gun." Sam said.

"Shouldn't take your shoes off around here." Gordon said. "You might get Tetanus." His heart beat quickened as he heard the gun cock, as a bullet slid into the chamber. But deep inside his blackened soul, Gordon knew that Sammy Winchester was not a killer yet. Meaning that he still had the upper hand. _Advantage me._ He kept the smile off his lips. All he had to do was stall for time.

"Put it down now!" Sam roared. He was done playing games. Gordon had threatened Dean, he'd forced Sam to separate from Kelly, and even thought the younger Winchester was sure that she was safe… A colt pit in his stomach shivered when he thought about her. Sam was eager to get Dean and meet up with her again. He wasn't comfortable with leaving her out on her own. _And this son of a bitch is keeping me from point B._ Sam didn't want to kill Gordon. No, he didn't. He just wanted to save Dean. _And meet up with Kelly._ It wasn't that he didn't trust her to take care of herself. He did. Sam just. _I just want to see her smile when she knows that Dean's all right._ It was pathetic really. But by saving Dean, in some way, it would make him her hero. _Even if I can't be together with her._

Dean glanced over his shoulder. That was Sam's voice. _Sammy!_ Where was Kelly? Why hadn't she come to get him out of this damnable chair? Where was she? Was she all right? _Did she get caught in the explosion?_ Dean didn't dare let any further thoughts cross his mind. The thought of seeing Kelly lying dead was too much for him. He strained his neck. But he couldn't see anything. _Damn it! What's happening?_

Deliberately, Gordon put his gun down on the floor and straightened slowly, his hands in the air. Sam's gun followed his head and Gordon knew it was time to appeal to the younger Winchester's supposed conscience. "You wouldn't shoot me would you Sammy?" He asked. His heart beat shuddering against his ribs. Gordon didn't like being at another man's mercy, especially a monster's like Sam Winchester. "Cause you're brother… he thinks your some kind of saint." Behind Gordon, Sam reached out with his foot and pushed the rifle out of Gordon's reach.

"Yeah." Sam said. "Well, I wouldn't be so sure."

"See that's what I said." Gordon's voice was slow, malice nonexistent in his tone. He was simply waiting for an opening. Once it came, he knew he'd have little Sammy Winchester on the ropes once again.

Sam didn't say anything, and Gordon knew it was time. He spun, faster than Sam's eyes were prepared to follow. Grabbing Sammy's wrist, Gordon dragged the gun down and hit him with a hard knee in his chest. Gasping, Sam was pushed backwards. As the young man straightened, Gordon hit him across the face with a hard right cross, sending Sam spinning sideways. Knocked off balance Sam's feet twisted one over the other as he fought to find a sense of balance. Finding it, he straightened as Gordon circled around him. Sam lifted his hands up defensively as the older hunter moved in. Gordon's hands flicked out fast, too fast for Sam's vision to follow. His head went to the right as Gordon caught his cheek with a left hook, and before he could react the first punch was followed by a second. Sam fell backwards. He couldn't see the predatory nature of Gordon's eyes or the adrenaline pumped exhilaration on his face. Gordon moved in and with a snap front kick to Sam's chin, he sent the younger Winchester flying back through the already fragile wall. Sam's back hit the floor, protruding wood bruising his kidneys as he tried to roll back onto his feet.

Hearing his brother fall, Dean strained against the restraints, biting down hard on the bandanna stuffed into his mouth. Words coming out in a muffled string of non descript sounds as he swore. Still, despite his best efforts, Dean couldn't wriggle his hands loose. Gordon had tied to bonds too tightly.

Gordon stepped through the new hole Sam had created, and walked towards the young Winchester. Sam lay on the ground, his nose bloody and swelling. There was a cut on his left cheek and crimson liquid streamed down it, drying quickly in the air. He looked helpless. Gordon smiled, knowing that victory would soon be his. Sam coughed, sputtering as air surged back into his battered lungs. Dust caked against the top of his mouth and he felt the change in air pressure as Gordon knelt down. He heard the click of metal against a sheath, Gordon had drawn a knife. Sam's insides recoiled, and he tried to make his aching limbs work. He wasn't going to die here. _I refuse to die here._ He would make Gordon pay for trying to kill him. _For trying to kill Kelly._ Even if it cost him his last breath, Sam Winchester would make Gordon Walker pay.

"You're no better than the filthy things you hunt." Gordon said. Sam opened his eyes. "Like that friend of yours, your brother's girlfriend…" A leering smile came over his lips. "When I'm done with you and Dean, I'm gonna gut her like a fish. So, think about that when this knife is buried in your gut. 'Cause I promise, little Sammy Winchester, that her death, well, let's say it won't be quick." Gordon leaned forward and, flipping the knife around in his hand, stabbed downwards.

But Sam was ready for him. Gordon's words had instilled new strength in him. _No one ever threatens Kelly._ Not to Dean and, certainly, not to Sam. As Gordon's arm came down, Sam pushed his back off the concrete floor and braced his arm against the inside of Gordon's shoulder. Grabbing onto Gordon's plaid shirt, Sam hurled him sideways. Gordon flew through the air for a short span, hitting the ground hard as his head snapped back. Sam stood. Wiping his mouth, he hopped on top of Gordon. Straddling him and pressing his weight down, Sam reached up with his right hand and hit Gordon across the face. "Leave her alone." He said. His voice harsh and hoarse as he hit Gordon with his left fist, sending the man's face rolling back to the right. He hit him once more for good measure and, after he was certain Gordon lay still, Sam straightened and stood. Taking the rifle, he pointed it at Gordon. It was tempting, all he had to do was pull the trigger.

Gordon stared up at Sam, his eyes wide and, for the first time, he felt afraid. There was something in Sam's eyes, a seriousness that Gordon couldn't quite describe. But looking up the barrel of his own rifle, Gordon felt his confidence melt away. He'd underestimated Sam Winchester. He could feel that now. "Do it." He said. If he was going to go out then this was an honorable way. "Do it!" He wanted Sam to prove Dean wrong. To prove Gordon right. _He's just another animal to be put down._ _Show your brother I was right all along._ Gordon thought. _Prove it. Do it!_ "Show your brother the killer you really are Sammy."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy like tension. Sam was caught in a moment of indecision as Gordon's words broke through his rage. There was triumph in the other man's eyes, triumph that spelled Sam's ultimate fate. _No._ Sam thought. _No._ _I'm not going to be that kind of monster._ He was a person not a tool. Instead, Sam lifted the butt of the rifle and brought it down heavily on Gordon's face.

"It's Sam." He said. The cold depths of his voice unfathomable as he spoke. Staring down at Gordon's unconscious face with satisfaction, Sam let out a long sigh of relief. Then he turned and made his way across the wreckage of the abandoned house. Dropping the rifle, he walked through one of the burned down doorways to his brother. Dean was still tied to the chair, his hands and ankles bound, a bandanna stuffed into his mouth. Sam moved quickly across the floor and, putting a comforted hand on Dean's shoulder, undid the knots around his brother's left hand, setting him free.

Dean yanked off the bandanna. He was glad to see that Sam was all right, but a cold pit still remained at the bottom of his stomach. "Where's Kelly_?_" He asked as soon as his mouth was free.

"She's safe." Sam responded. His voice tired and heavy as he knelt down and slowly began to undo the knots around his brother's left ankle. Dean finished the job quickly and helped pull his brother to his feet. Before Kelly could be contemplated, Dean first had to make sure that his little brother was all right. One look at Sam's battered face had Dean's mind made up. "Son of a…" He growled. Turning around and ready to exact complete revenge on Gordon Walker, he started towards the hole in the wall. Only Sam's restraining hand stopped him.

"Dean." Sam said. "No."

"Sammy." Dean said. "You heard what he said. He knows. He knows about Kelly, and about you." He shook his head. "I let him live once. I'm not making the same mistake twice." _Not with Kelly's secret hanging in the balance._ As angry as Dean was with her, as sure as he was that they needed to sit down and have another long talk. _As much as I want to stick her in the dog house._ Dean Winchester would not tolerate any threats to his family's safety. _Gordon knows about Sam and Kelly._ Hell, he'd already tried to kill Sam. _Twice._ There was no way that Dean was letting him get away with that. _No way in bloody fucking hell._

"Trust me." Sam said. "Gordon's taken care of." He sighed and headed towards the door. "Come on." He added. "Before Kelly hangs both our asses in a sling."

"Pissed off because you didn't bring her, eh?" Dean couldn't help but feel pleasure in that. Completely sounded like his girl. He felt Sam's hand go around his shoulder as his brother pulled him away from vengeance and Gordon. He supposed that he'd have to trust Sammy, and believe that Gordon was in fact taken care of. Besides, Dean was eager to get out of here. He wanted to see his girl.

"Something like that." Sam muttered. His motions staggered as he walked tiredly. All he wanted was the exit. _And chili fries._ For some reason, chili fries sounded really good right now.

They were out the door and in the open air of the midnight hour, when rang out behind them. Dean and Sam turned around to see Gordon leveling a gun in their direction, the pistols in both hands cocked and ready. The two brothers took off running without a seconds hesitation. They charged across the road as Gordon followed them, firing blindly. As soon as one gun was out of ammunition he dropped his hand and lifted the one still loaded and continued to fire. Bullets whizzed over Dean's head, the head of one catching the corner of Sam's coat, the heat of it's passage singeing the hairs on the younger Winchester's arm. Making it into the cover of the trees, Sam and Dean dropped down behind a ditch as Gordon advanced towards them. His gun raised high.

"You call this taken care of?" Dean asked. His voice coming out a shout as he turned to his brother from where he lay in the wet dirt and mud. He hated being caught with his pants down. Especially now that neither he nor Sam had any way of fighting back. Together the two brothers peered through the cover of the trees as bullets sang past, impaling the branches and trunks of the trees behind them. "What the hell are we doing?' Dean asked as Gordon crossed onto the pavement of the road.

"Just… trust me." Sam said. His voice breathless as he leaned his stomach against the roots and brambles of the bushes. The thick foliage hid them from sight, as tires squealed in the distance.

Blazing headlights and whirring sirens light up the darkness as cop cars surrounded Gordon Walker. Their black and white bodies gleaming brightly like angels sent down from heaven as they slid to a stop. Their sirens twirling brightly out of the shadows of the trees. Gordon came to a stop, guns lowered, caught completely by surprise. Ss the men of the Lafayette police department climbed out of the cars, yelling "Get down!" and "Get down on the ground now!" Their guns out and pointed in Gordon's direction as they circled around him. Gordon's knees hit the ground as he lifted his hands up behind his head. Inwardly cursing the interference as cold metal snapped shut around his wrists. Again a barrel of a black gun was pointed at the back of his head and his heart raced in his chest. Hands settled on his shoulders as he was roughly pushed down to the ground. A knee pressed against his back as Gordon breathed in the gravel that was mixed into the mud of the road. _Shit._ He thought.

In the woods, out of sight, Sam grinned at Dean. "Anonymous tip." He said. As they watched the cops walked over to Gordon's car and reached behind the seat. They yanked out the steel tray, exposing Gordon's secret cache of weapons. The cops hauled Gordon to his feet and lead the cuffed man off towards one of the nearby cars.

Beside him, Dean grinned. "You're a fine upstanding citizen, Sammy." He said. It was a true joy to see Gordon Walker get what was coming to him. _By the Lafayette PD._ There was some kind of karmic justice in that. As Gordon was pushed into the back seat of a police car, and the men vanished back into their respective vehicles, Dean turned to Sam. "So." He said. His voice cheerful as he punched Sam lightly in the shoulder. "Where'd you stash my girl?"

Far away, in location unknown, Kelly Jones woke up in the darkness. "Ava?" She called. There was no answer as her voice echoed back to her out of the blackness. Her knees felt heavy and bruised against the cold stone slabs beneath her. Pain pricking against the exposed skin. She felt naked. Even though she could feel the whisper of cloth against her breasts, her stomach, and her shoulders. Her legs were exposed to the chill and cutting breeze that whistled through the room. The floor was cold beneath her, frigid, beyond chilly, and she ached all over. Like she'd been asleep for hours with her back twisted into a bad position. Her muscles shivered against her bones and Kelly couldn't find the energy herself to raise her head off the floor. She felt so tired. Her wrists felt heavy as cold metal burned against her skin. Agonizing. She felt like screaming. But her throat was already raw and her vocal chords were stiff as she swallowed. Both her wrists felt like they were on fire as she tried to lift them, stinging as her skin brushed against the metal. Making her flinch backwards, only to have her skin touch the side of the shackle again. Kelly yelped. The links of the chains clinked together, rust falling off them as Kelly tried to hold her hands still. But she couldn't keep her flesh from connecting with the metal. Her eyes open wide, she rolled onto her back, staring off emptily into the shadows high above her head. "Ava!" The words rebounded around the room again. But there was no answer. "Ava!" This time the words came out more softly, emptily. They barely reached out into the darkness, failing to even whisper back into the cold stone room. Kelly's fingernails scraped against the floor. She tried to summon a growl, but couldn't, she tried to call the Dog to her and change the color of her eyes. But the Dog wouldn't come. When she called her powers they didn't answer. Kelly squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't have a voice left with which to scream.

"Ava." A different voice croaked out of the dark. "Ava." It sounded like a parrot, parodying Kelly's voice. It's pitched the tone higher, mimicking the girl's strained octaves.

"Hello?" Kelly asked. Her voice scratching against the walls as her vocal chords worked. She felt heavy as if weighed down by stone. She winced as she moved to a sitting position, her wrist once again. Her eyes searched the darkness, but without her second sight she was practically blind. She swallowed

"All alone, far from home." The voice sang. It's voice piercing Kelly's mind out of the dark. "Collars of cold, strong to hold, doesn't stop, arms and skin burned atop Gabriel's headstone." Deep in the darkness Kelly heard the sound of skipping, like rocks on the water or tap dancing shoes beating away against a hardwood surface. "Plip, plop, sudden drop, collars made of iron. Dangerous see? Should have listened at Mother's knee or even to fool Crion!" This was followed by a chilling laugh that sent shivers up Kelly's spine.

"Who's there?" She asked. Her voice thick as mud, as she struggled forward. It hurt to talk, and took a great deal of effort to think past the pain in her wrists.

"Dear old Cuchulainn got drowned in a poolie, paid by a puppy's wrath, gots now trap-ed by a goolie." The sing song voice continued. "Never be back."

"Come out!" Kelly yelled. Her voice hoarse as it echoed through the darkness. She strained forward.

"See how it howls sister." The voice said. The sound muted as the tapping stopped. Kelly knew that it wasn't coming any closer. "Little whelp of lonely abandon still thinks to bark." It giggled in the darkness. "Woof, woof. Woof, woof it says to the Yellow-Eyed man." There was a scratching noise against the floor and Kelly's bit her lip, glaring into the shadows as she listened to it move closer. The sound of its feet nothing more than a whisper against the cold silver surface. Kelly wanted to guess that the stones were granite, but she had no way of confirming her suspicions. Flesh touched the shackles around her wrists again and Kelly shrunk backwards. No matter which way she moved her hand she couldn't stop the pain from shuddering across her skin. Biting back another scream, she pressed her back against the wall. There had to be someway out of here. "Doesn't know, was bought and sold, paid in the price of a pewter pitcher." In the falling overhead rays of silver light, Kelly lifted her head as a tiny creature with a long hooked nose and large bulbous eyes hopped into view.

"Who are you?" She asked. To her deep embarrassment, Kelly's voice quavered as she spoke. _There's nothing to be frightened of._ She thought. _It's just a little thing._

The creature cocked its head to one side. Even in the dark, Kelly could see that it was the color of moss. Its eyes glowed a bright silvery yellow color as it looked at her, and it's sharp mouth curled into a wide toothy smile. It bent over its long springy legs, which were splayed out like a toads across the stone floor. It's knees turned inwards like a spider's and a pair of two sharp canines protruded up out of its mouth. Kelly decided that it could be no taller than several inches, and it had a full head of red hair. "Many upon many names." Said the creature. "None worth the telling. Not like you." It raised a little finger at her and then cackled. "Empty container not worth filling."

"And what do you want?" Kelly asked. In this darkness she sounded even more tired than before and she shook her head. Bobby had always told her that it was best to ask creatures what they wanted, especially if they'd only come for a visit.

"To see how fallen are the mighty." Said the creature. Kelly wondered if it was a she or a he.

"Okay." Kelly said. She was beginning to feel like this little creature was off its rocker. _So, what's it doing coming to me?_ "Are you some kind of brownie or pixie?" She asked. This little creature didn't fit anywhere in the lore that Kelly knew, except with the old dusty books on fairy tales that Bobby had kept in the back of his library. He hadn't exactly scoffed at her for reading them, but Kelly got the feeling that he thought the Old World was good and dead. Or maybe he didn't. She shook her head. "Why does this hurt me?" She asked. Lifting her wrist, she pointed at the shackles. Then as the metal touched her skin, Kelly threw back her head and howled. It felt like her skin was just melting away, removing muscles and nerves until the bone was rubbed raw. That was what it felt like. Kelly dropped her wrist, feeling her ligaments tightening around her hand as the muscles flexed. They itched and burned. _But I'm still in one piece._ She thought. That was what really mattered.

"It doesn't know." The creature looked sideways. "It doesn't know sister." The little beast cackled loudly. "It doesn't sing a song of sixpence or know a mortal rhyme." The creature fell onto its back and hugged it's sagging breasts tight against its chest as it continued to laugh. "Thinks its mortal, sister."

"I know I'm a monster." Kelly snapped.

The creature straightened into a crouch. It's green eyes, slit cat-like, gleaming out of the darkness as a long tongue flicked across leathery lips. "Yes." It whispered. "But which one?"

Highway 74, Indiana

Thick gray fog hung captive in the lowlands, obscuring the forest on either side, as it misted over the Impala's windshield. The droplets were brushed away effervescently by the thick pulsating swipes of the wipers. They pumped away mechanically as the hot yellow beams of the headlights cut through the thick floating moisture. Glittering like diamonds in the darkness, the droplets reflected their glow back into the shadows cast by moonlight as the Impala raced through the darkness along Highway 74. The tires rolling effortlessly across the slick road as the brothers continued on their way to Peoria. They had yet to cross the over the border between states, and inside the car Dean Winchester was hard pressed to not put his foot down hard on the gas. They were already traveling ten miles over the speed limit, but Dean was tempted to push it to twenty. The weeks he'd been separated from Kelly hung heavily around his neck, like his own personal albatross. He didn't know why it was like this. He wasn't to blame for Kelly and Sam's disappearance. He knew that. But deep down, he still felt insecure about what may or may not have happened between his brother and his girlfriend. However, Dean didn't want to rock the boat too much. At least not right now. He needed to talk to Kelly, to confront her about her behavior, and her habit of disappearing whenever things got rough for her. A part of him felt like he couldn't trust her to be there for him. After all, she was always gone. He wanted to be able to trust her. He really did. But... _She's my girlfriend, why doesn't she tell me anything?_ Did she believe in Sam more? Dean knew that his little brother was far more comforting than he was. Sam always seemed to know the right thing to say when someone was hurting. Dean never did. His attempts at comforting Kelly always felt harsh and clumsy. No matter what he said, what he promised, or how sincere his words were, he couldn't seem to keep Kelly still long enough to get his full meaning across. He didn't doubt that she loved him. The few nights she'd spent curled up against him had proven it. And yet. _Gordon._

The other hunter had pissed Dean off. _Dickhead deserves more than a life sentence._ Dean still felt the urge to go back and put Gordon in the ground. Permanently. _To make sure he never comes after us again._ Dean didn't like the threat Gordon posed to both Kelly and Sam's safety. And he liked the fact that Gordon had figured out Sam's secret even less. _How long until he busts loose and comes after us?_ Dean knew it would be a good long time. _But it'll happen eventually._ And that was something he needed to prepare for.

Dean hated to admit it. But Gordon had made an excellent point. _How much do we know about Kelly?_ The Crossroads Demon had once tempted him with the promise of sending her home.

"_Oh, no, no, no." The Crossroads Demon said with a shake of her black locks. "She's much more than that." A smug smile crossed her lips. "If the plans made for her future come to fruition then she will be herald to the coming end of your world."_

The end of the world. That's what the Crossroads Demon had said. Dean had always believed that she'd been lying. Until now. _Gordon said something similar._ Far too similar. _A fairy dog around us leading the way to the end._ It was far too coincidental for Dean to overlook it. Maybe that bitch hadn't been lying after all. _And if that's the case…_ Then what the hell was Kelly? She wasn't a hell hound. They knew that. _And fairies don't fucking exist._ This was solid fact. In all his years of hunting, Dean had never come across something like that. _Not with wings and dust and promises to make me fly._ So obviously that demon Gordon had tortured had gotten something mixed up. Something. _He got the end of the world right though._ Did this have something to do with Sam? Was there a connection between Kelly and Sam that Dean wasn't aware of? No. That was crazy. There was no evidence that Gordon had even been telling the truth. _But what reason would he have to lie?_ Plenty. _But he'd seemed sincere._ Damn it all to hell. Dean glanced at his brother. Sam had the phone pressed up against his ear. "Well." Dean said. "Gordon should be reaching for the next few years at least."

"Yeah, I hope so."

"After what he said about you and Kelly…" Dean trailed off. "The man deserves whatever gets handed to him in the slammer."

"He'll only go if they can pin Scott Carey's murder on him." Sam said. He didn't like the odds. "And even if he does, there's no telling that he won't just bust out."

Dean had already considered this possibility and the thought of Gordon back out on the street left a sour taste in his mouth. There was a silence between them for a few minutes as Sam put down the phone and continued to stare morosely out the window. Dean shook his head. "Dude, if you ever take off like that again." He said. "If you ever take off with her again…" The second half of the statement held a threat that lay the tension thick between them.

"What?" Sam asked. He couldn't stop the laughter from creeping into his voice. "You'll kill me?"

"That's so not funny." Dean grumbled. His voice low and gravelly as he spoke. His eyes moved back out onto the road. "I owe you a major ass whuppin' for that stunt, Sammy." Dean paused. "You and her."

Sam glanced over at his brother. Outside the world was pitch black and it was well past midnight. He knew that they wouldn't reach Peoria until dawn the next day. Still, Sam felt responsible for Dean being angry with Kelly. _It's my fault, not hers_. Sam thought. _He shouldn't blame her._ As much as Sam loved Kelly, he also wanted to see his brother happy. _Meaning I should do everything I can to smooth out this rough patch between them_. Dean loved Kelly. Sam knew that. He could practically feel the worried aura clinging to his brother's skin. _He loves her_. And she'd hurt him. Sam just wasn't sure how much. "She wanted to come, Dean." He said. "Kelly figured I shouldn't be alone, and since I didn't…"

"Since you didn't want me around, she decided to take my place and look after you." Dean finished. "I get it, Sammy."

"Don't be too pissed at her." Sam said. Sam got Kelly's voicemail for the second time and having already left one message, he shut off the phone. Glancing at his brother, Sam added. "She didn't like leaving you in the dark. For the first week she kept trying to convince me to call you." _Then she gave in._ And she'd started giving him the silent treatment. _Especially after I blew up at her._

"Yeah." Dean said. "Well, she could have called herself."

"She respected my decision, Dean." Sam said. "She knew this was something I had to do myself." His eyes held his brother's. "She's a good friend that way."

"And a bad girlfriend that way." Dean muttered. "She still should have called." _She had weeks to do it, and she didn't._ Dean wasn't about to let Kelly off the hook. He expected groveling. Well, at least angry sparks and eventual contrition. He looked away from Sam and back out at the road. "Anyway, what's done is done right? I'm just glad the two of you are in one piece."

"All right." Sam laughed. "All right. So where to next then?"

"After we get the girl?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, that much was obvious. Neither he or Dean was going to go anywhere without Kelly.

Dean chuckled. "One word." He said. "Amsterdam."

"Dean!" Sam groaned.

"Come on, man!" Dean laughed. A grin on his face. This was a serious suggestion. He wasn't opposed to booking passage on a freighter, shipping the Impala through customs and spending the next few months road tripping across Europe. "I hear the coffee shops don't even serve coffee."

"I'm not gonna just ditch the job!" Sam said.

"Screw the job!" Dean replied. "Screw it, man. I'm sick of the job anyway. I mean we don't get paid, we don't thanked, we're always getting shot at, Kelly's actually getting shot, and who knows the next time a bullet'll hit her somewhere she can't recover from." He shook his head. "No, the only thing we get is bad luck." He stared out at the yellow lines as they rolled beneath the Impala's belly. "I mean, come on, Kelly's the best thing that's come out of the past five months, and even she's almost more trouble than she's worth."

"You don't mean that." Sam said.

"You're right I don't." Dean said. "But that doesn't change the fact she's always getting into trouble."

"And always getting us out of it." Sam replied. "Look, Dean. Gordon might have actually got me if Kelly hadn't distracted him."

"And then she turned herself into a sitting duck." Dean snapped. "Exposed her secret and put herself into the weekly edition of Hunters Most Wanted." He shook his head. "So, sorry Sammy. But I'm not going to celebrate her most recent bout of recklessness."

"This coming from the man who's the reckless master."

"I know what I'm doing." Dean growled.

"So does she." Sam retorted. "She's better than you think."

"Oh I know she's better than I think." Dean snapped. "And it scares the hell out of me, Sammy."

Sam decided it was time to try a different tact. "Come on dude." He said. "You're a hunter. It's what you were meant to do."

"I wasn't meant to do anything." Dean replied. "I don't believe in that destiny crap."

"You mean you don't believe in my destiny." Sam replied. He paused for a moment. "Or Kelly's."

"Sammy, that girl doesn't have a damn destiny!" Dean said. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel and in response his knuckles turned white. "She fell out of the sky five months ago and she's been a pain in the ass ever since. Her being here doesn't mean she's got a destiny."

"You don't think the fact that she stayed, even after you slept with her, has some significance?" Sam asked.

"No." Dean growled.

Sam shook his head. "You ever wonder what happened to the other girls?"

"They went home, Sammy." Dean said. "That's what happened." His tone of voice told Sam that it was time to end the discussion. Still, he couldn't help it.

"Look, Dean." Sam said. "I tried running before." He swallowed. "Hell, if we're going to use running as an example, then Kelly's the best example. She's always running away from something. Whatever it is." Sam looked out the window and into the darkness. _That's right. Kelly's always running from something._ But what the hell was she running from? That confused him. _She's never opened up about it._ Not once in all the time he'd known her. "I mean, I ran all the way to California and look what happened." He swallowed. "You can't run from this and you can't protect me."

"Are you saying we can't protect her?"

"Dean, we don't even know what's chasing her." Sam said. "I mean, I doubt it's got something to do with me but…" Dean looked over at his brother. His eyes hard. "Kelly's…" He trailed off again. "She's a mystery and until she unravel it, she'll always be in danger." Sam swallowed. "The way it is right now, we can't protect her."

"I can try." Dean said. Then he looked away, back out into the darkness of the road. "I can damn well try."

Sam stared at the stony expression on his brother's face, the way Dean's eyes remained fixed on a single point, and he wondered what thoughts were going through his brother's mind. He looked down at his hands and then at his brother. "Thanks for that." He said, his voice soft behind the buzzing noise of the car as they whizzed down Highway 74 and onwards towards Peoria. Dean raised his eyebrows and nodded, but he didn't look at Sam again. "Look, Dean." Sam said. "I'm gonna keep on hunting." He took a deep breath. "I mean whatever's comin', I'm takin' it head on, so if you really want to watch my back, then I guess you're gonna have to stick around."

"We'll see what Kelly says." Dean replied.

"She'll side with me." Sam said. His voice filled with confidence as he stared out into the blackness of the early morning.

"Bitch." Dean said.

"Jerk." Sam replied. He smiled and laughed softly. In the silence after the comment, Sam knew he nothing to say. _Phone, Kelly, call._ The younger Winchester reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He checked the time. It'd been over a half hour since the last time he'd called Kelly. She hadn't called back yet. A cold pit formed at the bottom of Sam's stomach as he swallowed, his throat suddenly very dry. This wasn't a good sign, and while it might mean nothing. He didn't know if they could afford to take the chance. _If something went wrong, then I'm responsible_. After all, Sam had been the one who'd convinced Kelly to go with Ava instead of coming with him. _I thought it would be safer._ But what if something had gone wrong? Was that the reason why she hadn't called back? Had she even gotten his first message? Sam shook his head. Brushing his hair back out of his eyes, he decided to take a different approach. _More than one way to skin a cat._ Or so the saying went.

Dean glanced at his brother. Sam was dialing again. "Callin' Kelly?" He asked. "This is…what? The third time you've called in the past hour." Jealousy burned in Dean's stomach. The only reason Sammy had been the one calling Kelly was new law that prohibited using a cell phone while driving. Sam had reminded Dean that it was safer if he did the calling that way Dean could focus on getting to Peoria. While Dean didn't like it, he couldn't deny the logic of Sam's argument. So he'd gone along with it. _Don't rock the boat._ Especially not now that they were on good terms again.

"No." Sam said. He listened as the other line began to ring. "Ava."

"The other girl that was with you two?" Dean asked. He glanced at Sam. "What you sweet on her or something?"

"Please, Dean." Sam said. "She's engaged."

"So?" Dean asked. "What's the point of saving the world if you can't get a little nookie once in a while?"

"You mean like you and Kelly?" Sam asked. His voice was low and he sounded tired.

Dean couldn't blame him. "Why don't we leave my relationships out of this." He suggested.

"Frankly, Dean." Sam snapped. "You're relationship's all we have to talk about." He sighed. "Everyone I've slept with I've either had to leave or have ended up dead." He glanced at his brother. "One of whom I had to shoot."

"You don't have to be a downer about it, Sammy." Dean said.

"Don't have much left except the pessimism, Dean." Sam said. A click came out of the phone. Sam's back straightened.

"Hi!" Came familiar and perky voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey!" Sam started.

"This is Ava Wilson. It's totally a mess down here right now, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get back to anyone for another eight weeks. Unless… You're calling to RSVP. If you are, call Brady. Oh, and if this is the caterers, Monday May fifth at the Marigold Emporium for the rehearsal. If this is for anything else, leave a message after the beep. Bye!" Then there was a click. Sam felt his stomach sink. It was only a message. What was going on? _Kelly's not picking up her phone and neither is Ava._ Whatever that spelled it wasn't good. Sam had a bad feeling about this. There was a long beep on the other end of the line.

"Ava, it's Sam." He said. "Just calling to make sure you and Kelly got home okay. We're on our way over, so call me when you get this."

"She didn't pick up either?" Dean asked. He'd assumed that Kelly was just being lazy with her phone again. She had it turned off more often than not. _And she's terrible about calling people back._ A shiver shook his spine as Sam looked down at his hands.

"No." Sam said. "How long until we get to Peoria?"

"Still a couple hours out." Dean replied. "Why?"

"Make it faster."

Dean didn't like the worried expression on Sam's face. "Buckle in and pray for abandoned roads, no cops, no speeding tickets." Dean said. He wasn't much for prayer, but Sam found it comforting. "And hold onto your hats." Dean's foot pressed down on the pedal as he switched gears. The Impala lurched heavily forward then its pace quickened and they sped off into the dark night.

The world around her was still black and Kelly longed for light. If only so that she could see more clearly in the dark. The metal around her wrists seemed to be the only explanation for why her strength was sapped away and she felt weak. Still, with the tiny bowlegged creature bent down before her, Kelly suddenly felt a renewed sense of vigor. She knew it wouldn't last long, and she intended to make the most of it in the time she had. Her body had adjusted to the burning of the shackles. _Enchanted?_ She doubted it. Kelly didn't know much about herself. _But obviously this creature does._ Maybe there was a way to convince it. _No._ She thought. _Trick it._ To share. Kelly paused. "How fallen are the mighty, huh?" She said. Adding a gentle lilt to her voice, she fixed her gold brown eyes on the small creature before her. She pursed her lips. "I'm a dog." She straightened up against the wall. "A big black dog." _Cuchulainn_. He was a hero out of an old Irish poem wasn't he?

"Tasty, tasty, like chicken legs. Is that why it begs?" The creature hopped up and down. "Crone creature like a feature, is that why it howls, sister?" Inclining it's head to the side, the creature looked down it's bulbous nose and off into the dark.

Kelly knew it was seeing something she couldn't. _Whether it's real or imaginary._ Maybe the pain was making her imagine this thing. Kelly shook her head. She liked that idea. _All it means is that I'm going crazy._ She'd wake up, and it would be Tuesday. She would be shot at by a strange assailant and, instead of going home with Ava, she would make Sam take her with him. That's what she would do. _And I'll tell Sam everything._ She thought. _About the dreams, about the Yellow-Eyed Demon, about the plans._ She'd take her middle finger and flip the bird at all the demon's damn threats. That's what she would do. _I'm going to wake up._ Then she'd be home. Kelly swallowed, her wrists aching. "Is there a reason to your rhymes?" She asked. Her voice cautious as she looked the little being over, her fingernails rapping against the hard stone floor and shook her head. It wasn't much taller than the full span of her hand from fingertips to wrist. Still, it looked like it had a strong bite.

"Undeclared by sea and foam, places Tricksters call home. No, it likes the nook and cranny, moss and rock, to be back in the arms of Granny." The creature cackled. It extended a long knobbed finger towards Kelly. "Not dreaming you."

_Okay._ She thought. _This is just insane._ "I don't suppose you'd know where the key is?" Her voice was cool. "Or maybe the way out of here?" Uncoiling her legs from beneath her body, she leaned back against the wall. Her body was stiff.

"Help you?" It grinned. "A game it plays. A simple word." Spreading it's hand behind its small body. It lifted a gnarled nail and crooked it back towards itself. "Pact."

_It wants me to answer._ Kelly realized. _If I get this right it will help me._ If she didn't… _Then I'm hosed._ But she would be stuck either way. _So the only option left is to try._ Kelly swallowed, shifting her position against the hard cold stone, trying to find a comfortable sitting position as she tucked her knees into her chest. The links of the chains clinked together as she moved and Kelly sighed. _Pact?_ Pact meant a deal, an agreement, something that was mutually beneficial. _A Binder?_ "I need to make one?" She asked. Her voice echoed through the frigid chamber. It was Mach and it was still cold. _Or I'm just in a cold part of the world._ Was she still in the United States?

"Clever tricksie beast." The creature said. Something that Kelly guessed passed for a pout coming over its leathery wooden features. It's forehead crinkled tightly. It sounded disappointed. "Backwater memory. Generation." It sighed. "Prize is won, answer given." It waved its hand. "The other choice."

Moonlight filtered down into the room through the slit above Kelly's head to strike the opposing wall behind the tiny creature. Kelly sucked in a deep breath as her hands clattered onto the stone floor. Across from her lay a fully formed skeleton, a set of bleached bones, it's head tilted to one side, jaw unhinged laughingly as the hollowed holes of it's skull stared at her. The skeleton had no legs, as the bones were unhooked from the pelvis and lay, yellowed in their glory, crisscrossed on the floor. Left over browned fabric of a shirt clung to the shoulder bones, hanging loose and moth eaten. It's hands, or what was left of them, were against the floor and Kelly could see shackles, the same as her own, bound around its wrists. The chains coiled on either side, dropping down from a pair of metal rings that had been hammered into the wall.

"Submit or die." Kelly whispered, her voice empty in the stale air. "That's what you mean, right?" She looked back down. But the tiny creature was gone. Kelly swallowed. "Submit or die." The words hung in the air. Foreboding. Frightening like the shadows closing in around her. "Submit or die."

Peoria, Illinois

"Hello?" Sam called as he and Dean walked through the small quiet house. The white washed walls seemed to be smiling at them as the flashlight beams bounced off the hardwood floor. The lights were still off and the entire place seemed eerie, empty. One thought kept going through Sam's mind. _Where's Kelly?_ "Ava? Anybody home?"

"Kelly? Babe? Where are you?" Dean's voice echoed through the rooms of the house. He swung his flashlight across the living room and the light created a trail in the dusty air.

"Come on! Come out! You got us!" Sam's voice was loud. "Joke's over!" But there was no answer. Sam felt a chill slither up his spine, his heart beat beginning to crawl into his throat as he looked around the gloomy empty kitchen. A pile of unread magazines lay on the table. _Brides Today, Bridal Magazine, Brides and Dresses: How to Make the Perfect Wedding, Ten Tips on How to Choose the Best Dress. Brides Now! The Bridal Calendar, the Modern Bride, People, US, Newsweek,_ Out of the entire bunch, Sam only found Newsweek to be out of place. He wondered whether it belonged to Ava or Brady. His flashlight moved across the counter, where he heard a pot of coffee bubbling. Brown liquid was pooled around the side and sizzling on the burner. Someone had removed the pot, but forgotten to switch it off. From the smell, he guessed it'd been left on for a while. _Not good._ Sam thought.

"Kelly?" Dean called as he and Sam continued through the rooms of the house. Dean walked into the living room, his flashlight out in front of him. He knew something was wrong. It wasn't the untouched magazines or the burning coffee that had tipped him off first though. No. _It's the fact that she's not here._ Had she run off on him again? _Now that Sam's found me, she doesn't need to spend time?_ Was that what Kelly thought of him? Really? Was this the extent of her feelings? _She's running from something._ Sam had said. "Damn it, girl." Dean muttered as he turned the corner, looking down the white washed hall at the only door they'd yet to explore. The one that lead in the direction of the master bedroom. Dean waved for Sam to follow him, and he moved down the hall quickly. He paused outside it for a moment, the door hung half open on it's hinges. Dean pointed the flashlight down, and saw splotches of blood on the yellow carpet. "Kelly!" He yelled. Pushing the door open, his heart in his throat, Dean was at once worried and relieved by what he saw.

The body of a young, dark haired man lay on facing upward on silver sheets. His throat was slit, and his blue shirt dyed darker by crimson pooling on his chest. Red blood covered the entire bed, splashed across his leg, dripping down the side of the bed, pooling between the creases of the sheets. From where he was standing, Dean could see that the man's eyes were still open. "Damn." He muttered.

"My god." Sam said.

Dean's lips pressed into a firm line as he flicked the flashlight around the room. Then he walked deeper inside, looking for clues. His eyes were on the body, his light moving up the man's calf, to the splatters of blood, and then up to his open mouth. The eyes stared up at the ceiling, they were terror filled. Sam turned, examining the small white bookcase as Dean moved to the open window. His hand trailed across the sill, collecting the yellow dust that covered it. Rubbing his fingers together, he lifted them to his nose and sniffed. _Oh, baby._ Dean sighed. He looked up out the window. _Where'd you go?_ Was she safe?

"Hey." Dean said. In the middle of peering through the blinds, Sam spun around. His flashlight beam hitting Dean in the eyes. The older Winchester blinked as Sam dropped the light, mumbling an apology as he did so. "Sulfur." Sam walked towards his brother, unable to keep the shock off his face. "Demon's been here." He looked back down at his hand. _Oh, baby, what'd we get you into?_

Sam's chewed on his cheek as he stared at his brother. Lips twitching, he shifted back and forth on the balls of his feet. Then he directed his flashlight down and searched the floor. The light caught on something silver. Surprised, Sam knelt. His fingers closing around a silver diamond ring, he lifted it up. His expression pained. "Ava." Sam whispered.

"I don't give a shit about your engaged girlfriend." Dean snapped. "I just want to find mine."

"Dean, she was wearing the charm." Sam said. "No demon should have been able to touch her."

Dean didn't feel it necessary to mention that the demons wouldn't able to posses her, but they could still touch her. He turned around, his flashlight flicking over Sam's head and reflecting on the black framed mirror hanging opposite of the bed. Dean swallowed. "You so sure about that?" He asked.

Sam stood and turned to see what his brother was looking at. His intake of breath was sharp as his eyes ran across the words that ran diagonally across the silver surface. They were thick, heavy, and painted in blood. Tacked into the wooden frame of the mirror hung a leather short leather strap with a steel rune marked pendant in the center. It was still in the dead motionless air. "What the…?"

"She's mine." Dean read. His voice loud and harsh in the empty air as it moved through the room. The words slammed into Sam like a hammer, his heart thudding loudly against his rib cage. He couldn't bring himself to look at his brother; he couldn't tear his eyes away from the words.

_She was supposed to be safe._ He thought. _Going with Ava was supposed to keep her safe._ He wanted to grab the lamp to his right and hurl it across the room. He wanted to watch the porcelain base shatter and hear the crash as it clattered against the floor. He wanted to shoot something. _She was supposed to be safe._ The words repeated through his mind, hollow and devoid of meaning. _Ava's vision came true after all._ Sam shook his head. No, he couldn't believe that. _She's not dead._ She couldn't be dead. "Dean." He began. Sam felt the need to apologize. _This is all my fault._ "I'm…"

"Let's go." Dean cut him off. Sam glanced at his brother's face and felt his stomach turn cold. Dean's eyes were hard and his lips were pressed in a thin line, but he didn't look pained, he didn't look angry, he was… Well… _That's the same expression he wore when we were hunting that Zombie girl._ Determined. _He's seen the threshold of furious._ And he'd gone beyond it.

Sam watched as his brother turned around. He watched Dean stalk towards the exit of the master bedroom. His intestines twisting into thick and heavy knots as he gazed at the blonde back of his brother's head. "Dean." Sam tried again. He watched his brother pause at the door.

"Not right now, Sammy." Dean said. He shook his head. "Not right now." Then, Dean Winchester vanished out the door.

AN: A very long chapter dedicated to SpruceGoose because it's her birthday. Happy Birthday sweetie!

I hope this chapter was everything you expected it to be, that Dean was good, that Sam was good, that Kelly was all good (even though her adventures were confusing). The little monster was a bitch to write, and I'll leave you to stew over who and what it is.

Chapter 50: A Faerie Tale, a new character arrives to give Dean and Sam much needed answers. More of Kelly and the Yellow Eyed Demon, and some of the secrets you've been wondering at will finally be revealed.

As always, read and review. My muse likes reviews.


	50. Chapter 50: Blast From the Past

Chapter 50: Blast From the Past

The landscape was dark, colored in rich greens and browns, and covered with lush woods. Thick brambles, thorny briars, stretched across the dirt and the tall evergreen pines lifted their branches up towards the purple sky, dotted with tiny silver stars. Rose bushes wound out of the dark brown soil, white, red, and pink faces stretching up with leaves outstretched towards the clearn night sky like a humble man in the midst of supplication. Thick trunks hugged tightly together in thick clumps, the holes between them barely large enough for a grown man to squeeze through. Roots broke from the ground, rolling in and out of dark rich earth and creating dips in the land where the foolish traveler could trip and fall. If one did then the flat landscape would support the fall with raking twigs and thorns. The thick branches crossed over one another, hiding the purple night sky away like it was a secret thing, something holy. Moss clung to the trunks of the trees and the round heads of mushrooms poked out of the soil. Fauna flourished. Colored emerald the thick bushes and grass glowed beneath the full silver moon, their waxen leaves glittering as dew coalesced on the green surface. Tiny droplets of water collected in the cracks of the bark, darkening the ruddy wood to burgundy. Above a morning dove cooed, hidden in the branches as it called for sunrise. It's prayer echoing through the forest and returned by the rattling tat tat tat of the woodpecker. Other birds and creatures twittered in the dark, their small minds focused on curling up in nest and den as they prepared to let the night pass. A fox with her kits lifted her head sleepily as she stuck her nose out of her hole. Scenting the wind, she cocked her head and flicked her white tipped tail. Above her home, the yellow striped bees buzzed around their hive. Sequestering their queen away and protecting her workers from the rising wind. The animals in here knew one thing to be true, that this land was a wild land. A natural land. It was a cold land. Even though the only snow that could be seen was on the white-capped mountains, whose heads towered above the trees to the east, a chill shivered in the air. In the distance the voices of crickets and bullfrogs sang in capricious, disjointed harmony. Their song carried through the woods, echoing beneath the twisted arms of the trees and the overhead, flowing sky.

Underneath the branches, a man walked through the forest. Carefully, he avoided the roots poking up through the dirt as he followed the long winding path down the hill. His steps were slow, cautious, and he couldn't see well in the dark. As he moved through the growth of brambles and as his feet trampled over the heather, the song grew louder. Ricocheting off the trunks as he continued on his way through the forest. As he traveled and as the song grew louder, the forest began to thin. The tall man paused at the edge of the woods. His heart beat steadily in his chest as he stared out at the grassy fields. Small hills undulated out towards the mountains in the distance. The man stepped out of the forest and onto the grass. There was no longer a path that lay before him. Instead there was a cloaked figure on the far hill. The blue fabric flowing around her in the wind as the moonlight shone down, gleaming off her hood. He was drawn forwards, his boots squishing in the soft dirt as he walked towards the figure on the hill. When he drew near, an arm's distance apart, she turned. Her face in shadow. He didn't know who she was, but his heart beat quickened in his chest. His lips pursing as he stared at her.

She extended her hand towards him and, as the cloth of her robe fell away down her forearm, he saw a large circular indentation. Blackened skin shining as rays of moonlight fell across her body. It was a burn mark. The hood obscuring her face was drawn back as flowing gray clouds obscured the overhead moon. He looked up to meet a pair of shining golden eyes. Her lips pulled back to expose pearly white teeth and large canines, his heart shuddered as she smiled. Eyes falling down her neck, he saw a metal collar strapped around her neck as her free hand rose to brush across it. She tilted her head to the side and mouthed his name. Stepping forward she closed the gap between them, and her hand rose to trail sadly down his cheek. And then he saw the chains, like a leash around her neck they fell from the collar. Hard and heavy, the links clinked together as they fell down before her. They coiled around her feet and extended off into the distance.

"Don't be afraid." She said. He drew a quick breath as shadows swirled around them and in her hand the small green body of a frog appeared. Stroking it's back; she offered it to him as her golden eyes shone in the moonlight. "Take it." She said. He shook his head. Something was wrong. "Take it." She repeated. He stared into the black eyes of the frog and it blinked back. It's tongue flicked out of its mouth, it's slick back glowed silver. He shook his head again. He wouldn't take it. He couldn't. She closed her eyes and lowered her head. He watched as a tear slid down her cheek, over the pale scar just below her right eye, and down curving to drip off her cheek. As the tear fell through the air the frog lunged. Transforming as it flew through the air it and locked around his neck. A collar. It burned. Howling rose up in the distance, voices baying at the moon and he heard the thundering of hooves. It was coming closer. At his back, he could feel the hot breath of horses. The whooping of war cries. A shiver crawled up his spine as he fell to his knees. The girl looked down at him, her golden eyes sympathetic as she leaned forward. Her lips pressed against his forehead as her fingers trailed down his cheeks. Then she straightened. Her eyes were on the distance. Seeing what was coming behind him. The beating was so much closer now. Soon, it would overtake him.

"You should have taken it, Sam." She said. The sad smile was still on her lips. The image of the girl fractured. and then she exploded, frog heads breaking out through the flesh of her stomach, clamoring out of her intestines; they flew through the air towards him towards him. Their voices shrill in the empty fog of the forest. Covering him, their clammy skin pressing against his lips, his eyes, suffocating him, they swallowed him whole.

He woke up with a jerk. "Kelly!" The words echoed through the empty motel room. Sam rubbed his clammy forehead and stared down at his hands. How many nights had he had that dream? He looked around. The motel room was exactly as he remembered it. Cowboys chased black bulls around the walls, their lasso's twirled overhead. A star shape lamp hung down from above, and when the right switch was hit it rotated like a disco ball. Even so, the pillows of the bed were lumpy and the sheets were scratchy. Sam wouldn't be surprised if both he and Dean left this place with lice. He shook his head, trying to clear the dream from his head, and wipe away the feel of the frogs off his skin. Sucking in a deep breath, his brother's bed was empty. Dean was gone. Sam sighed deeply, pushing his hair back off his forehead he looked up at the ceiling and flopped back down against the pillows. _Has it really been three months?_ He wondered. His head turned to the side and to the Missing Poster of Ava that they'd tacked to the wall. It was their only lead. _We've been looking for three months._ And they hadn't found a trace. It was as if both Ava and Kelly had disappeared off the face of the globe. But Dean had refused to give up. Anytime they heard of a sign or an occurrence that sounded like the kind caused by a powerful demon, they were there investigating. Sam didn't know whether or not this had anything to do with his destiny and the plots of the Yellow Eyed Demon. But he suspected that it might. _The whole thing's too coincidental_. He shook his head and climbed out of bed. He walked along the far left wall, where Dean had posted every source and police report they could find. There were maps and markers, the places they'd been. Where they'd either arrived to late, or the demon hadn't been there at all. They'd found some interesting stuff though, a hotel in Connecticut, haunted by the ghost of the grandmother's long dead sister. A ghost who was trying to kill the granddaughter and carry her off to the spirit world so that they could play forever. Then there'd been the shifter who robbed banks. Sam still wasn't sure how they'd escaped that one in one piece. _Without the FBI breathing down our necks_. They'd kept themselves off the radar after that. _Which made looking a hell of a lot harder._ Sam walked to the small dresser beside the television, and picked up a cold plastic capped cup of coffee. He took a long swig, letting the thick liquid crawl down his throat. It tasted like mud. Sam coughed and shook his head, then he drank again. Cold coffee or not he needed the energy. _And caffeine's the best way to get it_.

Sam sat down at his computer and flipped open the lid. Listening to the familiar chime as the fan whirred and the screen turned blue, Sam looked back at his brother's empty bed. Dean hadn't slept for weeks now. Each time Sam woke over the past few days, he'd found his brother's bed without an occupant. _Which is strange for a guy that likes to sleep until noon_. Dean was hitting an edge of recklessness that was new even for him. _He's getting frustrated_. Especially now that they had no leads, nothing to follow, nothing to chase. _And we keep getting sidetracked by jobs_. Sam didn't blame the people in trouble and he knew that Dean didn't either. Most of the time anyway. Rubbing his eyes, Sam tried to clear the dream from his mind again. But the image of the frogs exploding out of Kelly's stomach remained a haunting image in his mind. _And her wrists._ The burns were huge. Calmly he logged into the Beauregard Motel's wireless internet network and set about hacking the FBI database. He wanted to see if he could find anymore disappearances. Dean, on the other hand, was convinced that they could track this demon the same way their father had old Yellow-Eyes. That's what they were doing here at Blackwell City in Calhoun County, Iowa. Investigating crop circles and electrical storms.

There was a rap on the door. Sam put down the chilled cup beside his computer and stood. A current raced through his heart, suspicion clouding his mind. There was a second knock. The sound came unhurried, placid even, and Sam stiffened as he stood. _Who's that?_ As far as Sam knew only Bobby and Ellen had any clue where they were. _And neither one's likely to spill the beans._ Not even Ash, who'd found the strange, questionable, and possibly supernatural occurrences. Sam thought it was a long shot. _But we haven't been able to turn up anything else._ Slowly, he walked to the door. "Who is it?" He asked.

"Some folk lookin' for a girl." Came the reply. "Think she may be stashed here."

Sam frowned. _They couldn't be talking about Kelly?_ And who other than himself, Dean, Bobby, Ellen, Ash, and Jo knew about Kelly? _Could Gordon have blabbed to someone in prison?_ Was this guy a hunter? "I'm not sure who you're talking about." He said. His voice flat. "There's no girl here."

There was a pause and then the gravelly voice said. "Yeh wanna open the door for us, son." Sam put his hand against the door, wondering if he should go for his gun. "We know she's been here and I'd hate for this to have to get…" There was another short pause, this time it was for effect. Sam felt a chill creep up his spine. "Unpleasant."

"Does this girl have a name?" Sam asked. The lie rolled easily off his tongue.

Outside there was a guffaw. "Yeh of all people should know the name Kelly Jones." Sam's heart stopped. Fumbling with the lock on the door, he pulled it open. His dark brown eyes met a pair of watery blues and a craggy face. A salt and pepper mustache was above thin lips as bushy eyebrows bent together calmly. The man couldn't be less than sixty years old and he was wearing a dusty tan cowboy hat. "Sammy Winchester." He tipped it towards Sam. "Been a long time."

"Do I know you?"

"Only by reputation." He said. The old man looked down his long nose at Sam. His watery eyes cool. He raised a calm eyebrow at the youngest Winchester. "Yeh've got my gun." Sam's brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to think of what he might possibly own that would belong to this man. "I'm Samuel Colt." The man said. He motioned past him, and for the first time Sam saw a dark haired young man standing down the hall. His eyes staring far away. "And that's my partner, Rhett."

She stood on a flat plateau, her arms crossed over her chest. A wind blew up from the north carrying the sweet scent of rain as it gusted across the brown grass of the flatlands. Whistling as it rushed through the trees. Overhead, granite gray clouds rolled across the sky, their shadowy underbellies pregnant with moisture. Torrents would sweep the land soon, then the woods and the town below would be drenched in it. Kelly Jones wrapped her arms around her body as the wind blew the flaps of her black dark and cracked leather duster around her legs. It had been a gift, given for her fine service over the past few months. Months that felt like decades. Kelly's arms shifted over the dried blood caked to her shirt, the spatters had stained into the fabric weeks ago. Her eyes on the abandoned town below and the children who were just starting to wake up. This was only one of many other groups that had already passed through. In this gladiatorial match up only the strong survived. And if Kelly knew the boss man's plans, like she hoped she did, then she knew that none of these were horses he was betting on. Silently chewing on her lip, she watched as tall figures began to search through the streets and shook her head. They would die like all the rest and she would be here to see it. All of it. But that was the price she'd had to pay. _For existence_. Sadly, her fingers moved up to the thin steel collar around her neck, brushing over the runic symbols engraved around the circle. It itched her skin, but this purified form of the metal was better than wearing iron. This…indignity was something she had to accept. It was part of the deal. He, her master, he didn't trust her completely. Not that Kelly could blame him. _I wouldn't trust me either_. Not to follow the plan to the letter. She glanced down at her wrists, they were hidden by long sleeves. But, even gone from her sight, Kelly could still feel the burning sensation against her skin. She looked away from the dingy town and back up at the granite sky. Far in the distance, beyond the range of human hearing, Kelly heard the rumble of thunder. The wind picked up, blowing her hair around behind her shoulders. The short locks whipping around her face, stinging her cheeks, nose, and eyes. She didn't look down at her wrists again, but one intrinsic fact could not escape the hallowed recessed of her mind. The shackles had left their mark. The large round scars that encircled her wrists were reminded Kelly of the cost of disobedience.

_Submit or die._ That had been the choice presented to her. She didn't shake her head, instead her brown gold eyes returned to the scene down below. It would not be long now. _Until the streets are laced with blood_. She worried about Ava. _But I can do nothing for her._ Hell, from this vantage point she didn't know whether the girl was even still alive. _I don't know if I should care._ Her master had taken many things from her. _If his rendition of my origin story is to be believed._ Kelly still had her doubts about that. About him. _Trusting a demon is like…_ Well, it was stupid. _But demon's don't always lie._ No, it was more common for them to tell the truth. _Because the truth is more fun. _After all, what could be more heartbreaking and earth shattering than the truth? _It's something you can't hide from._ No, Kelly was sure that he'd told her the truth. _And that just makes it all worse._ She inhaled deeply, letting the smells of the humans below filter into her nostrils. New Jersey, Iowa, Mississippi, Georgia, and Illinois. Those were the scents, the places from which these people had come. Each one twenty three years old. _Like Sam. Like Ava_. They were all part of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's twisted plans. _His end of the world scenario._ Kelly's expression hardened as the familiar sound of boots crunching on bladed grass reached her ear. He was downwind.

"I gotta say." The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. "What you did to Savnock? Pure poetry." He chuckled. "Wish I coulda been there myself."

"Then you should have done it." Kelly replied. Her fingers dropped away from the collar and sunk into her pockets. Her brunette hair whipped around her face as the wind blew harder. Her eyes were still down below, at the people wandering around the streets. Their small bodies vanishing behind caved in rooftops.

The demon chuckled. "You know that's your job." He said. "Why you're here." She could feel the smirk on his lips and the chill it gave her made Kelly's spine crawl. "So… tell me, what did you learn?"

Kelly sighed. "Well." She said. A smile played across her lips and she sucked in a short breath. She still didn't turn around. Pulling her right hand from her pocket, she surreptitiously wiped her cheek. The wet feel of guts was long gone, but it still made her flesh shake. "I learned that the pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true."

"Clever." The demon said. She could feel him drawing closer. "But not, the answer I was looking for." Kelly closed her eyes. She'd become accustomed to this. The symbols on her collar flared, hot and red. Kelly's knees hit the ground as she writhed. It was seconds of blinding pain. There was nothing but wave after wave. The world went white before her eyes. Black and silver stars danced in her vision. Then it was over. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the gray sky. "Why insist on this?"

Kelly coughed. Her voice feeling strained, even by her own hearing. "Because you never give me biscuits."

Blackwell City, Iowa

"Samuel Colt?" Sam asked. The words sounded insane even as they came out of his mouth. After all Samuel Colt was long dead. "You're Samuel Colt?" His voice was growing progressively higher as he spoke. His eyes on the steel haired man with the dark and cracked leathery weather worn face standing in the hallway. "The Samuel Colt who made…" Sam swallowed. "The Colt?"

"_Non timebo mala._" Samuel Colt said. Chuckling, he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He found this amusing. "I will fear no evil."

Sam recognized this as the inscription written on the side of the Colt. _But he could have learned that anywhere._ After all, he didn't know who had been in possession of the revolver before Elkins. _He might have owned it._ There was no proof at all that this was the case, after all... "You died on January 10th in 1862." Sam said. "Being alive now would make you…"

"A hundred and forty five." The older man replied. Behind him, the dark haired man growled. Samuel Colt's hand moved to his belt, brushing away the sides of the brown jacket he was wearing. Revealing a Colt Peacemaker strapped around his waist, and a dusty blue button down shirt held up by suspenders. Samuel Colt raised an eyebrow at Sam Winchester. "I'd be happy to exchange pleasantries at a later date, boy." He said. Brushing past Sam, he moved into the motel room. His nose twitching as the hairs of his moustache tickled his upper lip. "But we don't got the time."

"Time for what?" Sam asked. He wasn't completely sold on the idea that this was the real Samuel Colt. _Even if he knew the inscription on the gun._ Plenty of people knew about the legend. _Hell, maybe he even had it at one point._ There was no telling what kind of whack job this guy was. He stepped back as the dark haired man strolled in. Sam didn't like being pushed to the side, but he couldn't find anything to say as the six foot Rhett wandered to the window. He just watched as the man parted the blinds with his thumb and forefinger, peering out into the empty street. Sam cleared his throat and looked back at the older cowboy.

Samuel Colt looked at the surroundings. His watery eyes moved over the maps and notes tacked up on the wall, to the computer sitting open on the small table to his left. "Yeh've been busy."

"Time for what?" Sam repeated. His voice stiff. He didn't like that these men had just barged in here uninvited.

"When yer brother arrives, yeh'll have yer answers." Samuel Colt said. His voice was casual and patient as he meandered across the room. He stood before the maps on the wall, his fingers tracing the locations the brothers had been. He tapped the tack pinned into the town of Greenwood, Mississippi. Then he turned, his eyes on Sam.

"It could take hours for Dean…"

"Oh, he'll be back sooner than yeh can spit." Samuel Colt said. His hands finding their way into his pockets. Sam noticed the boot shaped prints of dust tracked across the motel room's green-carpeted floor. "Before the sun rises up, anyway." His lips curled into a smile beneath the bushy edges of his moustache.

Sam swallowed. His ears twitched. Sure enough, he could hear the familiar sounds of the 1967 Impala's breaks creaking to a stop, that same engine shutting down. He turned his head as the tall Rhett stepped away from the window and moved to lean against the corner of the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Dean." He muttered. To his left, Samuel Colt just shrugged.

They waited for several long seconds, then the door clicked and swung open. Dean walked inside. "It was a dead end, Sammy." He said. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the stale recycled air. "Whatever was here, it left long…" He trailed off. His eyes shifting to the old gray haired man standing near his brother's computer, then his eyes snapped across the room to the younger dark haired one. "Who the hell?" He asked. "Who are these guys, Sammy?" He glanced at his brother, raising a quintessential eyebrow.

_Yeah, 'cause it's my fault they're here._ Sam thought.

But before he could answer, Samuel Colt spoke. "We're here for Kelly Jones." He said. His voice gravelly as he spoke, his words filled the air and were met with heavy silence.

Sam watched his brother's fists tighten. Dean's gaze darkened and he slammed his coffee down on the table so hard that the liquid sloshed over the rattling edges of the cup. "She's not here." He said. His voice hard and cold as he looked at the sixty year old man.

"I kinda figured she ain't." Samuel Colt sighed. "But her time'll be up in a matter of months, so any information yeh got on her current location'd be useful." He shook his head. Dirt and dust fell off the brim like a puff of smoke, drifting towards the floor. The old man straightened. His watery blue eyes moving from one Winchester face to the next. The edges of his long coat brushing the fuzzy edges of the carpet as he turned.

"We don't know where she is." Dean said. His voice monotone as his hard gaze bored into the old man's eyes.

"Dean." Sam said. "This is Samuel Colt."

"Samuel Colt?" Dean glanced at his brother. "The gun-smith? The man who revolutionized guns in America? The one who made the Colt?" He looked over at the old man. "The Samuel Colt who died in 1862?" Dean put specific emphasis on the word _died._ His eyes narrowed as he stared at Samuel Colt. He already believed that this man was some kind of fake. _We should throw them out_. That way they could get back down to business. Dean didn't like anyone interfering with his hunt. _This isn't bringing us closer to Kelly._ And if this didn'd do that, then Dean wanted nothing to do with it.

Sam shook his head as the words stumbled out of his brother's mouth. He too was skeptical of this man's legitimacy. _But Samuel and I already covered it._ "Dean." He began.

"Bullshit." Dean snapped. He wasn't even listening to his brother. "You'd have to be…"

"If yeh dug up my coffin at the Cedar Hills Cemetary in Hartford, Conneticut yeh'd find the coffin empty." Samuel Colt said. "But I ain't got time for you to make the trip to check." The old man drummed his fingers against the table. He seemed to sense that Sam was a better bet. He returned his gaze to the younger Winchester. "Tell me where to find the girl."

"I'm not sayin' anything until you prove who you are." Dean growled. He didn't like this. _Some guy walkin' in here and demanding answers_. But he'd yet to offer any evidence that would link him to Kelly. Dean already had enough troubles and he didn't feel like playing along. "For all I know you might be some demon wearin' a clever disguise."

"Demon wouldn't come to us with questions, Dean." Sam said.

Dean glanced at his brother and he frowned. "You sure about that?" He asked. His voice holding the same harsh tone. "After all, Sammy, you were sure she was safe the last time."

"Dean." Sam began. "I've been telling you for months…"

"That you didn't know it would happen." Dean said. "Right." He glanced from Samuel Colt to Rhett and then back to Sam. "So how do you explain being here alone with these two goons."

Sam flinched. "They just showed up." He said. He knew that Dean was still holding a grudge over what had happened with Kelly. _I stole her and then I lost her._ His brother had been enthralled in a dedicated rage for the past three months. _He's not likely to look at anything rationally._ Sam himself had doubts about the validity of Samuel Colt's claims. _But I'm not going to discount them._ Not if they could give him information about Kelly.

"Who," Dean continued. He spoke as if he hadn't heard Sam. "As far as I know, have never been mentioned by Kelly." He turned back to Samuel Colt. "So forgive me, if I don't just hope right into this little 'search' of yours." The sarcasm was plain in his voice. "But you've yet to give me or my brother any reason to believe you've got a connection to my girl." There was a growl from the other side of the room. Dean's eyes snapped to the man in the corner.

"Rhett." Samuel Colt said. His voice calm as he looked at the dark haired man, his brow furrowed and he added. "Settle." The other man lifted his golden glowing eyes as he looked from Sam to Dean.

Sam inhaled sharply as he met Rhett's eyes. _The same eyes as Kelly's._ Why had he never considered that there were more like her? "Dean." He muttered.

"I know." Dean glanced at Samuel Colt. "He's like Kelly?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Samuel Colt nodded. "And the source of my immortality." He chuckled.

"Samuel." Rhett said.

Sam turned at the sound of the other man's rough voice as he spoke. "Immortality?" He asked. _Immortality?_ That made little sense. _Why would Kelly give someone immortality?_ He swallowed. Could she give immortality? Why hadn't she ever mentioned it? _Was the memory loss a lie?_ No. He believed in her more than he did anything else.

"It's fine, Rhett." Samuel said.

"This is a waste of time." Rhett snapped. He turned and strode towards the door. "They have nothing of value."

"They deserve to know what they traveled with." Samuel Colt said. His voice was patient as Rhett snorted and shook his head. The young man's moved over the two Winchesters and his lips curled back to expose large gleaming canines.

"A human reaction." He said. In response, Samuel Colt sighed. "You continue to show the frailties of your kind, Samuel." His eyes did not return to Dean, but paused a moment on Sam's face. "I will await you outside." He inclined his head to the older man and then he vanished out the door.

"I won't ask yeh to forgive him." Samuel Colt said.

"You said Kelly's time was almost up." Sam said. "What did you mean?"

"Unless your little gal finds makes a pact with a mortal in the next few months, she'll fade." Samuel Colt said. He rubbed his thumb across the bumpy calluses on his knuckles as he looked from one Winchester to the other.

"What do you mean fade?" Dean asked. "Die?"

"No." Samuel Colt shook his head. "It is similar to death, but there is one fundamental difference." He held up a single finger. "When yer physical body dies the soul goes somewhere. Heaven, Hell, whatever yer fate." His eyes held Sam's. "When yeh fade, in the manner her people do, they cease to exist."

"And who are Kelly's people?" Sam asked. This had always confused him. They'd never been able to nail down exactly what Kelly was. Now it felt like she was further away then ever. _She'll die? No, she'll cease to exist?_ That sounded strange. It felt strange. _How does one cease to exist?_ He swallowed.

"To put it simply, son." Samuel Colt said. His voice incredibly bland, he spoke like he was relating something as common as the local weather report. "She's fey."

AN: Happy Birthday to me! It's my birthday, so I thought I'd celebrate with all of you and a new DTRH chapter. So the cat's out the bag and I'll leave you to stew a little over where the story's going. I hope you liked the addition of Samuel Colt, he's a character I've had in my pocket since the pre-production phase of this story, and it's a weight off of my mind to finally be able to use him. There will be more with Kelly and the Yellow-Eyed Demon. More work, more jobs, Ava. A Faerie Tale will be next chapter, when I reveal exactly what Kelly is and how she came about. So stay tuned.

Remember to review!


	51. Chapter 51: A Faerie Tale

Chapter 51: A Faerie Tale

"Fairies?" Dean scoffed. The disbelief was written across his face as his eyebrows contorted into a frown. Not knowing what to do with them, he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked Samuel Colt up and down. "You expect me to believe that Kelly's a damn fairy?" A dry chuckle broke across the heavy air, as Dean began laughing. "A fairy!" The words choked out of his throat. "A damn fucking fairy!" He laughed so hard that he was nearly bowled over by his spasming gut. But the feelings behind the noise were hard and caustic, not filled with merriment.

The sound was rough and hard on Sam's ears. When he looked at his brother, it felt like he was watching Dean crack apart. His image breaking into a million tiny shards, reminding Sam of Bloody Mary and her broken mirror. "Dean." He said. He tried to keep his voice reasonable as he spoke, but his brother wasn't paying attention.

"Fairies." Dean snorted. "And immortality." His eyes fixed on Samuel Colt's watery blues. "You're seriously cracked."

Worried that Dean would offend their visitor. _Especially someone who might know about Kelly._ And who had said he was immortal. _As insane as it sounds, we shouldn't discount him._ Not over something that simple. Sam swallowed. "Could you excuse us for a moment?" He asked.

Samuel Colt smiled patiently and tipped his hat to them. "Don't take too long." He said. "There ain't much time left." Then the dusty man walked out the door, his steps heavy on the motel floor, and shut the heavy door behind him.

Sam watched him go, then he turned to Dean. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He snarled. Dean's hard eyes were on the door. "I know you're still pissed about what happened with…"

"Fairies, Sam?" Dean asked, cutting Sam off. He raised an eyebrow at his brother. "You honestly believe that the answer we've been looking for is that Kelly's a damn _fairy_?"

"There's a lot of lore about them." Sam said. He wanted to sound reasonable, but he felt like he was failing. This was still a little to big for him to wrap his head around. "English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and most of Europe has stories about fairies and the Fey. The Daoine Sidhe, the Twyleth Teg, the Seelie Courts." He swallowed and continued. "They're more widely documented than any other monster type, Dean. I mean, in the old days fairy tales were told by adults to scare each other. Not the watered down Disney versions we have now. Stories like Blue Beard were common. Maybe they were stories about real creatures that actually existed." He stared at his brother. "With what we deal with every day, honestly Dean, are fairies that far fetched?"

"Yes!" Dean snapped. He shook his head. Sam just didn't . "Come on Sammy, daily we're up to our armpits in this shit and we've never caught a glimpse or hint of something like that. Don't you think that in all this time we'd have seen one?" He swallowed. "Just one?"

"We'd never seen anything like Kelly until she fell into our laps." Sam said. His voice was quiet. He knew he'd just said the taboo word. It was the name they avoided using when they were alone. If Kelly ever turned up in conversation, they simply called her "she". That seemed to keep Dean from launching himself off the deep end. Sam watched as his brother's eyes began to smolder. His fingers tightened into a balled fist as his nails dug into the callused flesh of his palms. His knuckles turned white.

Dean opened his mouth but no sound came out, his jaw worked silently and then he shut it again. He looked away from Sam, at Ava's missing poster and sucked in a deep breath. "That's different." He said. His voice quiet.

This wasn't the reaction Sam had expected from his brother. _Where's the explosion?_ The angry yelling, the telling of Sam to stay out of Dean's business? The things Sam had been experiencing for the last three months? "Maybe not as different as we thought." Sam said.

"She's not a fairy, Sam." Dean said.

"That theory is not any more out there than our other ideas." Sam replied. "Black Dog? Hellhound?" He shook his head. "Why are they more legitimate than the Fey? Just because we've never seen one? We've never seen a black dog either, Dean." Dean shook his head. He refused to admit that Sam had a point. "And none of it explained Kelly's memory loss!" Sam's voice rose steadily. "Why she started to forget everything! Why the demons wanted her in the first place! We never figured out what was special about her, we just accepted it and moved on! That was our mistake!"

"Sam." Dean said. His voice hard.

"She's gone because of that mistake, Dean!" Sam yelled. "Because you and I both miscalculated! Because we never figured out what she was!" Dean's glare was mutinous as he stared at his brother. "What it was that made her special! We're stuck at square one with no leads!" Sam's voice shook the air of the room. "We have nothing to go on." He took a deep breath, his eyes still boring into his brother's skull. "So, I vote that we bring this Samuel Colt back in here and get him to tell us what he knows."

"No." Dean said.

"We don't have anything else, Dean." Sam said. "This is our one and only lead."

"You're going to put your faith in a man who's more than likely bat-shit crazy?" Dean asked. "The guy thinks he's immortal, Sammy!"

"Maybe he is." Sam said.

"No." Dean said. "Immortality doesn't exist." His voice gravelly as he spoke, his gaze never leaving his brother's chocolate eyes. "Not without making a deal with a devil."

"Demons ain't the only ones who can deal." Samuel Colt said. Both Winchester's turned, the weathered old man was leaning on the door frame watching them both. "Any lore'll tell yeh that." Dean opened his mouth to speak, but Samuel Colt ran him right over. "Unless yeh boys've been so turned round yeh can't tell yer left from yer right." The old man shook his head. He lifted his hand to scratch the back of his sun stroked neck. For the first time, Dean noticed the long hair hanging down behind his ears. It was cropped several inches above his shoulder. The color of steel. "Which anyone could tell by just listenin' to yer conversation."

"You were eavesdropping on us?" Dean asked. His tone was both belligerent and offended as he stared at Samuel Colt. Sam sighed heavily.

"Whole world could hear yeh if they listened hard." Samuel Colt said. His voice wry as he looked from one to the other. "Don't take much to figure what's got ya so turned around."

"Yeah?" Dean asked. "And what's that?"

"Yer realizin' that yer whole relationship's been a lie." Samuel Colt said. "The friend yeh thought loved yeh unconditionally turned out to be givin' cause she needed yeh for somethin' and yeh don't know what." His moustache twitched. As if he considered this whole thing amusing and, Sam reflected, he probably did. "Girl's been clingin' to yeh so hard for survival." Samuel Colt raised a bushy eyebrow. "Her survival. She needed yeh to ground her and keep her in this world." He lifted a finger. "But despite yer best efforts she kept slippin' further and further out of reach. 'Till yeh didn't know whether or not she loved yeh anymore." He smirked. "Then she was gone all together."

"She was kidnapped." Dean growled.

"That ain't callin' the kettle black." Samuel Colt said. Sarcasm flooded the older man's voice and he pulled his gnarled hands out of his pockets. "Three months from now she'd've been gone." He paused. "Permanently. Mayhap her kidnappin' was a mercy. An unfortunate twist in the strands of fate." He chuckled. "'Specially since yeh boys were too thick to know what yeh'd been blessed with."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Shaking his head, Samuel Colt straightened off the door frame. "Now, somethin' that complex can only be understood with a story." He said. "And yeh boys ain't showed me yet whether yer ready to listen."

"Why don't you just tell us?" Dean asked. He hated games and this was starting to feel like one. _It's making my head spin._

"Things this big can only make sense in the tellin'." Samuel Colt said. "Yeh can't just be told." His voice was low. "Yeh gotta be shown."

"So show us." Dean said.

"Confrontational to the end." Samuel Colt laughed. "It's no wonder the Crone chose yeh." He chuckled. "All right." He said. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he walked deeper into the room. "But only 'cause I'm strapped for time." He gestured his nobbly fingers towards the bed. "Have a seat."

"I'd rather stand." Dean said. Sam, however, made himself comfortable on the cowboy bedspread.

"Suit yerself." Samuel Colt said. He grabbed one of the chairs beside the small table and pulled it towards him. Taking a seat, he crossed one dirt stained, dust covered leg over the other. Tapping his long finger on his knee, he leaned back. "This story's been passed down from one Hunter to the next, from father to son and mother to daughter." He lifted his head as he stared at Sam and Dean. "Most Hunters are made." He said. His voice clear in the silence, Dean opened his mouth to reply, but found that he couldn't make his vocal chords work. "But some are born." Samuel Colt said. There was a smile on his lips. "And others are bred."

"Bred?" Sam asked. He glanced at his brother. "_Bred_?" He mouthed. Dean just raised his eyebrow in response and shook his head. He thought this whole thing was stupid.

_We don't have time for fairy tales._ Dean thought. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall. His eyes on Samuel Colt. _I never agreed to listen._ But Dean was willing to admit that curiosity had gotten the better of him. _Might as well hear what the crackpot has to say._ Then he could discard it and get on with his life. _I've never met any Hunters who were bred to the job._ He thought. _Hunters get made._ "Just let him tell the story." Dean muttered.

Samuel Colt smiled and continued. His voice low as his words filled the room. "In the days when the old gods still ruled over the world, when our people understood the old ways and treaties. The Fey, fairies yeh call them now, were as many as grains of sand on a beach. But they were the small ones, the pranksters and the small folk. The ones who lived in wood and glen near to human settlements. The old ones, by the way of a mortal treaty, were only allowed into this world on special feast days. And from this comes the tradition of the Wild Hunt."

"The Hunt that was supposed to be held on the eves of St. John, St. Martin, Saint Michael the Archangel, All Saints, Christmas, New Years, Saint Agnes, Saint David, and Good Friday." Sam said. He nodded with understanding. The Wild Hunt was a common feature in Celtic lore and several other cultures throughout Europe had similar tales. Sam had always thought that it was confined to the British Isles. _At least that was the only place it's been documented._ Nothing like the Wild Hunt had ever been noticed in the New World.

Samuel Colt shook his head. "That is how it was in the beginning, son." He said. "Originally, Gwynn ap Nudd lead the Cwn Annwn on the hunt year round, but this caused no end of destruction for the mortals, and as war threatened to break out between the world of man and the Fair Folk, the king of the Seelie, Arawn, struck a pact with the mortal king." Samuel Colt smiled. "That man would keep from the forests and the shadows, remaining in the cities, and in return the old ones would confine themselves to the underworld of Annwn. Only to emerge when brought by tradition or by mortal hand. And so, the Hunt was reduced, held in autumn on All Hallows Eve and in winter on the nights between Christmas and the Twelfth Night. The most holy days for the Fair Folk. It during these nights when Gwynn ap Nudd would ride across the Isles from Cader Idris across the seas to hunt unnatural monsters and the souls of the dead who lingered from the afterlife."

"I've heard of these hounds." Sam said. "They're commonly called Yell Hounds or Gabriel's Hounds, and they have red ears with white fur." He didn't know what these dogs had to do with Kelly.

"But with Gwynn ap Nudd rode his sister, Mallt-y-Nos." Samuel Colt said. "And she brought her own hounds, the ones she bred. They were called the Cwn Mamau, Hounds of the Mothers, and they were black as the night with yellow eyes that reflected the stars."

"Kelly." Sam whispered. He glanced at his brother but Dean wasn't looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the wrinkled leathery face of Samuel Colt.

"This was the Hunt for centuries, twice a year Gwynn ap Nudd and Mallt-y-Nos, sometimes with their brother Arawn, traveled the distance between Cader Idris, Aberdeen, and Tuatha de Danann, scouring the lands for souls who refused to pass on. There was revelry and celebration, wild and uncontained, on All Hallows Eve and the twelve nights after Christmas."

Dean glanced at Sam. "January 6th." He said.

"Each year they would wait for the time when they were again loosed upon the world. But after these long centuries Mallt-y-Nos grew tired of only being allowed to hunt on certain days of the calendar year. Days that lessened as the Christian religion spread. She grew bored of being contained in the traditional hunting grounds of the Isles, and longed to hunt the creatures and souls that lay across the Channel. So, she appealed to her brother Arawn. But he was steadfast. He would uphold the pact made between the Fair Folk and the humans. Mallt-y-Nos raged against him, she believed that as humans spread their cities uncontrolled that they had forgotten their agreements to the Fair Folk. She said that they let evil flourish unchecked around them as the souls of the damned continued to escape back into the world. But Arawn remained steadfast. He would not allow her to move about the Mortal Realm with her hounds unfettered. The old laws were still in place. Mallt-y-Nos knew that she would have to find another way."

"I see where this is going." Dean said. His voice dry as he glanced at his brother. Sam just shook his head. Dean didn't know how this would bring them closer to Kelly. _I still don't believe she's some Hound of the Wild Hunt or whatever._

"So she devised a plan. On the Twelfth Night as her brothers Gwynn ap Nudd and Arawn prepared for his night of revelry, she sent out a single hound in the form of a white goose to scour the Isles. The Hound was to look for a human who was strong in both strength and will. This first night the Hound searched across the Isles to no avail and as the sun's rays touched the face of Cader Idris, the Hound retired again to Annwn. But Mallt-y-Nos was a patient and crafty creature and she waited another year until the moon was full and the magic was strongest. Then as the eve of Christmas fell across the Isles and her brothers prepared to ride once more, Mallt-y-Nos again sent out her Hound in the form of a white goose to search the Isles. But again, it was to no avail. This she did each night after with no greater success, until the moon again rose on the Twelfth Night. This eve, the goose found a farmer's boy sleeping in an empty field. It tucked it's wings and landed before him, head cocked to one side it honked and pecked at the boy's feet until he awoke. 'Boy.' Said the goose. 'Are you true?'

And the boy stared at the goose for a long moment. He had heard from his father about the tales of the Fair Folk who came and tempted boys such as him with riches and gold. Who kidnapped them and carried them down to the depths of Annwn never to be seen or heard from again. But this boy was brave and curious. He had never met one of the Fair Folk before and wished to understand it's intentions. 'Aye.' He said without hesitation. For long had the boy dreamed of leaving his fields."

"Poor sap." Dean muttered. He'd moved to sit by his brother and Sam elbowed him in the ribs. Dean winced.

" 'Will you come with me and offer up your bloodline in the service of Mallt-y-Nos and the Wild Hunt in partnership with me for all yoru days?' The goose asked. Hopping judiciously from one foot to the other it looked up at the boy with dark golden eyes. 'In return for your service I shall grant you one wish and a life of immortal adventure.'

The boy was tempted to take the offer, but he remembered his father and shook his head. 'I cannot goose.' He said. Looking away sadly at the horizon, the boy felt a bitter taste rise in his mouth. For he loved his father and his duty to remain as the only son. 'I must remain and work my father's fields.'

Disappointed the goose nodded and spread her wings. 'The offer stands so long as you are living.' The goose said. 'To call upon me again,' the goose lifted her neck and spat out a large smooth rock marked with an ancient rune unreadable to the boy. 'Take this stone and throw it in the nearest body of water, and I shall be with you.' Then the goose departed and flew off in the direction of Cader Idris, disappearing as the sun came up over the horizon. The goose reported to Mallt-y-Nos what she had found, and though disappointed, but like all immortals she was a patient creature.

Many years passed, and the boy told no one of his encounter with the goose. He grew tall and strong as he worked his father's lands, and then he had a family, settling down with a young woman from a nearby village. Through all the years he remained the dutiful son and continued to serve, honor, and love his father. More years passed and the boy had two sons, both who grew tall and strong, and helped their father work the fields. His life was filled with contentment and the boy forgot about the offer of the goose. He stored the stone in a small box above the mantle and left it. His thoughts never returning to it's contents. However on the eve of his thirty sixth name day, the boy's father was stricken by plague and fell deathly ill. The boy sought all the wise men of the land, the priests, and the local medicine woman but none could provide him with a cure. Finally, in desperation the boy turned to the local witch. But even magic could not banish his father's afflictions. The boy grew desperate, for he loved his father most in the whole world and it was out of that love he had agreed to work his father's fields. But his father was dying.

The boy went out to the fields to think. He sat for two days and three nights pondering his father's fate. The local men and women told him 'that it was his time' and that it was 'God's will', but the boy refused to accept it. At midnight on the third eve he remembered the words spoken to him by the goose when he was a boy. The promise of a wish. The boy ran back to his house to the mantle over the fire and took down the box. Opening it, he found the smooth gray stone. Clutching it tightly in his fist, he went to the nearest wishing well and tossed in the stone. In the flurry of light that preceded the dawn, white wings exploded out of the well as the goose soared through the air to land on the edge. Again, the goose fixed him with its golden gaze.

'Boy.' The goose asked. 'Are you true?'

'Aye.' Said the boy. 'I have come to accept the offer you made to me on the Twelfth Night, twenty years past.'

'Will you come with me and offer up your soul in the service of Mallt-y-Nos and the Wild Hunt in partnership with me?' Asked the goose. 'Will you commit your bloodline to the service of the Hunt for the duration of your life and the lives of your children after?'

The boy swallowed. 'I will.' Said he.

'In return I shall offer you the boon of one wish.' Said the goose. 'And life eternal so long as I am living.'

'I accept your gift, goose.' Said the boy. 'I wish for you to save my father.'

The goose nodded and became a great black dog the size of a small calf. The boy fell backwards onto the ground as the Hound lifted it's nose to the sky and said. 'It is done, your life has been traded for his.' Then it's golden gaze fell upon the boy, and he wondered what it was that he had done. 'You're days as a mortal are now ended.' It said. 'You shall be my tie to the mortal lands, now and for forever after.' It leapt down off of the well to land beside him. 'You must come with me.' The boy nodded. If there was one thing he knew from all the legends his father told him, was that one must never renege of a deal with the Fey." Samuel Colt finished.

"That's it?" Dean asked. "How does this relate to Kelly?"

"Kelly's one of these hounds isn't she?" Sam asked. Samuel Colt nodded. "And you made one of these deals." Again the old cowboy nodded.

"I've never heard of anyone making deals with anything except demons." Dean said. He crossed his arms. "It's a nice story, but it doesn't explain what's going on."

"Actually, it explains a lot." Sam said. "Maybe Kelly's memory loss was due to her spending too much time away from Annwn," the word sounded strange on his tongue, "without a fetter."

"But it doesn't explain her being from an alternate universe." Dean snapped. "Where we're a TV show!" Dean tried not to think about the possibility of having thousands of girls watching him every week. The thought unnerved him. He pushed it to the back of his mind again. "How does this story explain that Sammy?" He asked.

Sam glanced at Dean. He was surprised that his brother remembered that far back. _Things Kelly said at the beginning._ Sam himself had almost forgotten entirely. _I just got so used to her being with us._ And her strangeness never seemed to equate her with being from another world. _Just something supernatural in this one._ "I…" Sam trailed off. He didn't have a good answer.

"She's one of the Hounds who went missing." Rhett said. The three men in the room turned back towards the door. The tall dark haired man was standing there, leaning against the doorframe as Samuel Colt had. "Not all Hounds who leave Annwn are successful in finding a bloodline member with whom they make a pact. Their glamour fails and they become trapped in mortal form, over time they devolve from Fey to human." His golden eyes fixed on the wall adjacent to Dean and Sam. "Until nothing of what they once were remains. That was the fate of your…" He paused. "_Kelly_." Saying the name with disgust, he turned away. "Until we rectified the situation."

"You mean you killed her." Dean said. A very cold pit had settled at the bottom of his stomach and he swallowed. "Aren't you the nice guys on the block."

"It had to be done." Rhett said. His voice monotone.

"And you sent her to us?" Sam asked. He felt confused. _They killed her?_ Why had they killed her? _Because she was becoming human?_ What was so wrong with that? "Why?"

"I do not know. She chose her destination." Rhett said. "We simply pushed her soul in the appropriate direction."

Dean nodded. Apparently appropriate direction meant the entire world. "Bags a sunshine, the whole lot." He didn't bother looking at Samuel Colt. He guessed that the other man was wearing an amused expression on his face. Whether he was laughing at them or Rhett, Dean couldn't guess. But if he played the odds. _They don't come down in my favor._

"So, she's dead?" Sam asked.

"No." Rhett replied. "She is alive."

"Don't you get it Sammy?" Dean asked. "These fuckers killed her so she wouldn't become human." He laughed. The hard, ironic, and empty sound moved through the room filling the unused corners and rebounding back. "Apparently mortality is worse than death."

There was a growl from the other side of the room. A black shape flew across it, too fast for Sam's eyes to follow. Seizing Dean by the throat, blackened fingernails sank into the flesh around his neck, lifting him off the ground with one arm, and holding him steady. The flaring golden eyes gazed up into Dean's as the lips curled back into an angry growl. The sound, low and grating, rippled through the room. "You understand nothing." Rhett hissed.

Sam stood, ready to help Dean. But his brother waved him down. "Yeah?" He wheezed. "But I…still managed…to get under…your skin…"

Samuel Colt reached out to the table and picked up Dean's cup of coffee. It was cold, but still he put it to his lips and sipped. It was better than nothing. "He's got a point, Rhett." He said. His knuckles once again drumming on the table.

"He should be thankful to have been chosen for such a task." Rhett growled. "I see nothing that promotes him above the rest."

"Dean?" Sam asked. He was still frozen in position. But Dean just shook his head.

"_She_ chose him." Samuel Colt said. Then his watery eyes flicked to Sam. "Or him." He shrugged. "It is not our place to question the whims of fate."

"Or the will of the Crone." Rhett intoned. Slowly and more than a little grudgingly, he lowered Dean back to the ground and released him. Stalking back across the floor, he crossed his arms and stood by the window. He pried open the curtains and stared out into the gray of early morning.

"Yeh'll have to forgive, Rhett." Samuel Colt said. "For a Hound, he is not much older than a yearling." Rhett growled again, but Samuel only chuckled. "He takes this seriously."

"It is a serious matter." Rhett replied. "One of my kind fallen into the hands of the demons because of _his_ incompetence!"

"Let it out, big guy." Dean laughed.

"Why did Kelly lose her memories?" Sam asked. "Was it just a reverse process to having her powers restored?"

"A bit." Samuel Colt said. "As her powers returned, memories of her time spent in a mortal body faded."

"Why don't you just call it what it is?" Dean asked. His voice angry. "Her time spent being _human_." His eyes held Samuel Colt's. "Or have you spent so much time in the company of freaks like him," Dean jabbed an accusing finger at Rhett. "That you don't even remember the meaning of the word!"

"Yes." Samuel Colt said. He leaned back in the chair, his head tilted to the side as he gazed at her. "I've spent years contemplating my immortality. But," He lifted. "I never forgot what it was like to be mortal." Sam noticed the saddened cast to Samuel Colt's features, but the next time he looked for it, it was gone.

"Leaving her feeling empty, alone, and scared!" Dean snarled. "Letting her think she was some kind of demonic monster or creature, instead of coming sooner and telling her what she was! How can you call yourself human? It was the same as torture! You tortured her!"

"That is the way of things." Rhett said. His voice cool. All previous reactions had vanished and he was looking at Dean with a placid expression.

_Like a fucking robot._ Dean thought, gritting his teeth as he looked at the handsome man. He shook his head. "It's cruel." He said.

"To you, perhaps." Rhett said. "She will understand."

"No she won't!" Dean hissed. "You can't try to reclaim the moral high ground by saying that she'll understand what was done to her! She won't understand and she sure as hell won't be forgiving you anytime soon."

"She is not human." Rhett repeated. "As much as you would like to pretend otherwise, she is not and she never will be. It is you who does not understand."

"I sure as hell don't!" Dean growled. "I'm done with this." Turning heel, he stalked out of the room.

"Dean!" Sam yelled. He ran to catch up with his brother by the door.

"Let 'em leave when they want to Sammy." Dean said. His voice wavering a little as he spoke, he didn't turn around. "I just can't stand to be around 'em anymore." He sucked in a deep breath. "I need fresh air and a walk to clear my head."

"Dean, is this about what they said?" Sam asked. "You don't believe it, right?"

"I can't shake the idea that they might be right." Dean said. "If so, then we've had a god knows what pal-ing around with us for months." He didn't throw in the second part of the sentence. _And I slept with her, dated her, loved her._

"You don't mean that." Sam said.

"Maybe not." Dean replied. "But I need some time to think." He glanced at Sam, when his brother opened his mouth. "Alone."

"Fine." Sam said. "I'll try to grill them while they're still here."

"Fine." Dean said. "But Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let 'em stick around."

AN: The chapter of revelations. Did you like? Does it work? Was it confusing? Tell me what you think. Next chapter there will be more Kelly and the YED, Samuel Colt's explanations just took over the chapter. But yes, I did miss writing her, it made me lonely.

Anyway, leave your reviews please!


	52. Chapter 52: Descent

Chapter 52: Descent

Cold Oak, South Dakota

"And after all the good work you do for me." The demon said. His hands deep in his pockets as he spoke, behind him the wind picked up. Kelly couldn't help it, a wane smile flicked across her lips as she stared up at his craggy face. She'd grown accustomed to seeing this body, it's personality, it's expressions, they fit him like a glove. She'd always been impressed by how he managed to make his short five foot ten stature terrifying. _But that's because we know who's holding all the cards._ Chewing on the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood, Kelly watched him, impassive. "You deserve a break." He chuckled. "Your treat for a job well done."

She didn't like the way he said break. _Sounds more like a job._ But it would probably be better than her usual. _Like Savnock._ He'd been all kinds of fun. Raising her eyebrows, Kelly rolled over onto her belly. The blades of the grass were sharp, poking and prodding at her delicate skin. But the dryness of the receding winter had left them brittle and they shattered into dust upon impact. Still, it left her underbelly itchy.

"Ha." She chuckled. "I'm terrified to see your idea of recreation." Her fingers moved back up to the collar, it hung loosely around her neck. The areas it touched were ridden with hives and red irritated bumps. _He couldn't have done this with something other than steel?_ She smiled as the Yellow-Eyed demon laughed. Kelly had gotten good at hiding behind her mask. _Of course he did._ The demon obviously hadn't wanted to take any chances. _Not when he's dealing with a fey._ Kelly swallowed. She remembered now. _Now that he told me._ The memories had rolled back in like water unleashed from a dam. _Fey memories._ The human ones, her life before this one were gone. But even with what she knew now, the powers afforded to her. _It's like being reborn._ She was weak as a newborn kitten, with a strange tendency towards being emotional. The Hound hoped these feelings would not be a permanent fixture. So many things that had once seemed alien had suddenly become familiar. _And the familiar became alien._ Like the way she thought, the way she acted, the way she spoke. _My abhorrence for the Game_. It was strange. She'd had three months to grow accustomed, but she still... Kelly's eyes never left Azazel's. _I know his name now._ Though she never spoke it to his face. She'd learned it through his scent. Each demon she encountered had a distinct scent that was representative of their sigil. _And putting together the puzzle pieces_… Well, that was never easy. _But I've had plenty of time to figure it out._ Just as she'd had plenty of time to learn what he wanted from her.

"This is what I love about you." Azazel smirked. "This is what puts you a head and shoulders above all the rest." His eyes left hers as he looked out and down at the town of Cold Oak below them.

"My propensity for sugar coated snacks?" She quipped. "The fact that I can be bought and sold for apple pie?"

"Those are…" He paused. "Fitting reasons, unique to your race, signs of your…contamination." His smile grew wider. "But no, it's that good help is so hard to find." And wider. "I've become a fan of your work."

_She leaned down and let her lips brush against the curve of his ear. Her fingertips trailing gently down the side of his cheek over the five o'clock shadow and down to his chin. The bristly stubble was the result of three days without shaving. An indignity for a man like him. It was dank in the room, smelling of mold and rust. Condensation dripped down the lead pipe in front of her. It plip-plopped down from the ceiling to land squarely on the man's forehead. "Good morning, sunshine."_ _It was a steady rhythmic beat. "Miss me?"_

Kelly swallowed and looked away. Standing, she brushed off her hands. Leaving long stains of dirt and pieces of grass sticking to her ratty jeans, she straightened. A whimsical smile played across her lips. "No doubt." She said. "I've seen the pool you've been pulling from." _"Just one question before we get started."_ Kelly refrained from wincing as the words filtered through her mind. Instead she walked to his side, her steps slow and deliberate. She came to a stop and followed his gaze down to the abandoned town. The kids had moved off the street. Kelly wondered if the screaming would start soon. She didn't close her eyes. "No, winners so far."

"These are just the preliminary rounds." Azazel tossed his hand carelessly to the side as his yellow eyes swept the town below them.

"_Do you like to hear screams?"_

"Right." She said. Her fingers moved back up to the steel collar. It made her skin itch. The bumpy fleshed tips brushed across the runes, feeling their shape beneath her clammy hands. Steel had little to no effect on her kind. _Not like iron does._ But it was still a minor annoyance. "Kill the losers first."

"_They're like operetta." She reached inside a small black bag laying on the table. "Part of the miracle of human vocal chords." Pulling out a hammer and a small silver nail, she moved across the damp and cracked concrete floor. The eyes of the banker on hers, pitch black and empty. He spat in her direction. She smiled. "So many notes." She whispered, pressing the sharp edge of the nail into the center of his forehead. "When you hit the right key." She brought it down, slamming the nail into the soft tissue of his skull._

Azazel smirked and Kelly could feel the coldness his approval. It ran between their link and she withheld a shudder. She felt his smile widen. _He felt it_. Her revulsion. "Smart girl." He said.

_She lifted her eyes and smiled as she stared up at the Devil's Trap written around the ceiling in chalk. It was doubled beneath her feet, creating a perfect impenetrable barrier. But she didn't like to take chances. That's what the nail was for. _

"And you can't have me meeting the Winchesters just yet." Kelly added. She was desperately trying to clear the memories of the last three months from her mind. The pleasure she was beginning to feel from serving his purposes. "After all, Sammy might find a way to undo all your fine work."

Azazel chuckled. "You think they'd take you back now?" He asked. "After everything you've done for me, the lives you've broken, the children you…" He trailed off and Kelly felt a chill race up her spine. "Murdered." He tilted his head to the side and swung his gaze around so that he was staring straight after. "No, I think not." The words hung in the air between them and Kelly lifted her chin. Seeing the touch of rebelliousness in her expression, the demon laughed. It was a hard laugh, cold against the ear drum and sent chilling ripples tripping head over heels down Kelly's spine.

"For you." She said. Her voice clear as her hands dropped away from the collar. The first month had been spent trying to figure a way out of her deal, how to get the collar off. But she hadn't found one. That had left her with no option. No choice but to be patient and wait. _Wait for the clause to be broken._

"That's right." He said. "For me, and I've rewarded you well for your fine service." He stepped forward and Kelly felt the calluses of his fingers sliding up the side of her cheek. "I've taught you things." He whispered. His voice was like honey as it steeped the air around her and Kelly knew she couldn't look away. Instead she raised her eyes to meet his pupil-less gaze and smiled. "These past three months. Things that no…" He paused again, his smile widening as he looked at her. "_Amateur_ knows." She swallowed, her throat drier then the Sahara. "How to commune with spirits, raise the dead, use the pieces of the saints. How to rob the Vatican. I've shared my knowledge with you." His fingertip brushed over her lips. "I've developed your powers, your instincts, I've made you capable."

"_You know my favorite part about demons." She said. Running her finger across his forehead, she collected the trail of blood dripping down from the nail. She touched it to her lips experimentally and then, with a caustic grin, she wiped it across the front of his fine white silk collar. Calmly, she pulled off the black glove on her right hand and raised her palm. The black ram's head pentagon was apparent in the low lighting of the room and Kelly felt the demon stiffen in the gloom. She reached out and undid the buttons on his shirt. "Once you lock them in place," the pale button came free as she continued, tracing her finger down the curling black hairs of his chest until she came to the cotton undershirt. Tapping it twice, she looked up. "They sing like birds."_

"_I'm not saying anything." The demon growled. "You can tell Azazel that I serve my own master."_

"_I know, I know." She said. Her voice inestimably bored as she reached out and lay her palm flat against the exposed skin of his chest. "You're your own master." She pressed down. "I'm not here to convert you." The stench of charred burning flesh filled the room as the demon began to shriek. "But I wonder…" Her voice trailed off. "How your wife will feel when I return you to her as a head." Calmly, she let go and stepped back. Walking around the table and pulling the glove back on her hand , she opened the black bag and began to go through the tools inside. First, she pulled out a pair of clear white goggles and strapped them over behind her head. _

"_I'll just find another body." He spat. "Another pretty wife with pretty kids. Another pencil pushing comfortable life."_

"_No." She said. She smiled, finding the tool she wanted. "You won't." Yanking a power drill from her bag, she pressed her thumb down on the button. The familiar electric buzz filled the air as the end of the drill began to rotate at speeds faster than the human eye could follow. "You're stuck now." She said. Walking forwards, the soles of her boots playing a rat-tat-tat on the concrete as moved, Kelly paused in front of his first hand. She lifted the drill with her right hand and snapped the goggles over her eyes. Then she put her cold fingers around his wrist and held the spinning drill centimeters from his palm. "From now on you get one pretty wife with pretty kids. One pretty life." The drill hovered closer. "I suggest you tell me what I want to know." She pressed the tip of the drill against his palm, letting the spinning edge rip apart the top of his skin. Blood spattered across the room, leaving large globs dripping down her face and his. "Before you waste it."_

"Of standing against my brothers and sisters." She said. Her voice frigid compared to the summery warmth of his tone.

"Should your Mother decide to interfere." He nodded.

"She won't." Kelly murmured. "I'm as much her science experiment as yours."

Azazel chuckled. "Sweet kid." He said. His hands moved away from her face as he took a step back. Then he looked out at the town again, his eyes following the movements of the young men and women as they staggered across the streets below. It would be a few more hours before the games began. He was looking forward to it. "Following Mommy and Daddy's orders."

Kelly stepped back and hugged her arms around her body as her gaze shifted down to the streets below. _Interrogator, hunter, body guard, what hasn't he made me do?_ Kelly's training under Azazel had been harsh, demanding, and subsumed the entirety of her first month in his service. _Then he sent me out for field work._ When he was pleased with her work he rewarded her. _When he's not…_ There was always a punishment. _And I stopped fighting._ Overtly. He'd nearly broken her mind that first month, and now… _The deal makes certain that I do what he says._ And she followed him to the letter. _Just the letter._ Like demons, the Fey understood how to cut a deal, how to break them… _And how to get around them entirely._ Kelly wasn't as practiced in that fine art as the other members of her family, but she tried her best. _My problem is it's just not good enough._ She thought too much like a human. _And humans don't understand anything. _ That's why they could be so easily hoodwinked into believing all kinds of crap. Inside her mind, Kelly shook her head. "To a T." She smiled.

Most people thought that three months wasn't a that long a time. _But for me?_ It had felt like an eternity. _I barely even recognize myself._ And she doubted, sincerely doubted that Dean or Sam would recognize her. _When we finally do meet again._ How long would that be? _Days? More months?_ She glanced sideways. So what was this break all about?

Azazel snorted. "I got a job for you." He said.

"Another one?" She asked. Her voice cutting in seamlessly as she looked up at him. Somehow, it didn't surprise her. _Break always equals job_. "You've been running me ragged lately." Her lips quirked as she sarcastically tagged, "Boss." On to the end.

"This one will suit your particular talents." A cold smile spread across his lips as he said talents, his yellow pupil-less gaze meeting hers. He was ignoring her.

"Grave Robbing? Kidnapping? Torture?" She asked. Her lips twitching as her eyes never left his. "Hunting? Killing? Maiming? Murder?" Her voice quipped on. "Stabbing? Slicing? Playing with marionettes? Singing?" She paused. "Forget singing." Azazel's arms had crossed over his chest and his smile was still fixed on his lips. Kelly raised her eyebrows. "I'm a terrible singer." She said. The tone of her voice merry as she mimicked his stance. "Burning? Singeing? Using chainsaws?" She tilted her head to the side. "All of which fall under my category of torture, but," she raised a single gloved finger. "I never know when you want me to get specific."

"Possibly all of the above, kiddo." Azazel chuckled. "I'm using you as my newest guard dog."

"The demons in town just not up to the challenge?" Kelly asked. "I didn't think you were having problems with anyone escaping."

"One or two." Azazel shrugged.

"They try and they try." Kelly said. Her fingers tightened into a fist. _And so he comes up with a whole new way to torture me._ Kelly had decided that this must be the demon's new favorite past time. "Those darn kids."

"You'll be watching over them."

"Your own personal referee." She muttered. Her eyes were still on his. _Don't interfere._ That was the unspoken law that lay between them. She didn't stick her fingers into his pies and he never involved himself in her work. _He just points out the target and I go._ That was the bearable arrangement. _Why does he want me there?_ Everything he was telling her might in fact have some grain of truth buried within it… _But there's always more to the story._ She didn't like walking blind, but that seemed to be the only course of action left to her. "Want me to separate the bad ones if things get to rough?" It was a joke and Azazel smiled.

"Only if called on by name."

Kelly blinked. That was new. "Someone I know still alive down there?" She asked. She tried not to think about Ava but on cold nights spent tucked up against a lone tree above Cold Oak, she couldn't help but wonder. _Whether or not she's died yet._ A part of Kelly wished that she had. _It would be a mercy._ Ava's death would be a mercy. _That way she and I wouldn't have to see what we've become._ But Kelly doubted that she would be that lucky. _After all, I never am._

"You will watch." He said. "You will only involve yourself if called upon by the children and when you are, you'll obey them as you would me." Kelly withheld a snort.

_I doubt they'll be as eloquent with their instructions._ Rules mattered in this game she and Azazel played. _How something is phrased, how it's said…_ All left for the possibilities of loopholes and maneuvering within the language. _That's how our pact works._ In many ways that was how all pacts worked. _Demon deals too._ It was a game played by bored creatures and that was why one had to be careful. _They'll twist it around so that you never get what your asking for and that something horrible happens as a result._ She didn't need to know her own lore to understand the truth of that statement. She tilted her head to the side. "Is that all?" She asked. A plaintive note filtered into her voice.

"You'll do whatever they ask of you."

"To the letter." She smirked. Azazel lifted his eyebrows but he let that one slide by. Kelly wondered if he got the joke. _After all, he was originally human._ A fact that made him no less frightening.

"Should they try to flee the bounds of Cold Oak, you will deter them."

"Certainly." Kelly said. Her voice mild. "Your interests are mine." That too was part of their arrangement. The Yellow-Eyed demon looked at her and smiled.

"Should they fail to be deterred, you will kill them."

"Naturally." She looked up at him, waiting for the next set of instructions. He was always specific in the way he worded things. _He never wants to give me a chance to wiggle free._ She'd been careful to keep herself from doing that. In the beginning she might have been stupid enough to obviously try and work around the conditions he set. _But that never works out in my favor._ No, it was best to play the dutiful dog. _No matter what he asks of me…_ She would bide her time. After all, she was fey. _And we are very good at waiting._

"No psychic may exit these premises unless the game is over and they are the last man standing." He leveled a serious finger at her. "You'll remain here until the game is finished and one psychic leaves." She nodded.

_I may interfere if called upon._ That gave her room to work. _But I must do whatever the one who calls upon me says._ That was another loophole. She didn't have to honor the spirit of the command. _Just what they say._ That also gave her room to work.

"Or unless I call on you specifically to perform another duty. Even if a psychic commands it, you're not to harm me in any fashion."

Kelly swallowed. _Well, he's not stupid enough to let that slip by him._ Not that she could anyway. Their pact was like a legal document. _Long and filled with binding contracts._ It was enough to make a mortal's head spin. Kelly tilted her head, thankful for the moment that she was anything but. "As you command." She said. The sarcasm was light but still present as their gazes locked. Azazel shook his head.

"Come here." He said. Taking a knife from his pocket, he pressed the blade along the inside of his forearm. Slicing down the center between the bone. Kelly swallowed, this was her least favorite part of their meetings. She was never sure why he wanted this of her. _Other than the fact that it lets him control me far more easily._ But the collar allowed the same. _So why blood?_ She knelt before him, her knees hitting the hard cold ground. The blades of grass scratching at her skin between the holes in her raggedy jeans. Calmly, she reached out and took his wrist. Blood was spilling down the side of his arm and she swallowed. She really hated this part.

Lowering her head she pressed her lips against his skin, around the cut, and began to suck. The iron taste flowed into her mouth, filling the all the corners as it washed down her throat. Her tongue lashed across the cut, lapping up the spilling blood, greedily taking as much as she could before the wound began to coagulate. Demons couldn't regenerate, the wounds they made to their mortal bodies were permanent, and that was part of the reason why her interrogations were often so successful. Fear. Like all immortals they feared the permanence of death. They feared being trapped in one form forever. Even if they didn't understand the insanity that traveled with it. Kelly drank deeply. She could do nothing otherwise, that was also part of their arrangement. She would drink until he was satisfied and when she was filled with enough of his blood, he would let her go. The effect of having demon blood in her system was permanent and Kelly worried about the long lasting effects. But she had no other choice and so she did as he commanded. She drank until she was full. Drank past her fill. She drank until he said stop.

It was a long time before the command came.

Blackwell City, Iowa

The chill air froze in Dean Winchester's lungs as he walked along the empty streets. Above him steel gray clouds rolled across the sky, obscuring the twinkling silver stars from view. Dean could see the low rooftops of the buildings ahead of him and it brought him to a stop as the street light before him turned green. He didn't want to head into anymore city, the idea made his skin crawl. Shaking his head, he turned and looked to his right. The darkness bent backwards and Dean squinted. Seeing a small park dotted with rolling hills and green trees, he crossed the street against the red light. He walked at a leisurely pace, his boot heels clicking against the black pavement. But his palms grew sweaty as he approached and Dean sucked in a deep breath. For some reason, he was nervous. _Kelly._ The name bounced through his mind and Dean shook his head. He didn't want to think about her. Kelly's name made his heart ache. _Kelly's fey._ He still doubted that fact that she was a fey. _I knew she was a monster._ But fey? The fey didn't exist. _I knew she was a monster._ The fey didn't exist. _We would have seen some._ In all his years of hunting, Dean Winchester had never encountered one. _And I've seen some damn frightening things._ Dean stepped onto the curb, his hands deep in his pockets as he looked out at the rolling hill, curved tree trunks, and the small creek that flowed through the center of the park. _But never fairies._ Dean walked down the small path between the green floods of grass on either side. _Kelly._ Was she? Had she been lying to him this whole time?

When Dean Winchester had been a kid, when his father had still been dragging them around the country hunting the things that went bump in the night, when Sammy had developed a taste for old fairy tales during the time they spent at elementary school… _Dad laughed him out of the room._ He'd told Dean and Sam that the creatures in those stories didn't exist. _They were just something that adults made up to make sure the kids ate their vegetables._ The old school boogey men. _He said it was like the monster in Sam's closet or the thing under my bed._ And Dean had taken his father on his word. _They don't exist._ But Kelly existed and he couldn't explain what she was. _Black dog._ But the black dog was tied to fey legends. _Hellhound._ She'd said she wasn't. _She's a cousin or something._ It was something that he'd never really thought about. Never been made to think about. Honestly, he'd tried not to. _I didn't want to._ He hadn't wanted to see her as being different. _I made promises._ Promises he now couldn't keep. _I said I'd protect her no matter what. That we'd figure this out together._ But… _Now she's gone._ And then some shady idiots, one of whom claimed to be the late great Samuel Colt, had showed up at their doorstep demanding Kelly's location. _Then they told us a fairy tale._ When Samuel Colt had started telling his story Dean had begun tuning him out. He left the details of this to Sam. _Sammy's better at finding answers than I am._ He would be able to conclude whether or not these idiots were the real deal. Dean stuck his hands deep into his pockets and looked around. The park was empty, his gaze moved across the blades of grass, the bushes, to a small collection of trees close to the waters edge. He saw the back of a small red bench on the bank, it was partially hidden by a small rose bush and a taller hydrangea. Sucking in a deep breath, Dean made his way down the path. He hoped that this place would allow him to clear his head and free his minds from the emotions raging through his gut. Disbelief, anger, hurt, betrayal, surprise, worry, all of these feelings wrapped his intestines into thick knots. Silently, he took a seat and stared out across the water. As he did the clicking sound of a cane coming down the path reached his ears.

He turned, an old woman was walking with a jilted gate. Her back was hunched and she wore a large floppy tan hat over her curling steel gray hair. She swung her thick brown cane in front of her, the flat bottom jabbing into the ground as she rolled forward. Her pace was uneven, her thin hips sliding back and forth. Her hands were boney as they gripped the cane and even in the dark, Dean could see the age spots coloring the back of her hands. A small plastic bag hung in her right hand, shaking back and forth, but Dean couldn't make out what was inside of it. He opened his mouth and closed it, his hand moving carefully around his back to where he kept his 9mm Colt 1911 tucked away and hidden from sight. He waited silently. _You can never trust old women._ Especially not alone at night in an abandoned park.

She looked up. A beady eye, ebony in color, glittering in the dark. The hat flopped over the right side of her face, obscuring the other eye from view. She stopped and leaned on her cane as she evaluated him. "Well now." She said. Her voice casual and scratchy in the cool damp air as she tilted her head to the side. "What do we have here?" Dean swallowed, his hand moved off the handle of his gun and lifted his hand to rest it casually on the back of the bench. "A young man all alone on a Saturday night. In this park." Her voice crackled and warmed Dean, he shifted uncomfortably on the bench. She made him feel guilty. "On my bench."

Dean opened his mouth, working his tongue emptily in his dry mouth. "I can move." He said. Where had that come from? He hadn't let an old woman make him feel guilty since Ellen. _And Ellen's younger than her._

"Don't be silly." The old woman said. Her voice was scratchy as she ambled forward with her strangely bowlegged gait. She waved her hand, the bag jingled emptily. "It's a free world." Dean felt himself glued to the spot and strangely, he wasn't nervous. "And I'm sure there's a story that brought you to my bench." She sank down heavily beside him. Dean heard her bones creak. "Care to enlighten an old woman on a dank eve."

"Doubt you could help." Dean said. It felt like the words were being pried from his lips and more worrying, they came out on their own.

The old woman knocked him over the head with end of her stick. "I'll be." She cackled. "A boy who thinks he's seen the gritty insides of the world's intestines." She leaned forward, her patterned milk colored crocheted shawl slipping over her boney shoulders to bunch around her thin vulture neck. She spoke with a thick accent, one that sounded Russian, Slavic, Hungarian, and eastern European all at once.. She smiled, exposing sharp yellowed teeth as she settled her stick back on her lap. The plastic bag slipped sideways in a lump and it's contents gathered between her knees. She tapped her hooked nose. "Never doubt your Nanny Jaga, my lamb." She tilted her head to the side as she eyed him like a cat watching a small canary hop from one foot to the other. "I just ask for the tale that brought you to my bench."

"You wouldn't believe it." Dean was beginning to feel frustrated, but at the same time there was a warmth burrowing up from his gut. One that cascaded through him and relaxed his body against the back of the bench. His hand fell away from the handle of his gun to fall onto the peeling red paint. His thumb and forefinger began to pick at it and he felt like he was six years old again. _Which is funny cause I never knew my grandma._ Why was he even considering telling her the truth? He found he couldn't look away from her wrinkled face, one even more sun beaten and weathered than Samuel Colt's. "I got a guy back at my apartment claiming that he's over a hundred years old." The words came out slowly. "He wants to know where my girlfriend went." Dean swallowed, the words were coming out faster now as comfort filled him. "She was kidnapped with a friend of my brother's three months ago. We haven't seen or heard anything since…" He shook his head. "Anyway, I got fed up with the lies he was telling and decided to clear my head." He shrugged. "And I guess it brought me to your bench."

The old woman nodded. Reaching into her bag, she gathered a handful of crumbs and cast them out before her into the slow moving stream. Dean guessed that they were bird crumbs used to feed the ducks, he looked out across the water for the recipients of the bread, but found that there were none. "A strange thing." Was all she said.

Dean watched as the water carried the crumbs slowly downstream. The water bubbling silently as it hit the protruding rocks, before breaking with tiny ripples and shifting around the smooth gray head. "There's no ducks in the water." He remarked.

"Not for many seasons." The old woman agreed.

"So why waste the bread?" He asked. "Why not eat it?" He was asking so many questions, it felt like he'd suddenly become his brother. Dean shook his head, his gaze never leaving the elderly woman's face.

Nanny Jaga fell silent. The old woman stared into the moving water for a long time, looking as if she was deep in thought. Occasionally, she would reach into the bag and toss out another handful of crumbs into the slow current. Then she would lean against the head of her walking stick with bony hands. "Long ago," she said. "I had some dogs." Dean stiffened at the word dogs. "Great hunting hounds, like the yellow of your hair." He relaxed slightly as she mentioned the color, but still remained on edge. "They were loyal for so many years." She sighed. There was a morose quality to her tone that forced Dean to relax once again. He leaned back and listened to the story. "Then a young girl came to my house and gave them bread so they would not attack her while she stole from me. When I returned the girl-child was gone and the dogs had not stopped her. I beat them till they told me why they failed." The old woman didn't look away from the river as she said. "'You have never thrown us a burnt crust; but she gave us bread', they told me." Nanny Jaga shook her head again, as if she was lost in memory.

"You can't blame them." Dean said. His voice sounded strange in his ears. "Starving dogs'll bite they're masters hands. It was your fault for never feeding them." As the words came out of his mouth, Dean felt the old woman stiffen beside him. He expected her to reprimand him, but instead she smiled toothily.

"So, now each year I come on this night to feed them." She said. Taking another handful she cast out the crumbs into the slow moving water.

"Once a year." He said. Dean was unable the keep the incredulity from his voice as he spoke. "You feed them once a year." He looked out at the empty stream. _This is getting weird._ He thought. Still, sitting beside this old woman was comforting and the warmth that rolled over him melted the icy pit trying to form in Dean's stomach.

"I'm a busy granny, sonny Jim." Nanny Jaga said. "I have many demands on my time, things I must attend to." She shrugged her bony shoulders. "Children who must be cared for."

Dean swallowed. "Like me?" He asked. Something wasn't right about this old woman. There was a pattern in her speech that made him want to inch away, but instinct held him where he was. With Sam in deep discussion with Samuel Colt and having no chance at getting back up, Dean didn't want to open up his gun until he knew exactly what it was he was dealing with. _And I'm not shooting until she starts to get unfriendly._ He couldn't shake the comforting warmth that was billowing around him or his desire to tell her everything that was troubling him.

She waved her hand and threw another handful of crumbs into the stream. "A chance encounter." She said, her voice dismissive. "A bit of luck the universe threw your way."

"So, who are you?" He asked.

She turned to him, a sharp eye giving him a calculating glance. "I repaid your story with another, little hunter." She said. "For a time of goodwill between us. So that no harm would come to you this night. You should welcome my generosity." She cackled and looked out at the slow moving waters. Her head tilting to the side like a stork's as she exhaled. Her breath smelling like black pepper, cinnamon, saffron, and cloves. "But if you cannot garner my identity from the tale alone, then another exchange will be made."

"You're some kind of fey." He accused.

"Dean Winchester." The old woman cackled. "Have I said so? Were I the likes of them, you'd be twisted round my finger and already cast into the Otherworld." Her bony head wavered on her skinny neck as it shook back and forth. Her floppy hat bounced over her second eye and Dean could suddenly see that it was only a socket, with nothing left inside.

"You're not fey." He said. The words came out slowly and he was once again at a loss for what he was dealing with. _They've been popping out of the wood work all evening, so why not now?_ He wondered. His thoughts were once again growing ponderous as the smell of her breath spread through his nostrils. _Should just shoot her._ Why hadn't he pulled his gun? He knew she was some kind of supernatural creature. _Probably eats babies._

The old woman turned and glanced to the east, the darkness of the sky was growing ever more translucent. Fading from purple and black to a dark steely gray that darkened the clouds. "I must be going." Nanny Jaga said. Then she turned back to Dean with another toothy smile. "But, I am not so horrible a babooshka as to leave you without answering a question." She tilted her head to the side and stood, teetering as she settled on her feet. "Think carefully." Her leathery lips curled into a warm grin and the creases of her face all bent together into a grandmotherly expression.

Dean didn't have the faintest clue of what to ask. "What are the fey?" He blurted out, knowing that there was no way he'd get a straight answer. _Not if she really is one._ Dean had his doubts about whether or not she was what she suggested she was. _And I have no clue about what she suggested she was._ Monsters and demons he understood. _But these fey?_ They were new.

"So, a bargain is struck." She cackled. Rapping the bottom of her walking stick against the muddy ground, she stood and turned to face him, staring into his eyes. Dean had remained sitting, he was frozen in place wondering when he'd made a bargain. She leaned forward, a gleam in her eye and she smiled again. It was the same toothy grin, but this time it made Dean's heart thud faster. "The fey are old, ageless, immortals that exist in the veil of reality. The fair folk of the fields, the forests, and the caves. They are everywhere and they are nowhere. A tricky people. Or at least." she grinned. "They like to think so. As has often been their own hubris. They like to think that they are complicated, but no," she shook her head. "They are simple to understand once you know their rules." She said. Her fingers tightened around the curve of her wooden stick, one that suddenly looked much older than Dean's previous guesses. It was knotted in the front with a hooked mouth that looked like teeth. "But no mortal has ever been able to fully understand." She cackled. "The thing you must remember, my duckling, is that they mean what they say and never say what they mean. Some will work within the letter of their code, some will not. Some honor their vows, but that makes them no less a slippery devil. Some are honest, some are liars. Some will be honest with you to suit their purposes and others will tell lies more convincing than truth." She held up a single finger. "The all important thing to remember is that they are bored."

"That tells me absolutely nothing." Dean forced his mouth to work and found he liked the sounds that came out of it. _This old bat is off her fruit loops._ But what had she said about a bargain? He'd never made an agreement with her.

"Either way, little Winchester, it is your answer." The old woman straightened. "I have traded you a favor for a favor." She tilted her head to the side. She reached out a long finger and snatched three hairs off of Dean's head.

He yelped loudly and looked at her, reaching for his gun. "What was that for?" He demanded.

The old woman pulled the chain around her neck out from under the collar of her blouse. On the end, Dean saw an acorn hanging down between her sagging breasts. The old woman pulled the chain up until it was level with her good eye and popped open the top. "I will keep you in an acorn close to my heart." She said. Sticking the hairs inside the acorn, she let it fall free. It hung before her as she leaned on her stick. Which seemed to be growing taller, or was she growing smaller? "Until I collect what you owe." Then she turned and began waddling away in her uneven jilted gait, humming a strange tune.

"Wait!" Dean yelled. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon. "Collect what? What do I owe?" But he received no response, because like the fading mist, the old woman was gone. Dean looked around for several long minutes and then swallowed. A bad feeling was welling up in his stomach as he thought about what the woman had just said and tried to remember where it was that he'd made the agreement. He straightened and looked back to the apartment. Sam was probably still there with the two hunters. _Or the hunter and his dog._ Dean started off in the opposite direction. He'd go find a diner and brush the bad taste out of his mouth. _And forget about Nanny Jaga._ Or whatever her name was and the hairs she'd taken from his head. Calmly he walked along the path, until he found an exit. Overhead and unseen, a small walnut shell flew by amongst a flock of screaming gulls. It was heading westward.

AN: I hope you enjoyed Kelly with old Yellow-Eyes and Dean's discussion with the old woman. I couldn't help it. I wanted to throw her in. She'll become an important figure in the later books, but I doubt we'll see her again in this one. On the side, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I wanted too, but I caught the flu over a week ago and I was bedridden for most of my spring break, but I did have time to start the plot bunnies rolling for book 2, created new characters, new antagonists, and strange monsters for the brothers (and Kelly of course) to fight. I'm torn between launching us into the action or writing a couple chapters on What Is, What Should Never Be mixed with Kelly's life spent watching the psychics battle it out. It'll probably be the latter. But I never know.

Anyway, I apologize again for being el sicko and leaving you so long without an update.

Remember, my muse likes reviews and the more you do, the more you get. Faster too.


	53. Chapter 53: Cold Oak

Chapter 53: Cold Oak

Then another month went by and then another. Slowly, Sam Winchester had begun to give up hope. When he'd met Dean in Hal's Diner the morning after he'd finished speaking with Samuel Colt, Sam hadn't been very optimistic. Samuel had left Sam convinced that Kelly was in real danger. _Danger from losing something to bind her to reality._ Samuel Colt had been vague on the details of how the pacts worked. _Not that it made Dean want to make one when he heard it._ And Samuel Colt had been even less helpful on what happened to the children of the first person who made the deal. Sam wondered if they even got to make a wish. _Or are they just called._ That's how Samuel Colt had described it. _Calling._ It sounded like a bad rip off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He'd been even less helpful about what happened after you were called, but he assured Sam that it wasn't a fate likely to happen to either him or Dean. Sam had taken him at his word and as the sun came up on the eastern horizon both Samuel Colt and his partner Rhett had taken their leave. _And I got a call from Dean._ His brother had behaved strangely for half the morning. _Until he saw the waitress._ Then his brother had gotten his swing back. After a bit of flirting, his brother had been right as rain. _Well, still moody and snappish._ But not any worse than the rest of Dean's post-Kelly depression. _And he's stopped being angry with me._ For the most part. His brother had just sunk into a work-only mind frame and had dedicated himself to Kelly's search. Dean hadn't been surprised when Samuel Colt and Rhett hadn't given them anywhere to start. _He just muttered about how they're useless._ And they went on.

Sam wondered if he would ever find a way to make up for letting Kelly go alone with Ava. The memory of the anger on her face and the nauseous feeling in his gut when she'd socked him still lingered in the recesses of his mind, asserting itself whenever he slept. Sam sought after her in his dreams, but as hard as he tried he could never find that place with the purple sky or Kelly. When she did find her way into his dreams now, it was only as a memory. The last things he'd said to her. The hurt expression on her face. The last things they'd said to one another. The resigned look on her countenance as she'd climbed into Ava's bug. Sam could picture all of it. _But never the purple sky._ Sam turned to Dean, his brother was still head banging away to Journey's "Any Way You Want It". "You ever wonder what my dream meant?"

Dean pulled the Impala to a stop in the muddy parking lot and glanced at Sam. "You're not still going on about that forest with the sky and the water, are you Sammy?" He asked. "The place where you saw Kermit the frog? That was months ago."

"Frogs, Dean." Sam said. His voice a little stiffer than he'd intended as he looked at his brother. "Bobby said some interesting things about them."

"About their being prophetic, yadda yadda." Dean shook his head. "I think you're thinking to deeply about it Sammy."

"Bobby said that frogs are supposed to be harbingers of destruction." Sam said. He leaned against the cool glass and pursed his lips. Rapping his knuckles against the dashboard, he looked over at his brother. "This could be serious, Dean. The demons said…"

"That Kelly was a forerunner for the end of the world." Dean sighed. It had been five months since her disappearance. He was beginning to believe that she was dead. _Even if some demon held her hostage, she'd have escaped by now and contacted us._ Kelly was very competent, something even Dean had to admit. She'd have figured out to escape by now. _If she was still alive._ His stomach sank.

"That she would lead the way to the end of the world." Sam replied. He felt that it was important to get the wording right. "Then she pops up in one of my dreams offering me a frog. A symbol of destruction."

"Kermit's gonna be depressed that he's out of a job." Dean said. His eyes weren't on his brother, they were on the café ahead of him. "Think they got pie?" He asked.

"This is serious, Dean." Sam snapped.

"Sammy, nothin's happened for two months since that dream." Dean sighed. "So, it was probably just a dream." Sam began to open his mouth but his brother cut him off. "If it'd been one of your prophetic ones, it'd have told us where she was." He shrugged and reached into his wallet and pulled out a twenty as he looked back at the flashing neon sign. "And don't forget the extra onions this time." He said.

Sam sighed loudly. "Yeah, and I'm gonna be the one who has to ride with your extra onions." He grumbled, climbing out of the car. The heavy steel door creaked loudly as he stepped out. His boots sank into the muddy ground as he straightened. He could feel that the discussion about his dream was over and, while Sam didn't wholly agree that the matter was closed, he was willing to let it lie. For now. _I'm just glad that our relationship has taken on some semblance of normalcy._

"Make sure you don't forget the pie!"

Sam glanced back at his brother and fought a loud sigh. After all, he'd been the one who'd started the discussion. _But Dean's the one who thinks everything can be forgotten with pie._ He and Kelly had always shared that, Sam shook his head and swung the door shut. He signaled that he understood. Then, Sam Winchester headed off towards the café.

Dean watched his brother disappear inside and took a deep breath as he ratcheted up the volume on the radio. The station had moved on to Bon Jovi and as the low notes of the guitar blared out through the speakers, Dean Winchester relaxed back into the drivers seat. He began to play the air drums on the steering wheel. "Dude better bring me back some pie." He refrained from feeling the empty spot on his skull where the three hairs had been plucked. _Sammy's got his thing, I've got mine._ Honestly, Dean didn't mind Sammy going on and on about his dream with Kelly. _Not if it means I don't have to relive that strange evening with Nanny Jaga._ Or have it picked apart by both Sam and Bobby. _We've got enough to worry about._ He didn't want to think about owing a favor to some crazy lady in Iowa. _If she's still in Iowa._ If he could have consulted Bobby without Sam finding out about it, Dean might have done so. _Or if she'd said anything useful about these fey creatures._ But she hadn't. Dean felt it was best to sweep this one beneath the rug and forget about it. He was trying very hard.

Banging his head to the base, Dean watched as Sam made his way inside the diner. He was moving awkwardly, sidling along between a pair of large bikers in spiked black leather jackets. "Mmmhmm, Sammy." He chuckled. "Better watch your behind. Or else you'll be back behind bars all over again." Without his older brother to protect him. "I'm so sorry." He said as Sam bumped into the larger of the two bikers. "I'm a wilting flower." Mimicking Sam's voice, he leaned forward as he watched the interaction. "I didn't mean it, I've been down ever since I started having dreams about my brother's girlfriend." Dean didn't really hold Kelly's disappearance against Sam. Not anymore. It was true that he'd been angry in the beginning. _Now it just bugs me when he talks about those stupid dreams._ It wasn't like Dean didn't dream about his girl. _Almost every night._ But it usually involved her wearing the stripper outfit and a lot of heavy petting. _Sex._ Not dreams about green fields, forests, frogs, and purple sky. "I'm really hot for her but I don't want Dean to know." Dean shook his head. After they'd run into Rhett Butler and his Handler King, Dean had dumped all the blame of Kelly's disappearance on them. _The only thing they got right was Kelly's description._ But her death in the "real" world? Fairies running around like it was Oktoberfest? That he doubted. _But what about Nanny Jaga?_ A traitorous voice hissed from the back of his mind. No matter how many times Sammy went over the concept with him, Dean just couldn't wrap his mind around it. _Fairies._ Was all he could ever manage. _Fucking fairies._ He was starting to suspect that Sam was a fairy, for all the time he'd spent lately researching them. _Doesn't even focus on the damn job._ Dean had to kick him in the ass just to get him motivated. _It's like he doesn't want to find her anymore._ Dean couldn't shake the fact that he still loved Kelly. He tried to cover the ache in his heart with work. He bogged it down, deflated it, and on some long nights came close to wanting to stab a knife through it. _So it'd stop hurting._ But in the past months, he'd come to terms with the fact that Sammy was his priority. He'd promised to look after his little brother before Kelly had ever entered their lives. _And if we can't find her._ Something that was growing increasingly less likely. _I'll have to settle for saving Sammy._ Kelly… had everything she did? Everything she said? Had it all been a lie? He wasn't sure how to think about her now. Even though he still desperately loved her. _Give me time._ He'd get over it.

"_Yer realizin' that yer whole relationships been a lie."_

_Shut up_. Dean muttered.

"_That friend yeh thought loved yeh unconditionally turned out to be givin' because she needed yeh for somethin'…"_

"Shut up!" He snarled. He tried to shut the voice of Samuel Colt out of his mind. These were the same words that had been giving voice to his doubts for two months.

"_And yeh didn't know what."_

Dean sat straight up. "SHUT UP!" He yelled. Banging his fist against the steering wheel, he listened as the words rebounded around the car, echoing back at him. Mocking.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up…"

Dean sighed. Had Kelly been lying to him? _Wouldn't be the first time._ He'd get over it. He got over it with Amanda when he was a senior in high school. He got over it with Cassie. He'd get over it now. Was that why she'd never contacted him after she'd been kidnapped? If she wasn't dead and she had escaped… _Does she just not want to see me?_ Dean banged his hand against the steering wheel again, this time angrily.

Then the sound of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" began to fade in and out. The sudden static jogged Dean out of his thoughts. He straightened and leaned forward, tapping the tuner as he tried to reestablish a connection. But he had no luck. The radio stations began flicking one through the other. Fuzz filled the car, white noise that set Dean's teeth on edge. Cautiously, he looked around. Scanning the parking lot and the foggy trees to his left and right, he sucked in a deep breath. There was nothing there. Worried, his eyes snapped back to the Open sign hanging in the window of the café. He blinked. The man who'd been standing beside it was gone. Dean checked the other windows, his heartbeat quickening in his chest. It began to bang against his ribs as he took another deep breath. With each empty window the sound of his heart grew louder in his ears. _Hell._ Dean thought as his eyes came to the last window. _Shit, goddamn, motherfucker…_ He kicked open the car door and hurried up the walkway to the entrance.

Silently, he pushed open the glass door, listening as it's bell jingled. He walked inside, his steps nearly silent on the checkered linoleum floor. Dean stopped. His eyes on the trucker at the closest table. The man lay with his head down, a cooled plate of prime rib beside him. His hat was tipped forward to make room for his forehead. Dean swallowed. Blood pooled around the trucker's face.

_Drip… drip… drip…_

The sound assaulted Dean's ears as he watched the crimson liquid slide off the table in large gobs. The falling blood splattered on the floor, creating an ever larger pool on the checkered linoleum. Dean unhooked his Colt 1911 from his belt and flicked off the safety.

"Sam?" He called.

There was no response. The diner was eerily empty, but Dean could guess that there were more bloody bodies lying about. _Doesn't take a genius._ Which was something that Dean Winchester most certainly wasn't. He peered along the counter and seeing the face down bodies of the bikers on the floor, he swallowed. _Shit._ Looking around, he lifted his hand to run his fingers over his jugular. _Slit throats._ That was a demon trademark. Dean had seen the same thing at Ava's house in Peoria and before that, when he'd hunted demons with his father. _That Ava's fiancée._ Dean didn't think about the Ava girl much. His thoughts mostly focused around Kelly. _Got no connection to her other than Sam._ Dean suppressed a shiver and continued through the diner.

Sucking in a deep breath, he looked around the back of the cash register. The two owners, a man and a woman dressed in white smocks with eggshell aprons tied around their waists lay on the floor. One's back was up, the other's face down. Red was spattered all down their fronts like a badly dripped Jackson Pollock. Dean shook his head. Even as artistic expression it sucked. Looking up, Dean turned his gaze away from the bodies on the floor. _Where are you Sammy?_ He wondered. Holding the gun out in front of him, he pushed open the back door. His eyes swept the swampy landscape and the gnarled trees, hanging with their hooked branches over the muddy ground. It was devoid of bodies. Emptily standing there in the shadows as the trees sent chills racing up Dean's spine, he shook his head again. _This isn't good._ He thought.

"Sam!" He yelled.

Again, there was no answer. Letting the door swing shut, Dean stepped back, his and on the sill. A fine powder covered his fingers and Dean lifted his hand. Eyes on the yellow dust, he felt his heart freeze in his chest. "Sulfur." He muttered. Dean turned and ran out of the Café. "Sam!" He yelled as he walked down the creaking walkway. "Sam! Sammy!" His voice grew more and more insistent each time he called his brother's name.

"SAM!"

The words echoed out emptily through the hills and flatlands. _"Sam! Sam! Sammy, Sam, Sam…Sam… Sam…"_ Steadily they grew further away. Still, there was no response. Sam was gone.

"Shit."

Cold Oak, North Dakota

Sam lay with his back flat on an old wooden porch. It was covered with dead leaves. Only the luck of the ages had kept Sam from falling right through. The wood was ancient and termite chewed, it wasn't stable by any standards. It was a miracle that it was even still standing. Sam's prone body lay still and his eyes were closed. His fingers were flat against the wood as a lone black ant crawled across his knuckles.

"_You don't know why he left you here?" Ava laughed. Her voice cold as she stood over Philip DeHardy's body. Blood drizzled off her fingers, dripping onto the thick dirt. Slowly, she reached up and wiped the grime off her face._

_Kelly looked down coolly at the fallen psychic. Her eyes registering the teeth marks in his legs and the bloody mess that was his back and throat. She had liked Phillip. He had been one of the strong ones, and she'd hoped… Well, that wasn't important now. She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her eyes to meet Ava's cold blue gaze. "I know why I'm here." She said._

_"To referee?" Ava sounded incredulous. "You really do trust everything he tells you."_

_"I don't trust anything." Kelly said. Her voice hard as it came out her mouth, lifting her hand, she rubbed dried blood from the corners of her lips. "Anyone." Her eyes moved back to Philip's body, but Kelly never let her former friend leave her senses. Her ears twitched as she listened to Ava's breathing and the shifting of her body. _

_"You're a fool." Ava snapped. "A stupid, stupid fool." _

_Covering her nostrils with her arm, Kelly knelt down beside the decomposing body. She'd have to take care of this too. Only she knew where the shallow graves of the psychics were kept. Where they'd never be found. She wondered how long it would take before his soul appeared. _ He's as locked here as I am. _She shook her head. Philip had seemed like a nice kid._ He just wouldn't kill. _But he'd lasted longer than most did around Ava. _Most don't even have a chance. _ Carefully she examined Philip. Breathing a sigh of relief when she identified the source of his death, she let her hand pat the back of his head._ Wasn't me._ At least that was something. _He was such a nice boy._ She'd liked him. _

"_Maybe." She muttered._

"_Please." Ava laughed. "It's obvious why you're really here."_

A black shadow moved out of the nearby alleys. It made it's way towards the fallen body of Sam Winchester. Slowly, methodically, the shadow crossed the porch as yellow eyes gleamed in the sunlight. It's paws delicately choosing the strong boards as it wound across the dried leaves being blown across the termite eaten porch. Finally, it came to a stop at Sam's booted foot and nudged the sole of his toe experimentally. When Sam continued to lie still the Dog whined plaintively and nudged him again. Pink tongue licking the top of his boot. Sam didn't stir. The Dog sighed loudly and seized Sam by his toes. Her jaws sunk through the leather covering and the cotton of his socks, closing around his right foot. The Dog bit down. Hard.

Sam gasped and sat up. He looked around nervously, trying to get a fix on his location. He stared down at his feet. But there was nothing there, just warm blood seeping between his toes. Wincing, Sam shook his head and sat up. "Where?" He trailed off.

_Kelly could feel the flux in her soul as the other girl's fingers rose to her forehead. Her eyes snapped to Ava's face. "Don't." She growled. Her voice reverberated through the stale air flowing through the streets of Cold Oak. _

_Ava paused. "You can't do anything to me." She said. Her lips curving into a smirk as the irises of her eyes flashed yellow. A different color than Kelly's own. Stiffening, Kelly growled. For a moment fear danced across Ava's face and her fingers fell to her sides. "Why do you think he keeps pumping you full of his blood?" She asked. Her fingers rose back up to her temples and she squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. Silently, Kelly lunged. "He wants to see who can command the most powerful weapon available." Shape shifting more quickly than Ava's eyes could follow, the black shape soared through the air towards her. Ava shut her eyes. She felt the gust of air as the black dog's jaws shut. Less than a centimeter from her throat, those gleaming teeth clicked together in frustration. Ava focused all her concentration on the beast's mind. After all, Kelly wasn't human. She had it for a moment, then like water, the Dog's mind slipped away. _

_  
The Dog sailed through the air, through Ava's body, and landed on the dusty planks without a sound. She turned, the air filling with her angry growls. But only she, Ava, and the ghosts were there to hear them. Lips pulled back to expose vibrant red gums, she snarled. Then the Dog lifted her head and took a step back. Examining Ava with brilliant golden eyes, she tilted her head. _

"_You must obey us like you would him." Ava snapped. It had taken her a month to figure out this little clause. "And I'm going to figure out how to make you." _

_The Dog snorted and carelessly flicked her tail. She tilted her head as if to say 'just try it'. If she'd had eyebrows, Ava would have sworn that they were raised challengingly. The Dog moved it's paws and turned it's head. _

All Sam could see were empty buildings. It looked like some old tourist trap. _Or the set of Bonanza out in Taho._ They'd had a family vacation there. Well, Dean had taken Sam to see it while their father worked a local haunting. But these roofs had fallen into disrepair and the some of the buildings looked like they were starting to come apart. Their wood was weather worn and the doorways looked tired. Looking up, Sam read aloud. "Bud Bailey's Supplies and Goods." The sign hung sideways, swinging on it's chain as the north wind howled through the empty streets. _Old frontier setting._ That seemed like the time period these buildings were from. _Abandoned homesteads._ There were several towns like these lost in the Midwest. _So, I'm in the Midwest._ Miles away from Dean. Sam swallowed. Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet. Shaking the stiffness from his arms and legs, Sam looked around again.

_Last thing I remember was that rundown diner._ Dean would be pissed at him for not bringing back the pie. _There was a flash._ At least he thought there was. _And it felt like someone beat me over the back of the head._ He looked around again. _And I woke up here… with a bleeding foot._ It didn't hurt too badly, but Sam still wasn't clear on how he'd gotten it. _Is Dean here?_ Was his brother knocked out the same as he was? _And if he's not…_ Was there a phone? Sam looked around again, his stomach sinking farther the longer he looked at the surrounding buildings. _Dean._ Sam needed to find him. Call him. His brother was probably worried and Sam needed to reassure him that he was okay. _Me disappearing five months after Kelly probably has Dean ripping his hair out._ Sam pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked it. There were no bars. "Guess I'll have to find a land line." He muttered.

Behind Sam and inside Bud Bailey's Supplies and Goods, strange smoky figures flitted back and forth across the dirty windows. They were more than just a trick of the light, these gray shadows moved across the planks, giggling madly as they pressed their etheric fingers against the dusty glass. Leaving small hand prints in the window edges, they chattered back and forth to one another. Then they glanced back apprehensively over their fading shoulders.

_Ava bit her lip. Kelly was the only creature here still outside of her control. "I will." She growled. _

_The Dog shrugged and walked forwards. She left no trail in the dust as she moved. The boards didn't creak beneath beneath her paws. Instead she nudged Philip's head with a soft whine. Then, the boy's body and the Dog's vanished. Leaving Ava standing alone on the wooden porch. She stared up at the sky._

"_Fine!" She yelled. "Don't help me!" _

_With a smirk on the rooftop above the Saloon, Kelly knelt. She could still feel Ava's claws raking across the back of her mind, trying to find a foothold. It left her feeling… unsettled. "Fine." Kelly said. She tossed Philip's body over her shoulder. "I won't."_

Kelly Jones stood with her arms crossed over her leather duster as she leaned against the back wall of the empty store. The coat swung around her legs as a casual breeze moved through the holes in the wooden walls and made the building creak. Locked around her neck, the silver collar gleamed as a beam of sunlight cut through the gloomy and dust laden air. Casually, she lifted her hand and wiped the bloodstains off the back of her mouth. The tip of her thumb brushing over her sharp canines. 

"_But I'll figure it out eventually!" Ava continued. Her fist punching towards the sky as she shook it. "Then you'll be murdering us left and right." Kelly stood and shook her head. Yelling at her wouldn't do any good. "You'll see!" Ava's voice came out clearly from the center of town. "You're just like all the others!"_

_Kelly sighed, shook her head again, and vanished._

The ghosts watched the girl warily, whispering back and forth in hushed and unintelligible tones. They bend they're heads together as they stared at the Hound. The normally neutral creature had shown favor to one of the new subjects. Something that was heretofore unprecedented and a new behavior they would have to watch carefully. In their empty thoughtless heads they feared the Hound. All instincts told them to flee from the black beast's vicious jaws, before they were dragged down to the dark place. But, in the two months since the beast's arrival in their little town, she had performed none of the expected behaviors of her kind. They'd discovered that the Dog would not bite them as long as they didn't meddle. This was their unspoken truce, the tenuous agreement that kept peace between the undead souls of Cold Oak and the Hound of the C'wn Mamau. But the demons and the ghosts who made this place their home were always nervously waiting for that peace to break and for the Hound to begin her hunt.

On the Dog's shoulder, a small creature made it's home. It was no longer than the span of her hand and served as one of the uncontrollable elders of the Cold Oak community. It had been this creature that had joined the Dog when she had entered the valley of Cold Oak, welcoming the beast as one would a long lost sister. It was a Domovoi, one of the house spirits that continued to make Bailey's stove their home. It sat on the Dog's shoulder as if it had always belonged there and looked down its nose at the flitting ghosts.

"Crocked their pity pots." It sighed. "Scared, scared, scared." It looked up at the Dog with hopeful eyes. "The Hunt starts. Take them now?"

The Dog didn't respond; her eyes were on the figure moving on the other side of the dirty glass. Collectively the ghosts sighed with relief. It was not really the Hound of C'wn Mamau that they truly feared. It was the dark power that lay lurking in her shadow. The one who had brought so many tasty human souls into their reach. Things they could torture, maim, and kill without interference. In unison, the ghost's eyes moved back to the grimy face of the Dog and the creature that leered at them from her shoulder. They all knew it was best to stay away from the Domovoi's oven and, before the Hound had come, that it was best to stay out of Bud Bailey's.

"My house." It said. It's voice a low rumble. "You make them. You give back." The tiny creature rapped its wrinkled knuckles against the side of the Hound's neck.

The ghosts around the window shuddered and held their breath. Was now the time? Would she come at them and drive them from this place? They all knew that the Domovoi felt that she owed it a debt. The little creature had been brought over from Russia with the settlers. It was a long dead ancestor that had taken up a position as house spirit and protector of the family. A family that was now long gone.

The Hound didn't speak. She merely closed her lids over her molten gold eyes as her fingers rose back to brush across the steel collar snapped around her neck. The ghosts had learned to avoid her, for the Hound could occasionally be in a bad mood, especially when more of the psychic children arrived and a new round started. They'd quickly learned that it was a bad idea to mess with the humans. They were more than what they appeared. Some had learned how to control them and force the local demons to do their bidding. Some who had survived a few rounds long enough to grasp the full strength of their abilities had learned to call upon the Hound.

But as the spirits had seen, it was always the Hound's choice whether or not she answered. Unless, the ghosts tittered, they called her by name. _Kelly._ The ghosts whispered as they circled along the walls. _Kelly, Kelly, Kelly…_ They giggled her name over and over again. _Will the tall one learn to call your name?_ They asked. The Hound looked at them with her glowing eyes and her fingers passed over the runes on her collar again. Runes that had begun to glow bright red.

Cautiously, Sam made his way through the town. He listened intently to the whispers that were always whisked away by the wind. They came from the buildings around him and out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw shadowy figures moving around inside the houses. Still, Sam refused to call out. A feeling in his gut told him to be careful as a chill shivered up his spine. He knew something was off about this place. _Like it's haunted._ Incredibly haunted. But Sam didn't have the time to deal with this, he had to find Dean. Right now that remained his primary motivation. _First I need to figure out where I am._ Overhead there was a blurred motion, a black shadow. Sam spun quickly and scanned the rooftops, trying to see what it was. But there was nothing. The cloudy sky cast the only shadows on the shingles. Sam sighed loudly.

To his right there was a clatter. Sam turned around and heard the sound of giggling. _Like little girls._ They sounded as if they were playing. Were they playing with him? Sam walked to the dust covered windows. Thinking he'd seen the tops of short gray heads, he peered inside the old store. But he couldn't make anything out in the gloom. The smoky shadows were gone. _Not good._ He thought. This place would become a mad house when the sun went down. Hurriedly, Sam continued down the side of the dirt street, keeping as close to the buildings as possible. He hoped that he'd be able to find some other humans, or at the very least a phone. But the longer he searched, the less likely the former and the latter looked. Sam's stomach tightened into a knot and he swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Ahead, he saw a spinning windmill. That was the end of the town. Behind him, there was an aged two story building. The paint was grayed by time. He was alone.

_Well,_ Sam thought as he peered into the empty windows. _Not entirely alone._ The realization didn't make him feel much better.

Several hours passed as Sam explored the rickety fronts of the town. He passed a butcher's, a Ferrier's, and a baker's. Pausing at the nearest window after the Bakery, Sam tried to catch a glimpse of the gigglers he'd heard earlier. _If I know what happened here…_ Then maybe he'd find a way to better protect himself. _And there's always a chance that I'll find people._ Between the decades of filth covering the glass and the indoor shadows, Sam was barely able to make out a few skeletons. Their bony fingers were clasped around empty whiskey bottles and old glasses. Cobwebs stretching of their bleached joints up to their boney arm pits and down between the cavity of the ribs to the hips.

As Sam Winchester moved away from the tavern window, the empty eyed skulls rotated on their spines to follow his progress. Laughter filled the room as the skeletons continued to stare blindly out the window after him.

Sam checked the next building. Jiggling the door beneath the cobbler sign, he pushed his weight against the old wood but it wouldn't budge. The door was stuck in place. Sam sighed loudly and stepped back. He moved to the window and looked inside, hoping that there would be something inside worth busting the door for. There wasn't. Disappointed, Sam turned away. The boards beneath him creaking as he walked to the next building, ready to repeat the process again.

Across the street a black dog walked across the shingles covering the roof of the Sheriff's department. Watching the youngest Winchester with shining golden eyes as behind her the weather vane creaked, she tilted her head, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth in amusement. Behind her, the gray ghost of Philip DeHardy pulled himself up through the rooftop. Clamoring to his feet, he too looked down at the wandering figure of Sam Winchester. He moved to the edge of the gutter and took a seat beside the Hound, his feet dangling over the swinging sign. He looked at her with passionless silver eyes. "Sup with the tall-y?" He asked.

The Dog lay down, her head flat on her paws as she watched Sam move through the town. Like all the other psychics, Philip's spirit was trapped here until the completion of the competition. She didn't doubt that he'd vanish once a winner emerged. But until then, he'd set himself up as her constant annoyance. Unless she was inside Bud Bailey's, the only place in town that Philip DeHardy refused to enter. Her tail swished back and forth over the shingles as her ears flicked back and forth.

He enjoyed pestering his former tormentor with a stream of questions. He liked driving her back into the shadows of Bud Bailey's. It gave Philip DeHardy a sense of purpose. Ever since she'd been part of the group that had snatched his life from him. "Know him?" His thin voice carried over the wind as he glanced over at the Hound. He looked down at her ears and crossed his arms pensively over his chest. It wasn't like he was expecting her to resume human form. Her most common response to his questions was silence. She seemed to take everything with silence. Still, he found himself waiting for a response. When none came, he sighed loudly. "Fine." He muttered. "Don't talk, but he'll see you eventually." He giggled. "You can't hide up here forever you know." He leaned down next to her. "It's your job y'know. You'll have to go if someone runs." He started ticking off the list. "Or if they call." His eyes didn't leave the Hound's black fur. "Or if she calls."

The black dog swung her head up and around. She looked at him with a steady golden gaze. Snout wrinkling as her lips pulled back to reveal shining white teeth, she growled softly.

"You can't hurt me." Philip laughed. "I'm already dead."

The Hound snorted.

"Besides she's getting better at calling you." Philip sighed. "This round she'll get you to come running."

The black dog turned and with a flick of her tail, she hopped down off the roof, disappearing into the shadows.

"You know I'm right!" Philip yelled after her. Then he sat alone, watching as the tall man below unbarred the door and picked up a sturdy wooden plank. "You know I'm right." He muttered. His voice growing softer as he watched Sam Winchester carefully move along the side of the building. "You can't do anything for him." He wrapped his translucent arms around his knees and hugged them to his chest as the wind whistled through him. "You didn't do anything for me."

Sam waited until the sound of footsteps drew closer. Holding his breath, he lifted the plank like a baseball bat and tensed his arms. He was ready to swing if the person was a threat. Waiting until they were close, Sam stepped around the side of the building and swung.

"Ahhh!" A voice exclaimed. The much shorter man ducked as Sam pulled back his strike. He recognized this voice. Staring at the new face in confusion, Sam asked.

"Andy?"

AN: Yes another update, because I felt guilty. That's right GUILTY for not updating when I was sick. Apparently I can't spend a week away from this story without its characters trying to bash my brains in. So, I hope you enjoy. I fitted in a little of what happened between Kelly and Ava into this chapter, plus Philip will be hounding Kelly for most of the next chapter, so more information of what happened during those two months will probably be revealed. Unless of course, you don't want to know…

We're heading towards the end, so I hope you're all strapped in for the ride. I'm very excited, especially since I get to move on from this to the next one and the crazy characters that are more than ready to join the cast.

Remember to review, the more I get, the faster I update. ^_^ As always, I hope you enjoyed the characters and the story.


	54. Chapter 54: All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 54: All Hell Breaks Loose Chapter 54: All Hell Breaks Loose

Sam felt his mouth gaping open. Of all people he hadn't expected to find Andy here. _We met Andy a couple months before Kelly landed in our lives._ Sam hadn't thought about him much since then. At the time, he hadn't known what was going on or even if Andy's ability had been important. _I was just relieved to know that there was another person out there like me._ It had been comforting to know that not all the psychics were crazy or insane. At the time anyway. _Then Kelly showed up._ And everything had gone off the rails. Sam had barely had time to focus on his own destiny. _I got so caught up in trying to figure out hers._ He shook his head. _I should have kept in better touch with Andy._

"Sam?" Andy straightened. His eyes filled with surprise and more than a little relief. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know." Sam admitted.

"What am I doing here?" Andy jabbed his fingers back into his own chest.

Above and around them, the voices began to giggle again. _"Silly, silly, silly…"_ They whispered. Their voices rising together in a chorus. _"You're here to play."_ But their words were on the wind and neither Sam or Andy heard them.

"I don't know." Sam said. He wasn't sure how to stop Andy's freak out. _Maybe it's best to just let him get it out of his system._ After all, Sam didn't have any answers. _And he expects me to._ A heavy pit coagulated in Sam's stomach. Now, he had another person to protect.

"Where are we!" Andy yelled.

Tiny round faces peered through the window above his head. Their gray eyes moving spookily from one man to the other. Large smiles broke over their lips as they stood on tiptoe, their tiny fingers wrapped around the edges of the windowsill as they gazed down from the second story. _"Here."_ They giggled. _"Here, here, here… with us."_ Their voices were like chirping birds, still, the sound failed to reach the ears of the young men. Both of them continued on, oblivious to the eyes following their every movement.

"_Eeeny meanie miny moe."_ The littlest ghost whispered. Her finger moving from one boy to the other. _"Catch a tiger by the toe…"_

A hand closed around the back of her head and the little ghost shrieked as she was yanked away from the window. The others around her dispersed quickly, ducking into the rafters and the far corners of the wooden room, disappearing through the walls as they fled. The little ghost struggled beneath the firm grip of the Hound as black claws sank mercilessly into her scalp. Her head was bent backwards and she fell into a fit of shivers as solid lips brushed against her ephemeral ear.

"If he hollers, let him go." Kelly whispered. Her breath causing the little ghost's face to blow out and reshape, around them the remaining ghosts swirled. Muttering to themselves in a thick gray cloud, they cast sharp glances at Kelly Jones and then down to the street below. They didn't like that she was interfering with their fun.

"_But my mother told me to pick the very best one!"_ The little ghost squeaked. She didn't like the way the claws sank into her curls, she didn't like the fact that she couldn't escape from the Hound's hold. Her nails hurt.

"Then I choose you." Kelly's voice moved menacingly through the room and as she looked around at the swirling ghosts. Her eyes flashed in the gloom. Her ears were still attuned to what was happening below them, but her mind was focused on the task at hand.

"_No! No!"_ Shrieked the little ghost. _"I'll be good! I swear I'll be good! Don't send me to the dark place!"_ She writhed beneath Kelly's hand, trying to shake herself loose from the Hound's iron grip. But she failed.

With a snort, Kelly released her and the little ghost ran screaming across the floor, back to the safety of the steely gray ghost cloud still rotating around the room. "Same goes for all of you." She added. Her arms crossing over her chest. "And spread the word." She added. Tilting her head to one side she watched as they muttered together. They were clearly thinking this over. "No stepping in my mess." Kelly shrugged and turned away from them.

Behind her, the little ghost poked it's head out of the cloud. _"You never stopped our play before."_ She said. Her voice accusing as her silvery gaze burrowed into the Hound's back. Tone petulant, she squeaked as Kelly's gaze met hers and ducked back into the swirling silver cloud. _"I'll be good!"_

"Do that." Kelly said. Her voice was casual, but the ghosts shivered at the underlying coldness in her tone.

"_Master will be angry."_ Came the unified murmur. It was clear that they were still contemplating taking her on as a group. The large gray cloud stilled and Kelly watched as they began to disperse into separate figures. The tall man with a gray top hat and coat tails licked his lips as he looked at her. _"We've always been allowed…"_

"That was then." Kelly said. Her hands remained deep in the pockets of her leather duster as she looked form one flickering silver face to the other. She didn't have time to clean up after their shenanigans and while she could never lay down the law for all of them, she knew that their collective fear of her would keep them in line. _Until the psychics call._ Then the humans would be fair game. _Nothing I can say or do will stop that._

"_You aren't allowed to interfere…"_

"With them." Kelly nodded. "You lot are fair game." Her lips twisted into a caustic smile as the ghosts shuddered backwards in a collective murmur.

"_You kill them if they try to leave…"_ That was the next excuse. Kelly shook her head.

"Those are the laws that bind me." She growled. "I am the law that binds you." For emphasis, she snatched up another of the small spirits and lifted it up by its hair. The small silvery creature began to squall and write in her grip, it's long fingers striking at her hand, nails trying to cut into her flesh. Kelly shook it vigorously like a bird dog shaking the neck of it's captured prey. Finally, the little spirit hung still. "Clear?" She asked.

There was a grudging murmur and Kelly found it to be an adequate response. Casually, Kelly tossed the small spirit aside and, shaking her head, moved further back into the shadows. As she left the tiny spirit began to sputter and shriek like a banshee, calling all kinds of curses down on her head. But the Hound just walked off, until finally, she disappeared from view. Collectively the ghosts all shook their heads. This was going to be dull.

"Andy." Sam threw away the plank and raised his hands, placating. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Andy asked. His voice rising to a feminine squeak and he stared up at the taller man in disbelief. "Calm down!" Voice growing louder he looked around the abandoned town, "I just woke up in friggin' frontier land!" He roared. His eyes squeezed shut and Sam hoped that Andy wasn't about to start crying. He didn't know if he could take it.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked.

"Honestly?" Andy asked. When Sam nodded, his head fell into his hands. "My fourth bong load." His voice rose to a pitch as he moaned into his fingers. He pressed his hands against his forehead, trying to recall the memories of what had happened the night before. Sam stared at Andy, his cheek twitching in aggravation. "It was weird." Andy said. He looked down at the ground as if he was trying to figure out exactly the steps that had led him here. "There was this really intense smell like, uh…" He trailed off, looking up at Sam for help.

"Like sulfur?"

Andy's eyes widened. "How did you know that?" He asked.

Sam's eyes left Andy's face as he sank back into his own thoughts. "Dean…" He muttered. If the demons had attacked them… _Is my brother okay?_

"You're brother?" Andy asked. Hope filled his voice. "Is he… is he here?"

_Leave it to Dean to make Andy feel safe._ Sam thought. He sighed and looked around again. "I don't know where he is." He admitted.

In the distance there was a scream. Following the voice, Sam and Andy hurried down the center of the muddy road. Their steps quick as the soles of their boots and tennis shoes crunched on the gravel. More than a couple of ghosts laughed as they watched the living's progress. The lately deceased wafted about uncomfortably as they followed the rest of the swarm, their tiny voices whispering in a collective groan. _"Danger, danger…"_ But they knew that they're warning would go unheeded. Morosely they lagged behind the others. Now forbidden to interfere, they were less interested in watching the proceedings. Many were already certain of the outcome.

"_Beware pretty girls."_ Suggested one.

"_Don't hug._" Offered another.

Still their voices fell on deaf ears as Sam and Andy approached a locked steel door. "Hello?" Sam bellowed.

In response the screams grew louder and more insistent as fists began to bang on the door. "Help me! Help me!" The door rattled against the lock that kept it shut. The noise rose into the silent air and filled the streets around them.

_"Traitor."_ Mumbled the ghost of Philip DeHardy. He was perched above the door, his eyes gazing down at the lock. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked over at the tall man, Sam Winchester. _"The Hound likes you and you're going to help that one?"_ Philip tsked in the back of his throat as he watched Sam put his hands against the door. _"Silly."_ He grumbled.

"I'm going to get you out of there all right?" Sam called. The door continued to rattle and the girl inside continued to shriek.

_"Stupid. Don't let her out."_ He looked around for the black dog, but she was nowhere to be seen. _"You'll drive her away."_ Philip knew who it was who had locked Ava inside that door. _"She did."_ He giggled, wrapping his arms around his translucent body. _"Not so you could get her out, but so that she'd stay locked in."_

Sam looked around and found a large rock near the door. He picked it up and began hammering away at the lock. It took several hard hits before the padlock broke free and Ava Wilson came stumbling out into the light. She looked around in stunned surprise and rubbed her eyes. "Ava?" Sam asked.

Ava looked up at him, recognition flooding her face. "Oh my god!" She shrieked. "Sam!" Ava ran into his arms. Pulling him into a tight hug, she sobbed against his shoulder.

Philip looked around again; Delaney James had joined him on his perch. He didn't know her well; she was one of the psychics who'd died before his arrival. The earlier ones tended to keep to themselves; Philip had always assumed that they had trouble accepting they were dead. She nudged an incorporeal elbow into his side. Her arm went through his rib cage and Philip fought the urge to bust out laughing. This was the only way they could communicate? He glanced at Delaney. _"Yeah?"_ He muttered.

_"That's how she got you, yeah?"_ Delaney said. Her body rolled back and forth as the wind blew through them.

Philip turned a darker shade of silver. _"Yeah."_ He grumbled. He still remembered what it felt like when Ava had squeezed him around the middle. He'd had no clue what was going on. _But it was comforting having a friend you could trust._ Until she'd stabbed him in the back. _Figuratively._ She'd actually used some form of demon to slice through his back. He turned away from Delaney, his mouth setting in a firm line.

"_Where's the dog?"_ Delaney asked. Her voice nothing more than a whisper, she peered down at the scene below them. _"She cares about the new guy yeah?"_

"_I don't know about the dog."_ He admitted.

"_You're the one who follows her with a tight leash, yeah?" _Delaney asked. He didn't answer her. Finally she shook her head and crossed her arms over her smoky chest. She turned to him, her eyes no longer on the scene down below. _"Friend to friend yeah? You should know that the boys in the town hall have a pool running."_

"_Yeah?"_ He asked.

"_They don't think you'll survive this round."_

Philip snorted. _"Maybe I'm already dead."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Do they think she'll kill her this time?"_ He asked. He hated having to admit that he'd lost track of the Dog again.

"_Odds fifteen to one, yeah?"_ Delaney said. _"It's a better bet that Ava will win it all."_

Below, Andy muttered. "Seems you guys know each other." He looked down, his hands deep in his pockets as he peered from one face to the other.

Sam glanced at Andy. "Yeah." He said. A warm feeling of hope surged through his stomach. If Ava was here, then maybe Kelly was too. Sam looked back at Ava and opened his mouth to ask but she just kept right on talking. It was another explosion of worry and freaking out. One that Sam wasn't quite prepared for.

"You…" Ava pointed at Sam and then looked back at the tiny room. "I mean how…"

"Have you been here this whole time?" Sam asked. His hands settled around Ava's shoulders. He was trying to get her to calm down. _So she can tell me what the hell happened to Kelly._ He looked past Ava and back into the tiny room, hoping against hope that another body would emerge. "What about Kelly?" Sam asked. He wanted to see the snarky brunette emerge to berate him. _For not finding her sooner._ He wanted it to be Kelly's arms that were hugging him in relief. "Is she with you?"

"What?" Ava's face melted into a terrified expression. "This whole time? I just woke up in there a half an hour ago!"

Delaney looked at Philip. _"That's what she told you, yeah?"_

_"Yeah."_

"Ava, you and Kelly have been missing for five months. My brother and I have been looking everywhere for you." Sam was so hurried in his explanation that he missed the momentary dark cast that came over Ava's features at the mention of Kelly's name.

"Kay, that's impossible." Ava said. She began backing away, her expression the picture of fearful innocence. "Cause I saw you two days ago."

"What about Kelly?" Sam asked. "She went home with you right?"

"Yeah…" Ava trailed off. She was beginning to look like a mouse trapped in a corner. She glanced from Sam to Andy and back. Then her eyes moved across the street to the black shadow standing behind them. The form of Kelly Jones leaned against the porch railing as she raised a caustic eyebrow in Ava's direction. The other girl swallowed. "I don't remember!" Her voice rose to a higher note as she continued to sob. "It was a few days ago."

"No it wasn't." Sam replied. He took a step towards the frightened girl. "Ava, I'm sorry, but I need to know what happened when you and Kelly got to your house." Sam Winchester had finally found a person who had answers and he wasn't about to let her get away. He needed explanations. _I need to know why Kelly disappeared._ If Kelly was here, then Sam would find her. It was only a matter of time.

Seeing the figure of Kelly Jones across the street, both Delaney and Philip rushed to her side. They gleefully wanted to watch her pressure Ava and for that they needed a better vantage point. "Yeah, Ava." Kelly muttered. She rested her forearms on the wooden planks. Tilting her head to the side, she never let her eyes leave the other woman's baby blues. "Tell him what happened to me."

"It makes no sense…" Ava whispered into her hands.

"Ava, try to remember what happened with Kelly." Sam said. His voice grew more insistent as he leaned closer, his eyes on hers.

Ava swallowed loudly and screwed up her brow in concentration. "I don't know." She complained, her hands on her temples. She massaged her brow furiously. "I remember getting back, Kelly was with me…." She trailed off. "After that it's a blank." A real note of fear crept into her voice. She looked past Sam's shoulder, trying to find the figure of Kelly Jones. But the other girl was gone. Ava sucked in a deep breath and covertly scanned the rooftops. It wasn't like Kelly to disappear so easily. But Ava didn't have the time to bury herself in deep concentration. Not seeing any black shadows Ava began to hyperventilate. "Oh my god!" She cried. "Brady! My fiancée! He must be so worried about me!"

Sam took a step backwards, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. _She doesn't remember what happened…_ Was she trying to block it? Was it to painful to remember? _Is now the best time to tell her?_ It was very possible that they might soon be fighting for their lives. _And if we have to then I need Ava focused._ He was certain that Ava wasn't like Dean. _She doesn't get incredibly driven in the throws of grief._ Sam didn't need Ava and Andy freaking out anymore than they already were. "Well…" Sam looked away from Ava's face.

She turned, wiping her eyes. Seeing Andy for the first time, she stared at him in shock. Trying to lessen the blow over his forgotten presence, Andy lifted a lone hand in his pocket and gave her a shallow wave. "Hi." He said. Then he turned to Sam. "Dude, so is this Kelly chick a friend of yours?" He asked. "Is she like us? A psychic?"

"Who are you?" Ava exploded.

"Oh!" Sam threw his hand across his forehead. "I forgot that you guys don't know each other. He glanced from one to the other with a sheepish expression in his eyes. "Ava this is Andy, Andy this is Ava."

"Who is also freaking out." Andy said.

"Okay." Ava said. Her breath still coming out in quick succession, she turned to Sam as she tried to calm herself down. But she was still hyperventilating. "What's happening?" She demanded, her voice high as she looked from Andy to Sam with wide and frightened eyes.

"Well, I…" Sam looked at Andy and then back, feeling momentarily knocked off balance. "I don't know yet." Glancing into Ava's eyes, he added. "But I know one thing all three of us have in common." Behind them, Sam heard the shuffling of feet. "Maybe more than three." He said. Together, the small group made their way towards the center of the town.

"_So?"_ Philip asked as he glanced at Delaney. _"How many do you think'll run?"_

"_You should ask the Dog, yeah?"_ Delaney indicated Kelly's shoulder with her head. _"She always picks the right ones."_

"_Always wins Davy's pool."_ Philip muttered. _"The damned cheat."_

Meanwhile, Sam Winchester was face to face with a whole new set of options. He, Ava, and Andy were staring at a young black man and a young white woman who had just emerged from around the side of the faded two story white building that had at one time served as a town hall. The blonde was skinny and wearing dark makeup on her hooded eyelids. Her hands were stuck deep inside the pockets of her heavy night black sweatshirt. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and as the wind picked up, she shivered as it toyed with the ends of her straw yellow hair. Her eyes widening, she glanced from Sam and his companions to the tall young black man beside her. It didn't take much figuring for Sam to know where the young man had come from. He was dressed in dirty army fatigues. Dust and sand sliding out from the creases of his pants as he stared at the small group apprehensively. His steel toed army boots sent the porch creaking beneath his weight. Sam's eyes shot to the name stitched in black over his chest. Talley. Sam wondered what his first name was. Upon seeing them, the black man stepped in front of the blonde girl, his fingers tightening into a fists and he looked ready to fight. But fighting was the last thing on Sam's mind.

"Whoa!" Sam said. Lifting his hands up, placating, as the soldier's suspicious gaze went from one body to the other.

Above them, high up, and perched in a crouch on the edge of the rooftop, Kelly Jones lips curved into a merciless smile. Happy as she was to see Sam, she could not deny that her experiences here had changed her. She failed to close her eyes as memories of blood and the taste of flesh surged across her tongue. Kelly wet her lips as she balanced on the balls of her feet, eager to see how this round would play out. "That won't work, Sam." She whispered. _We're not all as noble as you._ It was like a bad joke being played out before her. But his overall fate was not what she was supposed to watch for. _No._ In the first few hours Kelly's mind was always on the runners, her nose attuned for the scents of increased perspiration, stress, but most of all, panic. Fear was never a good indicator, because every one of the five psychics below her was afraid. Some contained it better than others. During the first few weeks, she'd often been taken surprise by the first person who ran. But now, Kelly knew the signs. She would stalk this group until someone took off for the woods, and then… _The entertainment begins._ This game always began with a kill. Usually, it was by her fangs.

"Who the hell are you?" The soldier demanded.

"I'm Sam." Came the clear reply.

"Jake." Nodded the soldier.

"Lily." Came the careful response of the gothic blonde.

"Are there any more of you?" Sam asked. His words came out quickly and breathless. He wanted to know how many people he was going to have to protect. _The more I know, the better I can prepare._ But he hoped that there weren't many more. _It's already getting hard to manage._

Luckily, Jake and Lily shook their heads. It was a negative. There was another pause of silence as above them, Kelly's form reshaped and shifted into that of the black dog. Cold golden eyes stared down at the small group as the black dog growled, a rumbled that came from deep within her chest. The Dog was an emotionless creature, but she understood her place. The call of her master was strong and the binding was absolute. She could feel his taint within her like rust eating away the sharp edge of a blade. The blood dulled her mind and her senses and at the same time left her feeling more alive, more powerful than ever before. The Dog ached and suffered beneath the corrosion of the blood. She had only one choice left available. Hunt.

"Where are we?" Lily asked. She glanced apprehensively at Jake before looking back at Sam. "How did we get here?"

"I don't know." Sam said. All this time, he couldn't shake the strange sensation gnawing away at his gut. It left him feeling cold. He'd already discerned that this place was haunted and everything more that he learned left him feeling less secure. But ever since blood had stopped seeping between his toes, he'd felt like he was being watched. _By what?_ Something? Or several somethings? It left him worried and with an intense desire to scan the rooftops, even though he knew he would find nothing there. "But let me make a wild guess, you're both twenty-three?" He looked from Lily to Jake, both of whom nodded. "We all are." Sam swallowed. He wondered if they would believe him. "And we all have abilities."

"What?" Jake's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"_Smart one, yeah?"_ Delaney whispered. She hung back beside Philip, careful not to draw too close to the Dog. The creature that watched the proceedings below had been her murderer, and caught her when she had run. _"How does the Dog always know the smart ones, yeah?"_

Philip didn't give her an answer. His eyes were on the Dog's tail as it twitched back and forth. He felt that for all her seriousness she looked rather… merry. But he'd discovered that she was much less morally inclined when she took animal form. Philip had also determined that on some level the hunt held some measure of joy for her. _"Yeah."_ He muttered.

"It started." Sam said. "A little over a year ago." Behind him the wind picked up, racing faster as it sent ripples across puddles in the muddy road. Sam looked at Jake, but Ava and Andy's eyes remained firmly fixed on his back. "You found you could do things?" Sam asked. "Things other people can't?"

"What?" Jake asked. He looked stunned as if his biggest secret was coming to the surface.

"I have visions." Sam said. "I see things before they happen."

"Yeah." Ava nodded. "Me too."

"And I can put thoughts into other people's heads, make them do stuff." Andy said. When the other two newcomers recoiled warily, he added. "But don't worry. I don't think it works on you guys." Behind him, Ava raised her eyebrow curiously as if making a mental note and her lips curled into a tiny smile. Andy climbed up the steps as his voice grew more and more excited. He was eager to share what he'd discovered about himself in the months after Sam and Dean had left him. "But get this," he said. "I've been practicing." He tapped his forehead knowingly. It had been so long since Andy had anyone with whom to share the things he'd learned and now, in the company of those like him, the words just kept spilling out. "Training my brain, like with meditation and stuff, and now," he grinned proudly. "it's not just thoughts I can beam out but images too. Like anything I want and bam it's like people they see it."

Sam smiled. Waiting for Andy to be done so that they could get on to more important things. He glanced at Ava and noticed that she was looking up towards the rooftop overhead. He wanted to ask, but couldn't find a way to break in over Andy. So instead he let his gaze wander up too. He saw a black blob, like a shadow, but couldn't make it out. Except for a tail. Pointed and bushy like a wolf's.

"This one guy I know." Andy continued. "Total dick right? I used it on him." He lifted his fingers to point at his temples. "Gay porn." Both Sam and Ava's gazes snapped back to Andy and Ava's mouth hung open in surprise. "All hours of the day." Andy giggled, he looked back from Jake to Sam. "I mean… You should have seen the look on his face." Then seeing everyone's expressions, Andy realized that maybe he'd gone to far. Swinging his arms awkwardly his smile grew smaller, until it resembled more of a wince than a grin. "Okay…" Andy muttered in a small voice and moved back to Sam's side.

"So you go Simon says give me your wallet and they do?" The sarcastic voice of Lily demanded. She sounded angry and her voice was hostile. Sam opened his mouth, ready to cut off the angry flow but couldn't. "You have visions! That's great!" Lily snapped. "I'd kill for something like that!" Her voice broke as if Andy had just thrown salt into a deep wound. Sam winced.

"Lily, listen." He said. "It's okay."

Above him the Dog snorted and began to pace back and forth along the top of the room. Her ears perked forward as she listened to the voices as they grew higher.

"No!" Lilly yelled. "It's not!" Yanking her hand out of her heavy sweatshirt, she showed him fingers half hidden by the cuff of her sleeve. "I touch people, their hearts stop!" Ava's eyes rose as Sam shifted uncomfortably. "I can barely leave my house." Lily said. "My life's not exactly improved." She spat the words out before them as Andy shrank backwards. "So screw you." She turned away. "I just want to go home."

"What and we don't?" Jake yelled after her as she started stalking away.

"You know what?" Lily said. She jabbed her finger in Jake's face. "Don't talk to me like that…"

Sam could feel this whole thing heading for a huge blowout and knew that he had to do his best to ensure that everyone remained calm. _Before they start doing things we'll all regret._ "Hey! Hey guys!" He yelled. "Whether you like it or not we're all here and we all have to deal with this."

Slowly, in a moment of deliberation. Andy turned to Sam. He was the man with the answers. "Who… brought us here?" He asked.

Everyone else turned, inquiring eyes of dark brown, brilliant blue, and gray all turned to Sam Winchester's face. Above him, on the rooftop and against the windows the swirling gray shapes pressed themselves to the glass. They're silvery eyes glittering as they examined the face of the tall brown haired man. On baited non-existent breath they waited. Hovering. Beside them, the Dog growled contentedly, she knew Sam's answer. Calmly, she turned and trotted silently to the end of the roof, leaping away before Sam could deliver his answer. There was much for which she had yet to prepare.

Philip and Delaney watched her go with unabashed confusion. But neither truly sought to understand the motives of the Dog. To them, she was a form of subtle annoyance. The catch in their throat, hidden by whispers of their mortal lives, and part of the power that they suspected kept them here, locked away from the afterlife's embrace. It gave them sufficient reason to hate her. But instead of hate, all they felt was confusion. The more Philip stayed beside her, the more alien she became. He had seen flashes of cruelty in the death blows she delivered, quiet defiance when Ava Wilson called upon her. He'd watched as she'd become amused by the ghosts wailings, seen her carry away their bodies to an undisclosed location, and noticed that she never once shed a tear for those she buried. Still, on the long empty nights he'd listened to her wayward howl, a sorrowful ghostly song that rose up through the trees in lamentation. He'd often wondered whether it was a dirge sang in the language of her people. On those nights, Philip had asked himself whether she was singing for them or for herself. Even so, in her coldness he could not bring himself to pity her. Philip DeHardy leaned forward with curiosity as he listened to Sam Winchester's answer.

"It's less of a who." Sam said. "More of a what."

"What does that mean?" Ava asked.

Sam looked down, knowing that they wouldn't believe him. Even so, he knew it was his job. His duty to tell them what they were truly facing. _Whether they accept it or not._ "It's uh…" He trailed off. Their eyes burrowed into his forehead like lasers, and he found that he could only glance back towards the ground. He chuckled. It sounded crazy even in his own mind. _They'll think I'm crazy._ But Sam didn't see any other option. He swallowed. "It's a demon."

Far off, a howl rose up in the town, echoing out into the surrounding trees of the forest. It was the same sad mournful song that haunted Philip each night. It was the one that elicited the most sorrow from him, and made him long for the days when his soul had been encapsulated within his own flesh. Philip looked up towards the sky, had he tears they might have slipped down his cheeks, but as it was he could only listen to the wind-like melody as it rose through the alley ways. Philip shook his head, he'd never heard this song during the day. On the days she was most bored, Philip had heard the Dog sing other songs. But at the time, he'd known instinctively that they were not about things animals sang about. In his heart he felt that they were ancient ballads and tales of times long forgotten. Philip in his curiosity had once asked the Dog what it was she sang about on those cold spring evenings. And once, when Kelly Jones had deigned to answer him, she'd said that she did not know. Philip was of the distinct impression that when a girl, the Dog could not sing and when she was dog, she did not sing in a language he could understand. He supposed that it made sense. The Dog was tall as an Irish wolfhound and as broad as a Newfoundland. When she stood on her hind legs, her paws could reach the shoulders of a man who stood six foot two.

The eerie tones wove through the town, frightening and hollow. Ava and Andy both huddled close to Sam as both he and Jake looked around for the source of the song. Still, the howling continued. Sam had heard a wolf's howl before and knew that he shouldn't be disturbed by it. Still, there was something off about this one. It was above and beyond a normal howl, making all others a shadow of cheap imitation. Sam was thrown by the way it sent chills racing up his spine, as if he was hearing a voice calling for him. Singing for him. A warning. He looked around and saw that it was effecting the others as well. Andy wore an expression of barely concealed panic, while Jake looked like he was about ready to leap out of his skin, Lily looked as if she was ready to bolt, and Ava… Sam paused, confused by the expression on the other girl's face. Her expression was one of anticipation and a cold eagerness that chilled Sam to the bone. He shivered and looked up at the steel gray clouds as the voice continued to howl on.

Far away, Dean had called for back up. He and Bobby Singer were standing between their two cars. Bobby's truck parked a few feet away from Dean's trunk in the middle of a lone highway. They were somewhere between Montana and Wyoming. A cold wind blew through the open plains grass as the clouds rolled by overhead. They were dark and brooding with pregnant underbellies the color of granite. Condensation in the air was thick and static made the hair on Dean's arm stand straight up on end. It would rain soon, he knew, it was only a matter of time. Rubbing his mouth, Dean looked over at Bobby. The older Hunter had brought a map out of the cab of his truck and stretched it across the trunk of the Impala. Dean stared down at it, hoping that Bobby would have some better news.

"This is it." Bobby said. "All demonic signs and omens over the past month."

"What are you joking?" Dean asked. "There's nothing here." This had to be some kind of sick prank. Sam was gone, Kelly was gone, and now there were no signs telling them where either of them were. Dean didn't know if the two disappearances were linked, but deep in his heart of hearts he hoped that they were. _Would make that girl a hell of a lot easier to track down._ And it would mean that wherever Sam was, at least he wasn't alone. _And she's not alone either._ But looking down at this map, Dean felt like he'd been gypped once again. _Lady Luck's got a damn wicked sense of humor._ Now she'd left him alone on the side of the highway, with no idea where to look.

"Exactly." Bobby said. He stared at Dean. Bobby had been behind the brother's search for Kelly every step of the way. Even going so far as to conduct his own investigation. He'd heard from Sam about the dream and about the visitors who'd come to see them. Sam had related to Bobby everything that had gone on in the discussion about Kelly, hoping that the older man would be able to use this information to turn up some new clues. Unlike the brothers, Bobby hadn't seen anything that unusual in discovering that Kelly was in fact a fey. _In truth, it made things easier._ And her aptitude for hunting had made a lot more sense. _Now, Sam's gone too._ Bobby didn't doubt that the two were related.

Dean shook his head. "Come on!" He said. "There's gotta be something, I mean what about the, the normal low level stuff. You know, exorcisms that kind of thing?"

"That's what I'm tellin' ya." Bobby said. "There's nothin'." He shook his head, his fingers going across the entirety of the United States map. "It's completely quiet."

"Oh are we supposed to look for Sam!" Dean demanded. "Just close our eyes and point?" This whole thing felt like it was growing ever more ridiculous. The insurmountable weight of this task settled on his shoulders, like his breath had been squeezed from his lungs, and he felt helpless. He stood like a man facing the water and though he could see the tsunami wave rolling towards him, he could not bring himself to look away or run towards shore. There was no escape. As Dean slipped towards the darkness of hopelessness, his cell phone began to ring. Dean put it to his ear. "Ash what have you got?" He asked.

"Listen," Ash said. "It's a big nugatory on Sam."

"Oh come on!" Dean yelled. He felt suddenly exasperated, Ash had spoken with a similar tone, when he'd given them the news about Kelly. Dean had been frustrated then as well. But it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing in this moment. Right now he wanted to rip Ash's useless head off. "You gotta give us something!" Dean shouted. "We're looking at a three thousand mile haystack here!"

On the other end of the line, Ash's voice grew hushed. "Listen! Dean," Ash said. "I did find something." Ash's voice was going increasingly more quiet, and Dean could almost feel the other man looking around the bar warily. That set him on edge.

"Well, what?" Dean snapped. He was running out of patience, and Ash's nervousness was only making things worse.

"Can't talk over this line, Dean."

"Come on!" Dean yelled. "I don't have time for this!"

"Make time!" Ash said. "Cause this…" Ash's voice trailed off and was gone for a few moments. Dean and Bobby exchanged looks, and then the other man's voice came back, so low that Dean had to strain his ears to hear him. "This, not only does this help you find your brother." Ash said. "But it's…" He paused again. "It's huge." He swallowed a huge gulp of air. "So get here. Now." Then Ash hung up the phone and Dean was left on the other end of a dead line.

Dean looked down at his phone and then up at Bobby. "I guess we're going to the Roadhouse." He said. "Come on." Then with decisiveness both men headed towards the Impala, climbed in, revved it's engine, and drove away.

AN: Boy there's no chapters harder to write than when you know the action's coming, and it will be soon. In the meantime I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a bitch to complete. But all and all I think it's a good one. At least I hope so, the next chapter will be complete with death, ghosts, and possibly a reunion.

In the meantime, I hope you review and tell me what you think.


	55. Chapter 55: The Hunt Begins

Chapter 55: The Game Begins

"So we're soldiers in a coming war to bring on the apocalypse!" Jake snarled. The whole thing sounded absolutely ridiculous to him.

"Well, when you say it like that." Sam sighed. This was getting him nowhere, in fact, he had no way of being sure that they wouldn't all just take off and scatter. _Then they'll all be dead._

"It's bad enough that we got dumped here with no clue what's going on, but now there's some crazy ass wolf off howling in the woods." Jake growled. "Which leads me to believe that we're not anywhere in the lower 48 states!"

_No, it means we could be in the Midwest._ In one of the states close to Canada, that gave Sam hope. Especially since the howling had stopped fifteen minutes after it began. He was still trying to restore feeling to his arm thought, from where Ava had seized him. He didn't remember her being so strong. "That doesn't matter, alright?" Sam said. He began climbing the steps. "I just know—"

"Sam." Ava said. Her tone plaintive. "I'm sorry, psychics and spoon bending is one thing, but demons?"

"Look!" Sam said. "I know it sounds crazy!"

"It doesn't just sound it." Jake cut in.

"I don't really care what you think okay!" Sam yelled. "But if we're all gathered together then that means it's starting and that…"

"That the only thing I gotta do is stay away from whack jobs okay! I've heard enough." Jake Talley said. "I'm better off on my own. FYI," he looked around at the small circle. "So are you." Jake climbed down off the steps and strode off down the deserted streets.

Behind him, Sam said. "Jake wait." But Jake refused to stop. "Hold on!" Sam shouted after him. "Jake!" Sam yelled but the other young man only drew further away. Sam sighed heavily and looked around at the young group of psychics, all their eyes were on him. Suddenly, he felt the heavy weight of their safety hanging like an albatross around his neck. His shoulders sagged beneath the weight and Sam took a deep breath. Then he straightened. Overhead, the thunder cracked.

Jake Talley walked through the muddy streets of the town. His heart hammering in his ears as he looked back and forth around the abandoned buildings. Jake knew one thing, he knew he had to get as far away from here as possible. Far away from crazies like Sam Winchester and their insane theories about demons. _Sounding like something out of a bad horror movie._ But this wasn't a horror movie. This was real life. _And in real life there ain't things like demons._ If there were, he would have seen one. _Three years in Afghanistan and not one demon._ He'd seen things like demons. The place was a hell hole. Men and women blown away by thrown mortars, children scavenging in minefields. Heat. The kind that made a man want to strip the skin from his bones. The kind that boiled his blood in his veins and left him gasping for any kind of moisture. Jake Talley had seen hell. He looked around again. This wasn't it.

He sucked in a deep breath, let it fill his lungs, seep into each and every pore. Then he exhaled all the bad carbon dioxide and coughed. Apparently he still had some dust trapped in his lungs. He kept walking. His booted soles crunching against the mud mixed in with the gravel. He moved past one ramshackle building and headed past the next. The quickest way out of town was a straight line, and Jake Talley intended to find a real road by nightfall. One made out of asphalt. Then he'd find some real clothes and go and find his family. His life might be ruined now, but that didn't mean that theirs had to be. Jake stopped. Maybe it would be better if they thought he was dead. To his left, he heard a giggle. Jake turned.

In the window on a blackened door, Jake saw the face of a little girl. The house had once been painted blue and looked like a left over school building. He saw the scorch marks on the outside, like someone had attempted to torch it. Obviously they had failed. Jake stared into the girl's eyes. She was blonde and small, with a little yellow bow above her ear. She looked sorrowful and sad. The little girl put her hand longingly up against the glass. Her fingertips pressing into the dust. Then, with a crackle of electricity, she vanished. Jake Talley swallowed. His hammering heart growing into a howl as thunder cracked overhead. A loud boom like mortar fire or an exploded mine. Jake fought the urge to run for cover. He stiffened, suddenly thankful to be too far away for the lightning flashes. He was first to admit that the little girl was creepy, but if she was in there… Jake didn't doubt that she was real. Then it was his job to help her find her parents. Slowly, he turned and climbed the steps. The old wood creaked beneath his weight, grating on his ears like nails on a chalkboard. Slowly, he reached out. His fingers closing around the rusted brass knob. It was cool to the touch. Twisting it, he pushed the stiff door open. It swung slowly on it's hinges, screaming as it moved open. Jake Talley's heart stopped. He shook his head. He was not afraid. If there was a child in here he would help her. That was after all, a soldier's duty. Jake Talley walked inside.

"Hello?" He called. He looked around the room. There was an old dust covered table and, on the far wall, a chalk board. Beside it a bookshelf filled with a few books. But no little girl. He thought he heard giggling. "It's all right." He said. Hearing a sharp snort and turning quickly, Jake thought he saw a flash of bright gold eyes and brunette hair. But when he turned all the way around it was gone. _What the hell is going on here?_ The stories Sam Winchester had been telling were starting to sound more plausible. "Are you lost?" He tried again. More giggling. "Hello?"

There was no answer and Jake Talley sucked in another deep breath. His sharp ears were alerted to the sound of scratching. Chalk on the chalkboard. More giggling. He turned around. Then he saw it. _I will not kill, I will not kill, I will not kill, I will not kill…_ Scrawled in four columns across the chalkboard from top to bottom. Outside Philip and Delaney gave each other high fives, they enjoyed this part of the round. Even if it turned out to be their only contribution. Jake's eyes moved away from the chalkboard, to the dark haired woman standing in the corner, her arms crossed across her leather duster. Her head tipped languidly to the side. More giggling. Jake's heart thudded to a stop in his chest as he stared into those bright gold eyes. _No human's got eyes like that._ He thought. A pair of molten twin suns. Then her lips widened into a grin and he saw her canines. They were larger than average and her expression turned predatory. He watched as she raised her eyebrows at him, then lifted her chin. Jake heard more giggling. He spun around. Behind him stood the little girl. Her straw blond hair hung around her face. Her white dress had turned a weathered dirt stained gray. She was staring at him with a hungry expression. Jake swallowed. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl in front of him. She lifted her hands. Her eyebrows sinking over her eyes as large claws shot out of her fingernails. The face distorted, suddenly one of those eyes became large, bulbous, and white.

"Get back!" Jake Talley yelled.

The creature shot forward with a hiss. He took an involuntary step backwards. She reached towards him with her long fingernails extended. A screech rose up in the room. A hand grabbed the iron poker by the boiler and Sam Winchester stepped forward. He cut through it's body and the creature howled. Becoming a large black cloud it swirled up and flew out the door, over the heads of Andy and Ava. Jake watched it go with terrified eyes, one arm covering his mouth. Everyone stared at Sam. Everyone except Jake, who was looking at the far right corner.

"Just so you know," Sam said. He looked from Ava to Andy to Lily, then back at Jake. "That was a demon."

"Where is she!" Jake demanded. His words exploded out into the shared silence. Shattering it and Sam's expectations completely. He'd been expecting scared silence, more questions.

_But not Jake wanting the demon to come back!_ It had almost killed him for Christ's sake. "What?" He asked. His voice choking out of his mouth. "You…what? Where is who?"

"You want that thing to come back?" Andy yelled from the front part of the house. "Dude are you insane?" His voice shook.

For their part, the girls said nothing. They just stared at Jake and Sam with shock and horror. Lily didn't know who she should be more frightened of. The guy who'd just driven the creature off. Or the guy that wanted it to return. _Honestly, more freaked by the guy with the poker._ Maybe he could protect them, but that meant a whole bunch more scary things were coming their way. Things that Lily didn't want to deal with. Things she wasn't prepared for. _I want to go home._ Sucky as home was, it was nowhere near as bad as here. _I just want to go back to my nice quiet life as a freak._

"No." Jake said. "The other one." He swallowed. Truthfully, she'd scared him more than the little girl. There had been something in her eyes. Something hollow. He didn't know whether she'd been trying to help him or been there to watch as that… he swallowed again. That demon, god it sounded crazy, rip him apart. _With gleeful joy._ He glanced around the room again in paranoia. "The girl." He said. Sam stared at him, then looked back down at the poker in his hand.

"The demon I just drove off?" Sam asked. That didn't make sense. Jake had said 'the other one'. _The other who?_ Sam had just seen the

"No, the other one…" Jake trailed off. Then he added. "The other demon." The words sounded strange on his tongue. "The one with the glowing eyes."

Ava started. Her eyes scanned the rooftops again. "Sam." She said. "He couldn't… that'd be…"

"What did she look like?" Sam asked. He was daring to hope against the facts. Against everything that told him that there was no way in hell she could be here. _If she was here, why wouldn't she have found me?_ Why wasn't she still here? _Why didn't she protect Jake from that demon?_ Why hadn't she launched herself into his arms like Ava? Thankful to see him again. Glad to be rescued. _Well, she wouldn't do that._ Sam swallowed. He took a step towards Jake. "What did she look like?" _Tell me that she's okay._

"I don't know." Jake said. "I didn't get a good look." He swallowed when he saw the desperation on the other man's face. "She was pretty short." He raised his hand. "Maybe up to here." He indicated a little above his shoulder. "With dark hair." He thought back to her eyes. "Her eyes…" He trailed off. "They were glowing."

"Gold?" Sam asked. "Were they glowing gold?"

"Yeah." Jake nodded.

Sam's mouth tightened into a thin line. He could barely keep his own joy from exploding out of them. His hands tightened around the handle of the poker and he swallowed. _Kelly!_ He pressed his knuckles against his lips and closed his eyes. Suddenly thankful. _Kelly!_ Could it be? Was it really her? Had she stood behind Jake Talley when the demon had attacked him? _Why didn't she help him?_ Why hadn't she stopped it? _Dean's going to be so frickin' happy!_ Sam stopped. He needed to bring himself back to reality. _There's no guarantee that was actually her._ "Did she…" Sam thought about his dream. "Did she have marks around her wrists?"

"I don't know." Jake shook his head. "I was kind of busy at the time." He stared at Sam. "You know her?"

"If that was her." Sam nodded. "Then she's a friend of mine."

"Yeah?" Jake asked. He turned and stomped past Sam. "Well, that friend of yours left me hung out to dry."

"That is weird." Sam agreed. _I need to find her._ But he couldn't do that while he still had to look out for Jake, Lily, Ava, and Andy. Feeling horribly constrained, Sam fought the urge to run out into the street shouting her name. Not that it would do much good. Sam never expected Kelly Jones to come when called. _And if she's appearing and disappearing._ Well, then that meant she'd learned some new tricks. _If Jake wasn't seeing things._ Sam didn't want to doubt the other man. He wanted to believe in him. _That he saw her._ That she really was here. _We can figure everything else out._ But if she was here and he was here, then that meant something. _Hope._ Slowly, he turned and followed Jake out of the school house.

"What about that other demon?" Jake asked.

"That thing?" Sam responded. "I'm not sure, but I think it was an Acheri." He turned around and looked back up at the other psychics who stood on the porch. "A demon that disguises itself as a little girl." Sam looked around the village again, then back at his companions. "Still doesn't tell us where we are." He looked up at his friends. "Andy? You with me or what?"

"Give me a minute." Andy replied. "I'm still working through demons are real."

_"They are."_ Philip DeHardy said from behind him. Silently, he blew on Andy's ear.

_"Very real, yeah?"_ Delaney said. She was hovering behind his right shoulder. Reaching out, she settled her elbow on his neck. Andy jumped. Delaney giggled.

"Okay." Andy said. "I don't know what that was, but I think…"

"It was just the wind Andy." Sam said. "Just cause we saw one, doesn't mean they're going to just start popping out of the woodwork."

"Yeah," Andy muttered. He still wanted to get as far away from here as possible.

"Sam's right." Ava said.

"Either way we should get moving."

Silently, the group walked back towards the center of town. Until they came to a bell outside the old courthouse, it was old and made of iron with an oak tree emblazoned on the front. Sam swallowed as Jakey Talley moved to touch it. Behind him, Ava and Andy huddled together as far off, the thunder cracked again. Lily stuck her hands deep in her pockets, shifting from foot to foot. Behind them, the ghosts had wandered in. They were watching these strangers with curiosity. Already, they'd managed to avoid one attack that should have given them open season. But the tall brown haired man with the iron poker had foiled it. They didn't like him. He knew their weaknesses and the Dog seemed to favor him. She'd already appeared for one of the psychics. One who would not know her, and would not know how to call her out. The ghosts suspected a deeper game, but one they would not speak to. The Dog's business was her own and something neither ghost or demon wished to involve itself into. If she wanted to be called out then it wasn't their business to interfere. But that also didn't mean they would help her.

"I think I know where we are now." Sam said. He'd looked at the bell for a few moments before recognition had clicked. Now, everything was falling into place. "Cold Oak, South Dakota." He said. "A town so haunted that every single resident fled."

"Swell." Ava smiled. "Good to know we're somewhere so historical."

"Why in the world would that demon or whatever put us here?" Lily asked.

"I'm wondering the same thing." Sam admitted. He didn't like this place, not at all, and everything more that he learned made it worse.

Lily pulled at the silver necklace around her throat. She was stuck in deep thought. She wasn't sure what to do next, but she knew what her instincts were telling her. _Run._ Run far and run fast. Get away as quickly as possible. She turned away from them. "You know what." She said. "Doesn't matter." She stomped off. "Clearly the only sane thing to do, is get the hell out of dodge."

"Hold on." Sam said. "Lily, the only way out's through miles of woods."

"Beats hanging out with demons!" Lily shouted.

_"That one."_ Philip said. _"She's first."_

_"An obvious guess, yeah."_ Delaney said. _"I like the look of the small one."_

_"He'll stay for the big boy."_ Philip replied. _"He trusts him."_

Delaney nodded. She looked around. The Dog had been missing since the Acheri demon had struck. There also hadn't been any repercussions. Which meant it was really beginning. _"Where is your dog, yeah?"_

"_Out in the woods?"_ Philip guessed. He hated the way the others always said the Dog was his. Just because he stuck with her… _"Waiting for a runner?"_

"_One must be going soon then, yeah?"_ Delaney suggested. _"If the Dog would miss the fun."_

"_Yeah."_ Philip sighed. Since his death he'd always looked forward to this with a kind of perverse glee.

"Lily," Sam said. His voice incredibly patient as he stared at the back of her head and continued to speak. "Look. We don't even know what's going on yet. I mean, we don't even know how many of them are out there right now."

"Yeah," Jake said. "He's right. We should just…"

'Don't say we!" Lily whirled around. Her eyes angry. "I'm not one of your group. I'm not part of we! I have nothing in common with any of you!"

"Okay, okay." Sam said. His voice growing much softer. He needed her to calm down. That was the only way any of them were going to get through this. _We need to stay calm. We need to think clearly_. Or else they had nothing. "Look, I know…"

"You don't know anything!" Lily exploded. She yanked her hands back out of her pocket and hurled it in front of her face. "I…" She trailed off. Her voice breaking. "I touched my girlfriend!"

Sam's mouth tightened, knowing how hard these past months must have been on her. _I've experienced the same thing._ His mother, Jess, Dean, now possibly Kelly. They were all linked, all victims of the Yellow Eyed Demon. _All because of me._ Loss. He understood it. It was an emotion he knew well. Too well. He didn't need to look around to know that everyone else was recoiling in horror. Everyone, he suspected, except himself and Jake Talley. "I'm sorry." Sam said. His voice low, a note of real regret filtering into his tone as he spoke.

"Whatever." Lily said. "I feel like I'm in a nightmare that just keeps getting worse."

"I know the feeling." Sam said. "I've lost people too. My brother's girlfriend disappeared with Ava five months ago. I don't… She might even be here. Or she might be dead. Now, I've gone missing and I don't know whether my brother is alive. If he is, he'll be looking for us. But there's a real chance that he's not." He stared into her eyes. "Because of me." He shook his head. "So we're all in bad shape. But I'm telling you, the best way to get out of this is to stick together."

Lily stared at him for a few long moments. "Fine." She said. Her voice breaking. She didn't know whether or not she should trust this man. A part of her couldn't. The part that would never trust anyone again. But right now, she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he would see them through this. Sam turned away and Lily looked out at the expansive woods. Then again, maybe not.

They turned and walked towards the nearest, largest, house. "We're looking for iron." Sam said. "Silver, salt, anything that can be used as a weapon."

"Salt is a weapon?" Jake asked.

"It's a brave new world." Sam said as he climbed the steps. He headed inside the house.

"Yeah." Andy sighed. "Well, hopefully there's food in your world 'cause I'm frickin' starving."

Lily followed them, until she came to the door. There she stopped. She turned. Looked out. They were so close to the edge of the woods. Lily could practically smell freedom. Freedom was what she wanted. What she needed, what she could have if only she just headed off into the forest. She could get away from all this insanity. It would only take a few moments. One day. Maybe two. Then she'd be all clear and on the next Greyhound bus to San Diego. She'd be going home. Getting out of this hell hole, away from the crazy. She paused and in a split second decision, she turned and headed back out. Away from the house and into the forest. Far away, a howl went up in the woods. Regretful and joyous all at once, the sound echoed through the trees. The Hunt had begun.

Far away, Dean and Bobby approached the remains of the Roadhouse. The place looked like it had been hit with the remains of a small comet. The whole center of the building was blasted away. Everything from the ground to the nearby trailer was scorched and hollowed out. The windows were broken. Half the sign was gone. The rusted rooftop had collapsed, covering the inhabitants in smoking ruin. It didn't look like there were any survivors.

"What the hell?" Dean muttered. Steering the Impala towards the disaster zone, he didn't take the opportunity to look over at Bobby Singer. His eyes were still focused in stunned disbelief at the horror that lay before them. The car rolled forward until Dean pulled it to a stop, and leaped out. Slamming the door shut behind him, he began yelling the names of his friends. "Ellen!" He shouted as he walked towards the remains of the building. "Ash!" Slowly, Dean began climbing over the rubble, looking through the burnt corpses for someone he recognized.

Next to him, Bobby Singer covered his mouth in horror. The acrid stench of burned flesh hung heavy in the air. So strong it made him want to hurl. But Bobby heroically kept his lunch down as he walked through the remains. Flies buzzed in the air, swarming the blackened fingers that protruded from underneath the collapsed building. "My god." He muttered. Something was starting. Bobby wasn't certain what. But from the look of this place, he knew it was bad. Terribly bad.

"See Ellen?" Dean asked.

Bobby looked around for another few minutes, from unfamiliar burned hand to unfamiliar faces. He forced himself to not look away from the lipless and noseless faces. He swallowed. "No." He said. "No Ash either."

As he spoke those words, Dean looked down. Catching sight of a familiar silver watch glinting in the sunlight. Leaning down, he pulled it off of a crispy blackened wrist. The hand crackled and fell apart. Dean coughed and covered his mouth. "Aw, Ash." He groaned. "Damn it!" He straightened and looked back over his shoulder at Bobby. Their eyes met as a feeling of desperation overcame them. Misfortune crashed down over Dean's shoulders. _We're never gonna find Sam now._ He thought and despaired.

Deep in the woods, Lily walked through the trees. She'd heard the howl that went up the minute she entered. It had scared her and made her climb hurriedly up the hill. She felt nervous as she walked and quickened her pace. Behind her, she could hear the sound of growling. She saw the flash of black fur. And turned around, scanning the area. "Hello?" She called. "Doggy?" There was no response. Not even a growl. Lily sucked in a deep breath and kept moving. There was no way she was headed back to town now. Her feet crunched in the forest ground, on the ferns and branches that littered the ground. She wondered if it would be safe to run now. The ground was filled with objects made to trip her, roots and stuff. She swallowed. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she stumbled forwards, pushing back the branch of the tree. There was another growl. A black figure moved past her in the forest. Lily gasped and stopped.

In the shadow of the trees and the fading light, she saw a pair of golden eyes glittering out from the darkness. There was a flash of teeth and a bark. Ears perked forwards. Then Lily saw it. A great black dog. It's head slim, as it's black lips curled back to reveal fiery red gums. It's tail was lifted over it's back. It's head lowered as it stared at her, a snarl bubbling past it's lips. It's entire body stiff. It's legs spread and looked like it was ready lunge.

"Good dog." Lily whispered. "Good dog." She took a step forwards. More snarling. Lily lifted her hands. "Okay." She hissed. She showed it her hand. "You don't want to touch me!" She yelled. "I'll kill you if you touch me!" The snarling grew louder. Lily's eyes widened. "I mean it!"

The dog took a step forward. It's golden eyes molten in it's head. The angry heat of it's gaze sending chills through Lily. Lily swallowed. There was no escaping it. She knew. Not unless she ran. So she did. To the left. Her feet pounded into the ground as she heard the giggling behind her. Hot breath on her neck. She gasped and continued. Her lungs on fire, she ran until, her foot snagged on an a root poking out of the ground. Tripping, she fell. Her forearms hitting the ground. She felt a set of jaws seize her around the calf and drag her backwards. That was when Lily started to scream.

Back in town, safe inside the house, Sam Winchester walked along the windows. He turned and made his way into the family room, Ava on his heels. Spotting a small trunk at the far end of the wall, he knelt down and pushed it open. His eyes moving across the contents, he began to search through them. Looking for anything that might be useful. At last, he found a rusty iron knife. Standing, Sam Winchester tucked it into his pants. He turned around and saw Ava Wilson sitting in a chair behind him. Her hands on her temples as she rotated her fingers against them. As if she had a migraine.

"Hey?" He asked. "You all right?"

Startled, Ava looked up. "Yeah." She said. Then she looked back down at her shoes. "I'm just…I don't know, a little dizzy."

Sam tilted his head. "Are you sure it's not some kind of…"

"What?" Ava asked. Her eyes widening. For the first time, Sam saw how gaunt she looked. Her clothing hung limply off her body. "Some kind of freaky vision thing?" She shook her head. Sam didn't like her tone. There was something in it. Something… He wasn't sure what. "No." Ava said. "More like I'd kill for a sandwich." She looked away from him. "I haven't eaten since…" She trailed off. Stopping herself, she paused before her eyes fixed on his. "Well, who knows." There was a momentary pause. Then she smirked. "Don't worry." She said. "I'm fine. Except for every single thing that's happening." She laughed and Sam laughed with her. He couldn't help but agree.

"Hey guys!" The voice of Andy reverberated from the back of the house. "I found something!" Slowly, everyone turned and made their way towards the sound of his voice. The triumphant little man raised the two big bags over his shoulders. He lifted them like trophies, a gigantic grin on his face. "Salt." He said.

"That's great, Andy." Sam said. He scanned the group. "Now we can…" Mentally counting, he trailed off. They were one short. He saw Andy and Jake, what he didn't see was Ava behind him and the tiny smile on her lips. "Wait." He said. "Where's Lily?"

Slowly, Andy lowered the bags and stared at him, then he looked at Jake. They all turned. "Lily!" Ava yelled.

"Lily!" Sam roared. Beside him, Ava jumped. There was no answer.

"I don't…" Andy trailed off. "I don't suppose any of you heard…"

"What Andy?" Sam snapped.

"That…" Andy looked down at the tips of his sneakers. "That howl earlier?"

Sam and Ava looked at one another. There was a giggle. Then they both ran for the door. Andy and Jake hot on their heels. Sam shoved the door open and was first onto the porch. He slowed to a stop as he stared down at the courtyard. A gigantic black dog stood below the windmill. It's lips curled back in a silent growl, it lifted it's head when it saw him. It's tail flicking back and forth in the fading light. "Kelly." Sam breathed. He could see the blood on it's jaws and listened to Ava gasp as she saw the body that lay beside the dog's paws.

"Lily!" Ava shrieked. "Oh god!" She turned and buried her head in Sam's chest. "Oh Sam! Sam! She's dead!"

On the ground there was a growl. "Kelly." Sam whispered. The word came out of his mouth like a prayer. But horror quickly followed. "What happened to you?" He asked.

"Sam!" Ava shouted. She turned around. Her eyes back on the dog. "You said we were chosen for a reason! That's not chosen! That's killed!"

"What is that thing?" Andy asked. His voice rising to a high pitch as the dog stepped away from Lily's body. "What is that thing!" Panic shook his voice.

"_The Dog…"_ Came the whisper out of the surrounding walls. This time everyone stiffened. They could all hear it now. _"Your keeper…_" One voice giggled. _"Your killer…"_ Murmured another. _"Murderers…"_ Came a third voice.

Before them, the dog turned and trotted away. It's back to them, tail swinging in the open air. It's pose careless, its stride cool. It moved away, so languidly, so casually that it made Sam's heart crack like a wrong step on thin ice. He felt fear and anger rising as the black dog's image evaporated into thin air. _That's new._ He thought. He wanted to run after her. To tell her that he was here. _Does she even recognize me anymore?_ Jake had seen her in human form. _Apparently she's not having problems switching between the two._ He thought, swallowing. _Or keeping her clothes on._ When last he'd seen Kelly, she'd had problems switching between her human form and dog form. _She said it took a lot of energy._ And it completely wiped her out. Now, apparently it wasn't a problem. _Samuel Colt told me that the Hounds have three different forms. Human, physical, and spirit._ Most dogs had a hard time switching between the three. _Unless they're really old._ Or they were bound to someone. _Who?_ Sam swallowed again and looked down at Ava. No. He couldn't suspect her. _I've got to get these guys settled in a safe house._ Then he'd go look for Kelly.

"Who are those people!" Jake's voice rose over the rising storm of laughing voices and angry whispers. Fear apparent in his voice as he listened to the gathering storm.

"Ghosts." Sam responded.

"Okay." Ava said. "You know what, we have to get out of here."

"I second that motion." Andy said. His eyes were still on Lily's body and he swallowed.

The girl lay with her face up, eyes open, she stared blankly towards them. Her face a contorted mask of fear, frozen for all eternity. Her throat was stained red, and the soft dripping of blood slipping down into the dirt could be heard as the voices went quiet. Her left leg was a mess. The fabric of her jeans ripped and bloodstained and some of her skin had been torn away. If one were to look closely they would have discovered that with two arteries severed it had not taken Lily that long at all to die.

"Not sure that's an option." Jake said. He was staring down the street, his eyes scanning for the black dog. Not sure whether or not it was going to come back. He knew they couldn't flee, no matter what.

"What?" Ava asked.

"Lily was trying to escape, the demon's not going to let us get away that easy." Sam said.

"Yeah, that black dog. demon, or whatever," Jake said. "It didn't attack us until after Lily crossed into the trees." He swallowed. "So, I'm thinking that whatever that thing was, it won't attack until we're outside the buildings. Inside the town we're safe."

"At least," Sam shrugged. "From the dog." He swallowed. "We gotta gear up for the next attack." _And after that I need to go find that black dog._ If it was Kelly then maybe he could talk some sense into it. _And if it's not._ Then maybe he'd find some way to kill it. _And since we all saw the dog…_ Did that mean that they were all going to die?

"Wait a minute?" Ava demanded. "Gear up?"

"Yeah."

"Sam!" Ava yelled. "I'm not a soldier! I can't do that!"

Sam looked down at Ava's tear streaked cheeks. Her mouth was hanging open in utter shock. Sam was suddenly filled with a deep anger. He wasn't entirely sure why. _Maybe it's because Kelly's here killing things and Ava can't tell me why._ Sam knew he shouldn't resent her for that. But he found that he did. "Well, if you want to survive you're gonna have to." He snapped. Everyone stared at him, Ava most of all. Her jaw hung even more loosely as all around them ghostly laughter filled the air. It sent shivers down everyone's spines. Mostly because they didn't know what it was the ghosts were laughing about. Or who. Finally, Sam swallowed. "Let's go." He said.

With a cry, Ava hurried past them, heading back into the house. Looking as if she believed that it would be safer inside, rather than out. Andy followed her. Quietly, Jake said. "I'll go get that shovel." Sam glanced at him, knowing that he meant to dig a shallow grave.

"Be back before dark." He said.

Jake nodded. "What are you gonna do?" He asked.

"Get everyone set up here." He said. Sam's eyes turned back to the city, scanning the streets and the tree lines for signs of the black dog. His fingers tightened around the iron poker that was still in his hand. "Then I'm going after that dog."

"Is that smart?" Andy asked. He was standing behind Sam. "I mean, you saw what that thing did to Lily." Sam didn't turn around.

His knuckles whitened instead and he swallowed. "I have to." He said. "She might be a friend of mine."

"Whoa." Jake straightened. "Are you tellin' me that you're gonna risk your life because you think that this dog might be your friend?" He looked out at the bloody body of Lily. "Are you insane?"

"Probably." Sam said.

"You've got some strange friends, Sam." Andy said. "I mean, that animal did a number on Lily. I sure as hell wouldn't want to meet it alone."

"I say you shouldn't." Jake snarled. "We need you here with us. You're the one who knows all this spiritual mumbo jumbo. It's your job to help protect us." He frowned. "Protect him."

"Oh thanks." Andy snapped.

"Sorry, man." Jake apologized. "But it's the truth."

"I'm gonna have to agree with Soldier Boy, Sam." Andy said. "But you can't go."

"Sorry, Andy." Sam sighed. "But Dean and I have been searching for her for five months. If that was her." He swallowed. "Well, either way I have to know for sure."

"But she killed Lily!" Andy yelled.

"I know she did." Sam replied.

"So why don't you just let her go?" And asked. "Why do you need to risk your life and our lives?"

"Because," Sam swallowed. "I love her."

Andy paused for a few long seconds and Sam thought that was the end of it. But, as usual, he was wrong. "You love her?" Andy demanded. "Dude! What kind of stupid ass reasoning is that?"

Sam took a step back. He thought that out of everybody that Andy would understand. _Apparently not._ "Andy." Sam said.

"I mean, this is your brother's girlfriend right?" Andy asked. His fingers on his forehead as he stared at his friend, he swallowed. "What kind of stupid asshole falls for his brother's girlfriend?"

"She wasn't his girlfriend in the beginning." Sam said. His voice defensive as he watched Andy, hesitantly he crossed his arms over his chest. Feel ing pensive, Sam turned away.

"And that makes it better!" Andy shouted. "Your brother's psychotic girlfriend is running around killing people who leave this place, and your reasoning is that you're in love with her?" He swallowed. "This is starting to feel like a badly written soap man." He sighed.

"Yeah, well," Sam sighed. "I can't help thinking how much Dean would help right now."

"Right so he could go off and have muddy forest sex with the bouncing wolfhound girl and you could stay here to protect us." Andy said. "Sounds perfect."

"Yeah." Sam sighed. "Either way I'd give my arm for a working phone."

"Well," Andy said. "Annoying as you are right now, you may not need one." He sighed and turned to Sam. "I mean I never tried it long distance before, but do you have anything of Dean's?" He asked. "Something he touched?"

"Uh," Sam searched around in his pockets. "I got a receipt." He said. Pulling it loose from his pocket he handed it to Andy. "Would that work?"

"Yeah." Andy said. He looked down at the signature and bit his lip. He nearly choked on laughter as he read the words. "D. Hasselhoff?" He asked. His voice filled with mild amusement. It was like a lump in his throat that he couldn't quite swallow. He couldn't quite get himself to burst out laughing either.

"Yeah." Sam said. "That's Dean's signature." Andy stared at Sam for a moment, one eyebrow lifted comically. He was waiting for Sam to try and explain. Sam sputtered for a few moments, rubbed the back of his hand through his hair, then on his jacket, then his pants. He didn't like having to admit that his brother was a con artist.

"Okay." Andy smirked.

AN: I didn't get quite as far as I wanted to, but it's still pretty good. Some death, some killings, questions. It's all good, and you'll get more soon. I promise. Next chapter had Sam and Kelly face to face, in a meeting that may decide their fates. Meanwhile Dean continues to search. Let's hope he reaches them before it's too late. But the question that's in the ghost's pool is bigger: will Kelly kill Ava?

Remember to review.


	56. Chapter 56: These Lying Liars Who Lie

Chapter 56: We're All Lying Liars Who Lie

Far off at the burned remains of the Roadhouse, Bobby and Dean were ready to give up hope. One thing was clear to Dean Winchester this was beyond anything that he'd previously been prepared for. Bobby Singer shook his head and waved his hand around his mouth, trying to clear the stench from the air. He was unsuccessful. Slowly, seeing that they weren't going to find anything else in this mess. Bobby sighed with regret. "This is…" He trailed off.

"What the hell did Ash know?" Dean asked. He looked around the area. "We got no way of knowing where Ellen is." Despair was beginning to rest on Dean Winchester's shoulders. The two came to a stop on opposing sides of the Impala's hood. "Or if she's even alive." Dean spread his arms and settled them on his hips. Bobby mimicked the motion and shook his head. "We got no clue what Ash was gonna tell us, now how the hell are we gonna find Sam?" _And I pray to god, that Kelly's out there with him._ Because if she wasn't. Well, Dean was certain that at this point he'd never see her again. _Damn it._ Everything felt like it was falling around their ears. They'd come so close. Only to once more be thrust so further away. Dean leaned against the Impala's hood. The cool metal feeling good against his fingertips.

"We'll find him." Bobby said. No matter his own doubts, Bobby was certain that somehow, someway, they'd figure it out. _Question is whether we figure it out in time._ Before something terrible happened. _But then again, that's the Winchester way._ Escaping by the skin of their teeth with only a little of their hides left besides. _Heal up damn quick though._

It was in this moment that Dean was hit with a blazing headache.

"Dean?" Bobby asked.

"Nnn." Dean replied. He sank down towards the hood as the weight of the vision cascaded over him. He shook his head after a few moments and straightened. Thinking he was clear, he looked up at Bobby and shrugged. "That was…" He trailed off as the next wave knocked him over. He felt like he was lying flat on his back, his own mind drowning in the agony beneath the assault. Pressured he sank down again. Stumbling, he reached out to stable himself, but found nothing on the Impala's smooth hood. The next shock was even worse, and Dean's hands went to his head as he doubled over. This time an image invading his mind. An iron bell with an oak tree emblazoned across it's front. The vision blinked behind his eyelids until it faded. Then he got a second image. The face of a black dog, golden eyes flared up at Dean and he felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. Then, the second image was gone, replaced by the first. It flickered for another few moments, then it was gone.

"What was that?" Bobby asked.

Dean shook his head, trying to clear it. "I don't know." He said. "A headache?"

"You get headaches like that a lot?" Bobby asked.

"No." Dean coughed. His eyes hollowed, he tried to remember what he'd seen. _A bell and a black dog._ He shook his head again. _I'm wanting to see her so bad, I'm seeing things._ Dean swallowed. _I could really use her help right now._ "No." He repeated. Then rubbing his throbbing skull, he chuckled. "Must be the stress." He pressed his fingers against his temples, wishing for an Advil, something to soothe the oncoming migraine. He shook his head again. "I could swear I saw somethin'." He muttered. Trying to soothe the image from his head. "I must be really missin' her Bobby." He laughed. He could practically feel the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, but this wasn't the time to go drown himself in a bottle. He had a job to do, Sammy had to be found.

"We're all missin' her, kid." Bobby said. "But maybe…" He trailed off and stared at Dean with a strange expression in his eyes.

"What?"

"Maybe you're gettin' visions." Bobby swallowed. He knew that it sounded insane. "Like Sam."

"No!" Dean snapped. That was impossible and above all crazy. Dean Winchester was not a psychic, he had and always would be firmly grounding in this world. _I'll leave the clairvoyance mumbo jumbo to idiots like Sam and his friends._ If this was what visions were like, then Dean didn't want to have them anymore.

"I'm just sayin'." Bobby said.

"Come on!" Dean growled. He really needed an Advil, make that two. His head was humming like a swarm of bees and Dean could quite literally feel his brain throbbing in his skull. "I'm not some psychic!" But even as he looked away, a fifth wave hit him, then a sixth, then a seventh. The same image danced behind his eyes flickering and flashing between the bell and the dog. Dean felt like screaming. Falling to his knees, crying, because this time he could see the dog's bloody jaws. The black fur and the light glancing off the steel collar. Dean had never really seen Kelly in dog form, but if he had to guess, he would have said that was what she looked like. Then just as he was reaching for that picture, the vision reverted to the bell. It grew closer jumping in and out across his eyelids like a badly tuned radio.

"Dean?" Bobby asked. Dean fell, grabbing his forehead as his forearm hit the hood of the Impala. "Dean!" Bobby yelled.

Dean's groans filled the air, the silver ring on his finger glittering in the sunlight. He pressed his hand to his forehead as the bell repeated itself over and over. _Come on!_ He thought. _Come on damn it! Show me the dog!_ But he didn't see anything other than the bell. _Damn it!_ Couldn't it give him anything else? What about Sam? Then he saw it, Sam's face by the bell. This wave crashed over him, much harder. The vision repeated itself and Dean's head fell against the hood. He grasped it, hard, and felt like banging his skull against the cool metal. He would have too. If it hadn't meant denting the car. Bobby's hand settled on the back of Dean's neck and just like that, the vision was gone.

"Dean!" Bobby shouted. His touch was soothing. His rough cool fingers on the back of Dean's neck seemed to relieve his ailment or had driven off whatever was causing it. Dean looked up at Bobby, it was like waking up he realized. Waking up from a terrible nightmare and it hurt like hell. The proof was in the migraine. He rubbed his forehead. "Are you with me?"

Slowly, Dean nodded. His breathing still heavy, he started to straighten out. "Yeah…" He muttered. "I think so…" Brain hammering away against the side of his skull, Dean tried to ignore the pulsing of his temples or the way the veins seemed to have swelled. "I saw Sam." He said. Pushing himself up off the car, he pulled himself upright. "I saw him, Bobby." He shook his head. It was like having drunk a bottle of really strong liquor. The burn was in him. "And a black dog." He swallowed. "I think it might have been Kelly."

"Then it was a vision." Bobby said.

"Yeah." Dean swallowed. "I don't know how, but… yeah…" He swallowed. His face had turned a cheesy color, with the dark circles becoming all the more apparent beneath his eyes. His eyebrows rose into his forehead and he sucked in a deep breath. "Whew." He whistled. "That was like getting kicked in the jewels." _Except maybe worse._ Maybe it had felt more like having his jewels hacked off with a switchblade. _Not a pleasant thought._

"What else did you see?" Bobby asked.

"Uh…" Dean trailed off. "Nothin' else, just a bell." He rubbed his forehead. "Someone really wanted me to see that too. Replayed it over and over." Dean felt his stomach lurch. He was going to be sick, he could feel it. _I am not going to hurl. I am not going to hurl._

"What kind of bell?" Bobby demanded.

_All these questions…_ Dean understood that they were necessary. He just… _Bobby asks me anything else and I'm gonna throw up all over my baby's hood._ Dean supposed that it was a good thing that he hadn't had a big breakfast. A very good thing. _But that bacon cheeseburger._ Well, that wasn't something he wanted to see again. _Didn't taste that great the first time down._ So Murphy's Law stated that it would taste like shit coming back up. He burped. "A…" He paused. "A big bell." Then he swallowed. There was bile in his throat. He could taste it. "Like a big, big bell, with some kind of engraving on it."

"Engraving." Bobby looked at Dean thoughtfully. He'd heard of something like this before. "Was it a tree? An oak tree?"

"Yeah." Dean said. He looked up at Bobby and felt that his head was clearing. It hurt less. But it still _hurt_. _I swear I'm gonna kick Sammy's ass for this._ "That's it exactly."

Bobby nodded. "I know where Sam is." He said.

Night came on quickly to Cold Oak in South Dakota. Finally when the safe house was set up and everything was in place, Sam finally felt that it was a good idea to go look around the town for Kelly. Despite Jake's strong opinions to the contrary and Andy being incredibly upset over the idea of Sam looking for that crazy black dog by himself, Sam had decided to go alone. He knew that if Kelly had gone mad then it was his job to put her down. _If I can't talk her out of it first._ Sam was confident that he could. _We've missed her so much._ Surely he'd be able to communicate that. Sam's hand covered his mouth. Memory of Lily's prone and bloody body kept running through his mind. It was a never-ending track of blood, growls, and the black shape of a dog that stood over her body. But it couldn't be Kelly. It couldn't be. Sam refused to believe it. _And even if it is…_ Then he'd save her. Both he and Dean had made that promise. They would save her. _I can make her stop._ And if he did, then they'd have a powerful ally on their side. _She was strong when I knew her._ Now it seemed that she was coming into her own. _She's been trying to communicate with me._ He was sure of it. Appearing before Jake Talley. Killing Lily. They were connected somehow. He was sure of it. Connected with what she was doing here. _Where were you taken?_ He wanted to yell out. _What happened to you?_ But didn't. Ava had consistently warned him that this was a bad idea. In fact, being out here, alone, beneath the rising moon, went against every law his father had ever taught him. Every idea he and Dean ever worked off of. Everything that had kept them alive. Sam sighed. He didn't have time to search out every corner of the town. _And if she's invisible, I won't find her anyway._ But it had occurred to him, when he'd talked with Jake, that he'd never called her name. _All the time I've thought about her, I expected her to come to me._ But what if she couldn't? What if there was something, some spell, some incomprehensible rule, that kept her from coming to him. _What if she doesn't want to? What if she's afraid?_ Sam swallowed. He didn't know what to do about it. If she was afraid, then he had to make her feel like she was safe. If she was embarrassed or worried, then he needed her to believe that he would understand. _I want to see you._ His mind whispered. _I want to talk. I want to know what's happened to you. What's stopped you from coming to me._ Was she too proud? Was she angry with him? She deserved to be. He knew that. He accepted it. Sam needed her forgiveness. _I should have brought her with me._ If he'd sent Ava home alone. If he hadn't sent Ava home at all… _Then Kelly might never have been kidnapped._ It was true that he might never have been able to save Ava. _But Kelly's not a part of this._ She wasn't.

She deserved to be home in the Impala kissing his brother. Like Andy had said, it was his place to watch them snuggle. As much as he loved her, he liked seeing the happiness in his brother's eyes more. The tender caring as she found a comfortable spot on Dean's shoulder and his brother ran a finger down her smooth skin. He liked seeing the smile on his brother's face. Even if it made him sad. _She chose Dean._ If Dean was here would she have come out? Would she have been able to stop herself? Was it only because he was Sam Winchester and she was Kelly Jones that she remained hidden away? A faceless member in the community of the creatures that moved in the houses around them. _Is it because she doesn't love me?_ A traitorous voice asked. The bottom of his stomach grew cold at the thought. His heart shattering, Sam rubbed his dry eyes and looked around. He was in the center of town. He stopped. Overhead stars twinkled out of the dusk and the soft rays of the moon lit the lonely town of Cold Oak.

Sam put his hands to his mouth and yelled. "Kelly!" His voice echoed through the surrounding buildings and back to him. He paused and looked around. There was nothing. He tried again. "Kelly Jones!" He called. "Where are you Kelly?" He walked down the center of the street. "I know you're out here." Sam kept a tight grip on the iron poker, keeping an eye out for any spirits. _Jake's right. It's not safe to walk out here at night._ But he had to be sure if this black dog really was Kelly. _And if she is are we all going to die?_ "Kelly!"

"Jeez." Came the familiar voice from behind him. "I heard you already." Sam spun around to see a brunette girl in a leather duster and a steel collar around her neck. She was rubbing her ear with her right hand, and he watched as she shook her head. It was a familiar face, one he'd gotten used to not looking at.

"Kelly." He breathed. It was like looking at a miracle. _She's alive._

"It only takes one time, Sam." She complained. "One." She put her fingers to her temples and shook her head again, as if trying to clear it. Kelly screwed up her forehead and blinked several times. "You're voice." She grumbled. "In my brain." She shook her head again. "I think you gave me a hangover."

"Kelly." He repeated. It really was her. _So what was she doing killing Lily?_ Or was there more than one black dog in this neck of the woods? He took a step forward. "It's really you."

"Of course it's me." She sighed. "Who were you expecting?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Cujo?" Kelly straightened up and Sam saw the layer of dust that covered her face and her hair. The moonlight moved over them and he was able to make out the bloodstains on her brown shirt and the jagged rips in her pants. She looked like she hadn't changed for weeks. Her brown hair hung limply around her face and she tucked it behind her ear.

"Well…" Sam trailed off. He had so many questions. So many things that he needed answered. But seeing her standing in front of him… It was like a dream. _Though, I never expected her to be this… flippant._ Whatever Kelly had been through, Sam could see the physical toll it had taken. Her face looked haggard and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. _She looks like she hasn't had a bath in… well, months._ What had happened to her? He wanted to ask. But a part of him was scared to. This was Kelly Jones, his love, his brother's girlfriend, she'd been missing for five months. _So why isn't she happier to see me?_ Why wasn't she glad that he'd finally found her? _Doesn't explain what she's doing here anyway._ As far as Sam knew she'd never been part of the psychics thing. She wasn't related to the Yellow-Eyed Demon at all. _That was our thing._ But here she was, healthy and whole before his eyes. And she'd killed Lily. _Is she working for the demon?_ Had she been a spy from the beginning? _Can I trust her?_

"Cause if you thought Cujo then that poker really wasn't going to cut it, Sam."

"It's pure iron." Sam said. For a moment he was swept up in her conversation.

"Then it'll work great against me." She paused. A wry smile on her lips as she smirked at him. "And most everything else." She raised an eyebrow and wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "Planning on killing me, Sam?"

"What?" Sam asked. He looked down at the poker. He wasn't going to drop it, but at the same time he hadn't meant any harm to her. Not really. "No!" He watched Kelly's eyebrow rise higher. Was that disappointment in her eyes? "How did you get here?" He asked. Why was she acting like they'd never been separated? Wasn't she happy to see him? _Why did she only come out when I called?_ None of this made any sense in Sam's brain. He wanted it too though.

"Similar to the way you did." Kelly said. "Just been hanging around longer." She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jacket. She'd been waiting for Sam to call her out. Both dreading it and being excited by it, happy to see Sam but scared by what it meant. She chuckled. Kelly knew the way she had to play this, but that didn't mean she wanted to. That she was happy to. _Honesty never was my strong suit._ And it was made worse by the fact she was constrained by her instructions. _I'm bound to follow him to the letter._ Sam had to order before she had to respond. _And he's treating me like an equal._ They'd never make any progress this way. _If only Dean were here._ The older Winchester was in the habit of making demands. Something that Kelly normally snorted at, dismissed, or was annoyed by. _But here it would come in handy._ Sam's gentleness would be his undoing. She had to find some way to protect him. _I just have to make him hate me first._

"How long?" Sam asked. He was beginning to feel wary. Was this really Kelly?

"Two months." She replied.

"Kelly, do you know the Yellow-Eyed Demon?"

"Old Yellow-Eyes?" Kelly replied, her hands deep in her pockets. "Sure." Azazel had done right when he'd told her that she must obey them like she would him. Even when they didn't make demands, she was always evasive, playful. _The difference is that he knows specifically what to ask for. And his questions are always demands._

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean that I know Yellow-Eyes." Kelly replied. She looked up at the fading sky. Twilight was coming quickly and the moon was poking its head out from behind the hills. The light would be on them soon. She didn't look around the town. She could feel all the ghosts hanging onto her every word. She could hear them tittering back and forth. They were just eating it up. _Like some fucking tragic love story._ Well, they'd each be receiving a boot up the ass when this was all over. _It's about time I let myself have some fun._ But first, she had to help Sam.

"That doesn't answer the question!" Sam snapped. His hand tightened around the handle of the poker.

Kelly looked up at him an ironic smile playing across her lips. "Sure it does."

"No it doesn't." Sam growled. "It doesn't tell me how you got here! What you're doing here! Hell, even why you're here!"

"Well, those questions are an entirely new kettle of fish, Sam." Kelly said. "I mean, why didn't you say so before?"

"I did!"

"No." Kelly said. "You asked if I knew Yellow-Eyes. I do. You wanted to know how I got here. It's similar to how you did. But not the same." She lifted her fingers and showed him two fingers. "I've been here two months." She smirked. But it didn't reach her eyes and Sam felt the cold worming through his stomach. "Two."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

"It tells you everything, Sam."

"Kelly." Sam sucked in a deep breath as he fought down his frustrations. "What have you been doing since the last time we talked?"

"Doing odd jobs mostly." Kelly said. Her arms crossed over her chest as she looked away from him. "A murder here, a hunt there, a few demon interrogations, but lately it's been refereeing and grave digging. Why?"

"So you work for the Yellow-Eyed demon?"

"Yes." Kelly said. She looked away from him. She wanted him to believe she was one of the bad guys. She did. She honestly did. _It'll make it easier for him to take advantage of me._ So long as he didn't pity her. _I probably can't help that though, this is Sam bloody Winchester we're talking about._ That guy could pity a serial killer if he tried hard enough. _He just has to believe that I have a shred of decency._

"How long?" Sam demanded. "How long?"

"Since I was kidnapped." Kelly replied. Her voice casual, but her arms tightened across her chest. She didn't like being reminded of the time she spent in the dark, or the first three months of her capture. _Hell, the last two I spent here have been a cakewalk by comparison._ Maybe that meant her boss had actually decided to give her a vacation after all.

"Why?" Sam asked. "Why would you do it?"

"Because I made a deal." Kelly said. Her voice was frigid in the damp air, overhead more thunderclouds rolled in. "I made a deal to serve him."

"And that's why you never came out?" Sam asked. "Because of a deal?"

"I can't break the deal, Sam." Kelly said. "I have rules and laws that I have to follow. If I make a deal I have to follow the letter of it. I'm bound to serve the Yellow-Eyed Demon until he breaks it or releases me."

"Why?"

"Because that's the way of it." Kelly said. "It's how my people work."

"You're people?" Sam asked. This whole thing was getting more ridiculous the longer he listened to it. "You're people? The ones who murdered you?" He'd expected it to shock her, but all he got in response was sorrow.

"I…" She looked down at her wrists. The stretched skin was glittering in the moonlight. She swallowed. Memories. Aside from her memories here, everything was vague, ghostly, like shadows flickering in the dark. They were without any real form or substance. Without image. Not even conceptual. The only thing she remembered clearly was her own death. "I know how I died, Sam." She said.

"They killed you!" Sam yelled. "How can you forgive them for that? They took you away from your home! Your family!"

"It was a rainy night." Kelly said. She was ignoring him. The words stung, they always did. But she'd been taunted with it enough times that it no longer really mattered. She knew why it had been done. Knew that it wasn't really cruelty. _A mercy killing._ That was all she'd been. _A mercy killing._ And a sacrifice. "My mother and I, we'd just fought. You see," She looked up at him with a dark smile and shadowed eyes. "My father, my human father, he'd just died in hospice. He had cancer, a tumor in his brain." She swallowed. "I wasn't there. I had school and projects and everyone told me that it would all be fine. They were lying, but I needed to get through the semester, so I chose to believe them. Then next thing I knew, he was gone." The memories had come flooding back when Sam had mentioned that her own people had killed her. The feelings, the emotions, the lead up to that cold rainy night when her car had crashed. "No goodbye, there wasn't really time." She shook her head. "After that, I wanted to take the semester off. I wanted to help my mother and the rest of my family get his affairs in order, to grieve with them. But Mom, she wouldn't hear of it." Kelly swallowed. A thick lump had coalesced at the back of her throat. "Midterms were coming up and she said that I had to get through the semester, that it's what Dad would have wanted. Never mind what I wanted. We fought. The way parents and children do. I was angry. Finally, I told her fine and walked out." She lifted her hand to her temple and Sam saw a flash of pale scarred skin as the cuff of the jacket slid down her slim forearm. "I was so angry, Sam. I didn't care. I was driving down out of the Los Altos hills when I lost control of the truck. It had been raining, the roads were slick, and I was too upset to pay attention. I could barely see and the next thing I knew, the barrier was in front of me. I slammed on the breaks, but the car hydroplaned and the front end rammed into the railing." She watched as Sam flinched. "I might not have gone over if something hadn't shoved me from behind. I remember hearing the tires squealing against the mud and the groan of the steel before it broke." Finally, she looked away from Sam and he thought he caught a tear glimmering on the edge of her eyelash. "Then I went over." She smiled again. This time it was very sad.

"And fell here." Sam muttered. "Those bastards, one of them must have pushed you."

Kelly shook her head and sighed. She was coming out of the memory and while it left an ache in her heart, she understood why it had been done. That there had been no other option really. _It had to be done, Sam. Don't you see?_ She thought. No, he wouldn't see. It wasn't in his nature. For all that he had a complex way of viewing reality, Sam Winchester's ability to see the shades of morality was still very limited. Finally, she laughed. It was a hard, dry laugh. "You talk about it like my murder was the worst crime they could have committed."

"You're telling me them murdering you was…" Sam trailed off.

"In their minds leaving me there would have been the crueler fate." Kelly looked off into the distance. Her brown gold eyes hollowed out as she stared at the twinkling of the north star. She shoved her hands deep into her pockets. "Sometimes you have to kill someone to save them, Sam."

"Being human isn't the worst thing in the world." Sam snapped.

"So says you." Kelly murmured. Then her eyes snapped back to him. "You're human, it's all you've ever known." She swallowed. "But so many things, too many, despise you for being what you are, Sam." Kelly's eyes held Sam's and for the first time, Sam Winchester felt real fear. There was something in them, a coldness that extended beyond his simple comprehension. He felt like she was seeing him as something other. Something not akin to her. It made him uncomfortable. "For your species shortsightedness, your arrogance." She shook her head. "In a single lifetime, I would have gone from being predator to prey." She swallowed again, her mouth suddenly very dry. Her voice cracked slightly, but her gaze never broke his. She would win this staring contest. "I would have lost everything." Her hand rose to her chest. "Everything that made me what I am. And for what?" Her laughter was so cold, so hollow, so empty that it nearly broke Sam's heart. "A soul?" She smiled bitterly. "What use do I have for a soul, Sam?" She crossed her arms over her chest. Sam opened his mouth, but he couldn't find the words. He just waited for her to continue. She sniffed and her smile grew thinner, smaller, until it vanished completely, then she tossed her head and looked at him with slanted eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, this is my afterlife." She chuckled. "After all, it's the only one I'm gonna get."

"That's so unfair." It was all he could come up with. "So incredibly…" He paused and swallowed, knowing that there was nothing he could do or say to make it better. _Where are Dean's wisecracks when you need them?_

"I hate to break it to you, Sam." She sighed. "But my karma sucks." That got a shallow laugh out of him as he stared at her. He wanted to hug her. She looked so small and yet so strong. Hollowed out and empty, like there was nothing left of her. Kelly looked as if everything had been taken out of her. Removed. Until just a husk stood before him. "I dreamed of going home once." She said. She glanced at him. "After Lorna Pimm shot me. It was so real. I saw everyone, my brother and my sister, my mother…" She shook her head. "Had I stayed I would have become a shade." She swallowed. "Anyway, I knew I had to come back."

"To Dean." Sam said.

"And you." Kelly nodded. "I…"

"What happened with Yellow-Eyes Kelly, after he took you and Ava? Why…"

"Why did I start working for him?" Kelly asked. "I cut a deal, Sam." Sam watched as her hands dropped away and she covered her wrists. Suddenly, he remembered his dream. The ones with the frogs. Sam hadn't told her to help him yet. But anything not specifically related to what was happening here was fair game. She didn't tell him that she'd been locked in a cellar under one of these houses for a week. A week and iron shackles were all that Azazel had needed to break her.

"You're working for the Yellow-Eyed demon?" Sam asked. "Why? Why the hell would you do that? After everything he's done! To me, to Dean, to our family! I told you about what he did so that you could be wary of him! Not so you could join him Kelly!"

"You're right." She said. "There's no excuse for what I did."

"Then tell me why damn it!" Sam demanded. "Tell me why you did it!"

"Because of this." She lifted up her wrist and yanked her jacket sleeve down. Then she repeated the process on the other wrist. Sam recoiled. It was worse than he could have imagined. The skin was tight and puckered for a good four inches around each wrist. It looked like it had been badly burned. While the wounds had apparently been cleaned, Sam could still see blackened pieces of flesh flaking off around the edges. He winced and his eyes shot to the collar wrapped around her neck. Was there a scar under there too?

"God." He whispered. "What did he do to you?"

"He locked me in a basement." She said. Her voice brittle and a note of sardonic bitterness entered into it, dripping off her tone. "In iron shackles."

Sam looked down at the poker in his hand. "Iron…" He murmured.

"Yes, Sam." Kelly snapped. Walking forwards, she grabbed the end of his poker. A hiss of steaming flesh went up into the clear night sky. "Iron." Sam was surprised that Kelly didn't scream, because it looked like she was in agony. After a few moments she let it go. Then she lifted her hand. The imprint of the poker was in her palm, grey and charred. Sam could already see it beginning to heal. "A few seconds isn't bad." She said. "We can recover from that. It's when it turns into prolonged exposure." Sam winced. "Days." She said. Her voice frigid as she spoke, Kelly stared unrelentingly into his eyes. "A week." The words came out soft, but they sent chills straight through Sam. "It all depends on our strength, you see." Gently she thumbed the mark on her palm. "But the minute our glamour shatters and the iron touches our true selves…" She trailed off.

"You die?" Sam asked.

"In a sense." Kelly said. She was still staring at the mark on her palm, as if she was lost in her own agony.

"You said you murdered, interrogated, and tortured." Sam said.

"Yes." Kelly replied. "I did." She let her hand fall to her side as she turned and looked up at him again. "You see, in that cell, I decided to do whatever I had to." Her hand clenched into a tight fist. "Whatever despicable thing I was asked, even if it meant I had to give myself in a blood pact to a demon." Her eyes snapped up to him. "So that I could survive." Her hands disappeared inside the pockets of her long coat. "I wish I could say I had more noble reasons than that." She sighed. "But I wanted to live." Kelly glanced up at Sam again and he watched as a funny expression came over her. "You see, I'm not as strong as either you or Dean. I can't throw my life away recklessly for the greater good. I've already died once, and that demon and I both knew if I died this time it would be the end." She swallowed. "No power on earth, in heaven, in hell, or in the Oherworld would be able to bring me back." Sam flinched away from her as she took a step back. "I would have been gone." She said. Her voice incredibly gentle as she stared at him. She didn't expect for him to be able to understand her betrayal. Kelly didn't believe he'd understand why she had killed Lily. _After all._ He was human. _What does he know about being afraid of death._ Having an afterlife, what did he know about having your life simply end? "For good." She turned away from him and looked back up at the house. They were getting off topic. _But he needs to hear this._ He needed to know. _So that if I die here…_ Then he could tell Dean.

"Kelly." Sam began.

"Sam." She sighed. "It's okay." She was playing him. _But that doesn't make it any less true._ She needed him to say something. To tell her to do something. _And then I can end this whole thing._ "I wanted to see you again." She smiled. "And Dean." She swallowed. "I wanted to help you in this."

"So help us!" Sam yelled. "Why are you hiding here? Why did you kill Lily?" He shook his head. She'd left him stunned into silence and he was once again finding his voice. _And I'm angry._ It felt like she was playing games with him. Still, he didn't really doubt she was telling him the truth. "Help them, Kelly! You have the ability! Help them, help me!"

"I can't. I have to follow the rules." She said. Then she paused and smiled at Sam in such away that sent shivers up his spine. "Unless you're ordering me to help you Sam."

"Help me!" He yelled.

"Is that an order?" She asked.

"Yes!" Sam cried. He suddenly felt extraordinarily exasperated. Why wouldn't she just help him? Why did they have to go through all this hoopla, just for something as simple as a little help? _She works for Yellow-Eyes though._ So there was no telling what the term help encompassed. _I have to play this smart._

"Okay." She smiled. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

"You can't kill them." Sam said. His voice flat as he stared at the back of her head. He saw her pause, her shoulders tense with disappointment, and she sighed loudly. Then she turned back around.

"Okay, you caught me." Kelly sighed. "You're really getting the hang of this." Sam was once again impressed at the speed with which she changed gears. One second she was close to breaking down, a cold bitch, and now she was smirking at him like five months had never gone by.

"It's not that hard." Sam snapped. "You obviously have to do what I order you to do."

"I wouldn't spread that around." Kelly said. "Ava's been looking for a way to control me since Day 1, and there's nothing stopping her from ordering me to kill you." She smirked. "Except that she's already told me not to help her." _Besides Sam, you're really not very good at it._ He'd ordered her to help him and not to kill them. _Which doesn't stop me from doing anything else._ Most fey would have already acted on his multiple loopholes. _Sadly, I still seem to have some sense of decency._ "At least let me kill her."

"What?"

"Ava." Kelly said. "Is looking for a way to use me to kill the rest of you. So I would like to kill her, before she finally figures it out." He stared at her blankly and she sighed. "Honestly, Sam it's not that complicated."

"Ava?" Sam repeated. "Kelly, Ava only got here today?"

"According to whom?" Kelly tilted her head to the side.

"But, she said…"

"Right." Kelly said. "Because no one here except me is a lying liar who lies? You're smarter than that Sam. It's been in front of your eyes this whole time, you've just refused to see it." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, genius, if I've been here for two months, where's Ava been? In cryogenic stasis?"

"Well, you've been missing for five months." Sam said.

"And," she sighed. "I didn't spend all my time here." Kelly rolled her head back and stretched her neck. "Look." She sighed. The ghosts had all gone extremely quiet. "I can account my lost time." She sucked in another deep breath. "Now believe me or not, your friends will be worried about you. Maybe you should go tell them you're okay."

Sam had to admit that what Kelly was telling him sounded more than plausible. It sounded right. Still, he couldn't bring himself to totally turn on Ava. She's been a good friend in the short time that he'd known her. _Why does Kelly want to kill her?_ Because Kelly had said that Ava was trying to control her. He watched as Kelly turned to go. "Wait." Sam said. "You're coming with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kelly replied.

"I'm not leaving you out here by yourself."

"Sam," Kelly said. Her voice filled with inestimable patience, stuff that made him feel like a toddler. "I'm not the one whose safety you have to worry about." She shrugged. "And while I appreciate the gesture…"

"I'm not going to tell Dean that I lost you again!" Sam snapped. His words froze Kelly in her tracks, and he watched as real emotion flickered across her face. Her hand rose up to cover her mouth as she looked at him. Sam realized for the first time that she hadn't asked about Dean at all. _Because she didn't want to know._ He could see the fear in her eyes, the naked expression of longing and loneliness that washed away her merriment. Her visage sagged into sadness.

"Fine." She muttered. Then she looked up at him with knowing eyes. For a moment they flashed bright gold. Sam nearly took a step backwards. "But it's still a bad idea."

Sam grabbed her shoulder. His fingers warm against the lapel of her black leather duster. "Just come with me." He said. He didn't really care whether or not Kelly agreed with the steps he was taking. He'd finally found her and there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. _I can finally rectify my mistake._ The one he'd made when Kelly had gone with Ava. Now, finally, maybe he'd be able to forgive himself. Sam looked over at Kelly in the dark. His eyes on the collar still locked around her neck. He hadn't asked about it. He didn't want to. His eyes couldn't find the scars around her wrists but thinking of them made his stomach sink. She'd given him an idea of what she'd been through these past five months and it made him sick inside. Kelly had never been the kind of girl that could make you filled with joy and light, but she always knew how to make you laugh. Now she was hardened. A liar. A sneak. A cheat. The kind of warped soul that his father had always disregarded. He wondered if she was broken. But as he cast sneaking glances at her in the cold night, he discovered that her hard eyes were fixed straight ahead. Her mouth a firm line with one small quirk at the end. It was like she'd gone into hell and come out the other end sharper than a Damascus blade. Sam swallowed. _She'd been willing to kill Andy, Ava, and Jake._ Was bringing her into the house really the smartest idea? Sam swallowed. Only time would tell. But one thing was clear. _I can't let her out of my sight._ Not now.

AN: The emotional Sam/Kelly confrontation has been written. I hope you enjoyed it, cause now we're on the real downhill slope heading for the true climax, though how far away that will be is anyone's guess. But more people will die in the next chapter and there will most likely be an appearance by the YED. Besides, how will the rest of the gang react to Kelly's reappearance. I'm sensing trust issues.

Remember to review! ^__^


	57. Chapter 57: Judas

Chapter 57: Judas

Reluctantly, Kelly followed Sam inside the rundown farmhouse. She didn't like this idea. It was a bad idea. _Introducing a bad element into the mix._ These guys wouldn't be happy to see the person who killed their compatriot. _But between Sam threatening about Dean and Sam's orders…_ She didn't really have much choice. She was only mildly disturbed by the ease at which he slid into his commander role. _At least he doesn't maneuver me like a pawn._ Kelly climbed the stairs and, hands deep in her pockets, stepped over the salt lines. She followed Sam down the hallway, floorboards creaking beneath her feet. Carefully she stepped between them, following Sam's footsteps with an exacting precision. She preferred to walk silently, something these old farmhouses had difficulty accommodating. _And now that I'm out in the open…_ Well, she had to be more careful. _No winking in and out._ Unless necessary. She stuffed her hands deep in the pockets of her coat and sighed as they entered the kitchen. Jake Talley had just reentered from his time spent in the next-door barn, a large iron rod in hand. He looked at Sam's return with a grin, but the minute he saw Kelly he was on his feet, club raised high. Kelly sighed.

"That's her!" Jake yelled. "That's the girl!" He looked at Sam with confused eyes. Kelly could see the usual signs of betrayal and creating of contingencies flickering across the twitching muscles of his cheeks. "I thought you said that ghosts and demons couldn't cross those salt lines!"

Kelly shook her head and made her way to a chair around the dining table, she sat down. Propping her booted feet up on the flat wooden surface, she tucked her hands behind her head and leaned back. She waited for Sam's response. _This'll be fun._ She'd told him that this was a bad idea. _And this is one of those reasons._ Sam was jeopardizing the bonds of trust that he had created with these other psychics. Her fingers went to her collar and she ran her fingers across the runic marks. They had ceased glowing. _No orders._ She didn't doubt that her boss was watching. _This is the last round._ She wondered if he was pleased with this little development. Probably. He had a sick sense of humor.

"They can't." Sam snapped.

"I'm neither." Kelly offered. She hadn't really felt like helping Sam out of this one. _But why not?_ She should at least be allowed to have a little fun with them. "Guess your little safe house wasn't that safe after all." She added. Closing her eyes, she tipped her chair back further.

Sam sighed and shook his head. _Kelly…_ He wondered if she was purposefully trying to get under Jake's skin. _Probably._ She was like that. _She doesn't want anyone else telling her what to do._ Sam knew that he had to respect her wishes on that count. _I don't need her anymore pissed with me._ "She's here to help." He assured Jake.

"Yeah? I saw her in the school building!" Jake snarled. "Didn't do much helping then."

"Well," Kelly shrugged. "You never asked." She grinned and put her feet down, leaning forward, she rested her elbows in the dusty surface. Jake found himself instinctively recoiling away from her. She certainly looked demonic to him. "Had you said, 'help me!' 'help me!' maybe I would have obliged." She tapped her finger against her chin. "Maybe."

"Sam, what's this bitch doing here?" Jake asked. "I mean I know I saw her disappear!"

"Are you sure you saw what you thought you saw?" Kelly asked.

"Yes!" Jake roared. He turned away from her and snarled. "What's next, Sam? Is that black demon dog going to saunter through the front door?"

Kelly burst out laughing. Sam straightened beside her, it was so filled with amusement that it caught him by surprise. After all, here they were, fighting for their lives, and she was laughing! "Oh." She snorted. "It's inevitable."

"Sam!" Jake snapped. "Tell me the salt lines will defend against that thing!"

"She's been taken care of."

"More like brought to heel." Kelly said.

Her voice was low and Jake turned back to stare at her in confusion. There was something about her that set him on edge. It wasn't just the fact that she was far dustier than the rest of them, or the fact that her shirt was splotched with old bloodstains. No, that wasn't it. There was something in her eyes, a darkness. It made him shiver. The way she looked at him, it was like she knew. _Like she knows we're all gonna to die._ "What do you mean…" He trailed off.

"It doesn't matter." Kelly said. Brushing the caked mud off of her pants, she straightened up. "Either way seeing that dog was a bad omen." She crossed her arms over her chest. Kelly looked down the hall, her eyes far away. She was having fun teasing Jake. _And bugger what Sam thinks._ She'd said she'd help him. _Most of my kind would help him right off a cliff._ So, as far as Kelly was concerned she was being more than fair. Besides, this was what he got for giving less than specific instructions.

"Bad omens?"

"Meaning someone's probably going to die tonight." Kelly replied. Her voice was light. "Seeing a black dog means death you know." That was mostly true. _The dying will only ever see my true form._ Those that were close to being dragged down to hell or sent on their way to heaven. The terminally ill. Her glamour could not overcome the weight of tradition. _But that doesn't mean we cause death._ After all, Ava had seen Kelly's true form plenty of times, and she hadn't died yet. _There are always extenuating circumstances._ The curse was no longer as strong as it once was. _And I'm not a renegade who has denigrated into some barghest._ No matter what that damned hellhound Gabriel had been hinting at. Then she turned her back on the two men and headed for the hallway. She paused and glanced back over her shoulder. "Sam." She said. "If you want to talk to Ava, do it soon." Then she sauntered off into the gloom. Sam noticed the way she winced when she put her hand in her pocket. Her hand hadn't healed yet.

_But she's putting on a brave front._ But was it for him? He glanced at Jake. For them? Who was she trying to fool? _This is crazy._ He swallowed. He couldn't forget the confession of her death. How her own people had killed her. _And she doesn't care._ If she did, she wasn't showing him. Sam felt a little resentment over that. She had to be feeling something. _She's not dead…_

"She mean it?" Jake asked. Sam started and glanced over at the young black man. His face was tight and his eyes were nervous. His gaze kept flicking to the dark hallway, trying to follow Kelly Jones disappearance into the darkness.

"What she said…" Sam trailed off. Was it true? _Or was she yanking Jake's chain?_ At this point, he couldn't tell the truth. He needed to lie. _If only to keep him in one piece._ The possibility of death was far less terrifying than the actuality, and while it kept tensions high, it also cut short suicidal tendencies. If they had any chance, they needed to stick together. _And we need her with us._

"Was it true?" Jake demanded. "You're the expert on this stuff, man. Tell me, was it true?"

"She was yanking your chain." Sam lied. "And she staying here."

"Oh?" Jake asked. "An' who put you in charge?" He looked down at the metal rod in his hand. "Don't take it the wrong way, man. I mean," he swallowed. "I'm real appreciative of everything you've done so far. Keepin' you're calm and all. Keepin' them." He nodded to the house. "That psycho bitch aside…"

"She's not a psycho." Sam snapped.

"Whatever." Jake growled. "What I'm tryin' to say is that, for what it's worth, I trust you. But her?" He shook his head. "No way. I saw the way she looked at me, like I was some kind of toy…"

"She's not like that."

"Yeah?" Jake asked. "How do you know? You ask her?"

"I know her." Sam snarled. "She can be trusted." _I hope._

"I don't know, man." Jake said. His eyes snapped to the hallway. "I just know I gotta be ready to face her when the time comes." He glanced back at Sam. "If she proves herself a threat." He looked down at the table. "And you should be ready to do the same." He added.

"No." Sam growled. The words came out heavily, like they'd been dragged through the mud. But the reply was forceful and Jake stared at Sam for a long moment. Then, he shook his head.

"You know her right?" He asked.

"I know her." Sam repeated. "I knew her for a long time. We used to spend every day on the road together. I know her." _I know what she's capable of._ Sam was certain that he knew what kind of person she was.

"Yeah, well." Jake shook his head. "Whoever she is now, she ain't the girl you knew." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Those bloodstains on her shirt, the mud and the dirt. And those eyes." He paused, suppressing a shiver. Jake had seen some terrible things, but when that girl had looked into his eyes, he'd felt something. A coldness. An emptiness that he'd seen in the eyes of his fellow soldiers. It was a feeling he'd felt. An expression that he'd seen on the faces of countless Afghanis. _No,_ That wasn't right. What he'd seen her eyes. It was more of a smoldering ember. _Hatred._ He hadn't felt that she hated him. _But who does she hate?_ He glanced at Sam. No, she hadn't teased Sam the same way she'd teased him. _"Black dogs are death omens you know."_ Jake shivered. Well, he'd get out of here alive. What did omens mean against a man's self-determination? He had the right to choose his own destiny. _And I ain't gonna die here._ He'd survived worse. He'd survive this. "Somethin' tells me she's been here a long time."

_Two months._ Murder, torture, interrogation, she'd said that she'd performed all of those. Sam remembered. "Yeah, something like that." He admitted. Not sure why he was telling Jake this.

"She's changed." Jake asked.

That gave Sam pause. How much had she really changed? She played more word games than usual. She was harsher. Crueler. _She wants to kill Ava._ That was new and Sam didn't really know why. _She wants her dead._ She wanted it badly. He'd seen it in her eyes. A desperation and there was a… hatred. "She can still help us."

"Never said she couldn't." Jake said. "Just don't know if she will."

Sam told himself that it was just Jake's soldier paranoia kicking in. But he found that for all his exposition, that he too had the same doubts. "By having her around, our chances of getting out are better." Sam said. That was pretty much a statement of fact. Even if he didn't totally believe it. Kelly was stronger than he was and she was better trained than anyone else here, other than himself of course. Still. he couldn't reveal the truth about Kelly's secret to the others. _Ava knows._ But if they found out that Kelly was the black dog who'd killed Lily… _They'll never trust me._ And they'd try to kill her. _But it's not her I'm worried about._ Kelly could probably handle herself. Against all of them. She was tough like that.

"Yeah?" Jake said. He didn't sound convinced. "Well, we'll see."

Sam didn't say anything else. Instead, he nodded and turned away. There was no point in arguing with Jake any longer. No matter what Sam said, he would continue to regard Kelly as a threat. It was disappointing in a way, but even Sam was forced to admit that it was probably the smart thing to do. His doubts about her were growing. She had been gone so long. When they'd been reunited her first way of helping him had been to try and eliminate all the other psychics. Sam swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. Why had he believed that everything would be the same? He shook his head, Kelly had lied to him before. What was stopping her from lying to him again. _She's a liar_. She'd admitted as such and then cautioned him that she wasn't the only liar here. He understood that, after all, he was a liar too. But more doubts were nagging at him, eating away his confidence. _She admitted to working for the Yellow-Eyed Demon._ There was no telling how that had changed her. For better or for worse. Though, Sam could not imagine a situation with the Yellow-Eyed demon where one would change for the better. Sam sighed. He really didn't want to have to think about this. He needed to find Ava and finish demon proofing the house. Walking into the gloom, Sam disappeared.

"So." A voice came from behind Kelly. She turned and stared into a small sitting room beside a large window, Ava was standing there with a large bag of salt hanging between her fingers. "You're here." Kelly shrugged and looked down at the salt line lain across the entrance of the room. Ava watched Kelly's eyes move downwards and reached into the salt bag. "You know," she said. "I never stopped to wonder." She pulled out a handful and stared at Kelly with curious eyes. "What this does to you."

"I crossed the salt line to get in here." Kelly replied. The logic was obvious, to prove it, she stepped over the line separating her from Ava, a dark expression in her eyes. "What's to stop me from crushing your throat?"

Ava laughed. It was hard and dry. "If you were gonna do that Kellster, you'd have done it by now." She rubbed the granules of salt between her fingers. "But I'll admit, I'm curious. You here for Sam?"

Kelly snorted. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm here for you." Pausing, Kelly tilted her head to the side. She took another couple of steps forward into the room, her arms crossed over her chest. "Or, maybe I'm hoping that he'll give me the opening I need."

"You aren't going to kill me."

_You're right. I'm not._ "True." Kelly shrugged. "Not right now anyway." Playfully, she pulled off her jacket and tossed it aside. Rolling up the sleeves of her shirt and exposing the shiny scars on both wrists, she grinned. "Not gonna stop me from roughing you up some."

"You wouldn't." Ava said. "I'll scream." Her fingers tightened on the salt.

"Maybe that's what I'm betting on."

"You don't want Sam to trust you?"

Kelly just smiled and took another step forwards. Ava, who couldn't take the pressure hurled the salt into Kelly's face and screamed. Kelly took it in the eyes and feel to her knees, scrambling to get the granules out of her eyes. They burned and stung her eyes. She could feel the watering in an attempt to clear them. Her vision was blurred and she struggled to see. Instead, all she did was blink. Ava was still screaming. _And probably running 'round like a chicken with it's bloody head cut off_. The girl had a set of pipes and she liked to scream. _But Ava likes to play the victim._ And she'd strike you one your back was turned. She was a sneaky bitch like that. _Meaning…_ Ava probably wouldn't attack her. Probably. Not with a house full of other psychics who'd be more than willing to do the job for her, but… Kelly felt a wooden plank crash down on her head. There was never really _Will I ever stop doing stupid things._ There was an obvious answer to this question. _No._ So who'd hit her? Sam? She hoped not. She couldn't break his neck, but even more she didn't want to. Jake? Well, she wouldn't mind cracking his skull against a wall and watch him bleed out for a little while. _Permanent brain damage doesn't technically count as killing right?_ Kelly loved technicalities, the possibilities with them were nefariously numerous. Or had it been the smallest one? The one that looked like a weasel. What was his name? _Andy…_ She doubted he would have had the guts to hit her. _But the small ones always surprise you._

"That should keep her down."

_Jake._ So, soldier boy had hit her. She'd have to repay that. Soon. But now was probably not the best time. _Should have hit me with that iron bar._ He probably hadn't wanted to kill her. _First mistake._ Mercy always got you into trouble. Kelly had learned that lesson well. _Show mercy, get pain._

"You okay, Ava?"

That was Sam. She could tell, there was manly concern in his voice. That and it was genuine. _Props to Sam for being the big teddy bear._ Too bad that in a place like this it could get him killed.

"What's going on?"

A third voice. _That Andy kid._ Another one of the psychics Sam seemed to know.

"Who's she?" Andy again.

"It's a long story, Andy." Sam.

Kelly didn't look up. She was still seeing stars. But the good news was that she didn't have to. Blackened nails digging into the wood, she let her hair, having fallen forward to hide her face when she'd hit the floor, cover the smirk on her lips. This was what she wanted. _Sam mad at me. The others not trusting me, but forced to keep me around._ A chance to unnerve each one without the younger Winchester ever realizing it. _The more complacent they get._ The more they trusted each other._ Leaves them open to confusion._ She didn't care how many Ava had to kill to be satisfied. _Just as long as she doesn't touch Sam._ Just as long as it was Sam who won in the end. _That's all I want._ Because Kelly knew, that out of everyone here, it was Sam who stood the best chance of defying Azazel and ruining his scheme. _Which is probably why the good ole boss keeps me around._ After all, Azazel could always threaten to kill her to bring Sam to heel. _And after that story I told Sam about not being able to resurrect me…_ It was a plan just might work. Not that she wanted it too. _No I want to kill that fucker._ But he was in her head, his whispers clouding the back of her mind, his orders impossible to disobey, only subvert. He was like rotting meat on her tongue, making her sick, making her wanting to hurl, making her strong at the same time that he made her weak. She could feel his blood pumping through her veins, addictive. He was her addiction. The strength he gave her was incomparable, but it always wore off. She never wanted to trade her own will for power, but the more he made her the more she wanted it. Needed it. Liked it. The Yellow-Eyed demon fed on her hatred for him. Used it like a poisoned knife against her. She knew he planned the same thing for all these children. _And that's why it's a greater mercy to kill them now, rather then let them live to see the twisted creatures they'll become._ Sometimes, Kelly knew, you had to kill someone to save them.

"What happened?" Sam demanded. He started to move away from Ava, Kelly was spending too much time on the ground, and he saw the trickle of blood tracing it's way down the back of her neck to pool around the steel rim of the collar. She was spending too much time on the ground. Not moving.

"I'll tell you what happened." Jake snapped. "Your special little friend attacked her." He glanced at Ava for confirmation. "Right?"

Sam felt his stomach sink as Ava nodded slowly. Her cheeks tear streaked. "She threatened to kill me, Sam." Ava said. Her voice choked with false emotion as she glanced back at Kelly. "And I thought she was my friend."

"Who is she?" Andy asked again. He was feeling very confused.

On the ground, Kelly remained still. Jake obviously expected that the hit would make her stay down. She intended to fulfill his expectations. The broken pieces of wood remained on either side of her head. There were splinters in her hair and she could feel the sting of where the shards had dug into her skin. She didn't relish the idea of picking them out of her scalp. Not that she'd really get the chance too anyway. Ava was still talking.

"I don't know how she got like this, Sam." Ava whined. "I really don't, or why she would trick you like this! She wasn't like that in the beginning."

"You say that like you know how long I've been here." Kelly groaned. She pushed herself up off the ground. She did not like getting bashed in the skull. _Head hums like a swarm of bees._ She shook it, trying to clear out the pain.

"How-how could I know that?" Ava asked. She frowned at Kelly. "I just woke up!"

"Ah-huh." Kelly shook her head again. She was being contrary and she knew it. Getting in the way of her own mission. _Problem is I've got several agendas to work on at once._ And all of them were working against one another.

"Sam!" The whiney and frightened note was back. Kelly shook her head for a third time, damsels in distress were never something Sam had been able to ignore.

_After all, I'm the bad guy here._ Kelly thought it was funny that Ava still expected Sam to control her. Well, she in a way she was right. _But it's more like she wants him to show her how to control me._ Kelly glanced up at Sam. He wasn't stupid. After everything she'd said, would he give an order in front of Ava? He wouldn't right? She paused. _Well, I am a fan of making stupid choices._ Her entire record with the Winchester boys seemed pretty indicative of that. _It's not exactly like I should be receiving sympathy for my choices._ And a part of her wanted Sam to side with Ava, to doubt her and mistrust her, it would keep him on his toes and protect him from her own subversive influence as much as from everyone else, while at the same time leaving her free to help him. _Even if it is in a morally repugnant fashion._ But that was the way it was. _Be despicable to do good._ Well, Kelly didn't really care about doing good. She cared about survival. At the moment hers, but more importantly Sam's. _Especially since Dean's not here to protect him._ Kelly had to pick up the slack. _And I have to be creative about it._ She was not a friend to any of the other psychics in this house and it was important that they knew it. _If only to better their own chances of survival._ She wanted to hope, but didn't dare to. _There is only the hate._ Hate had gotten her through this dirty business so far. Kelly had no doubt that it would carry her the rest of the way. _I have to put aside what I want._ She had to focus on the mission at hand. _Sam's survival._

Sam glanced at Ava. He still needed to tell her about her fiancée and Kelly was making her uncomfortable. At the moment, Sam didn't know who to believe. He wasn't sure. Kelly's behavior had him confused, but the things she'd said about Ava were equally damning. "Kelly," he started. "Maybe it would be better if you…"

Kelly couldn't let him finish that sentence. "Fine." She said. Struggling to her feet, she cleared the last of the salt from her eyes. There were tears on her cheeks and her lids were reddened. She knew they'd probably take it as a tearful apology or wounded pride, or whatever. Even if it wasn't any of those things. _Damn salt._

"Kelly." Sam repeated her name. He sounded apologetic.

_He shouldn't have done that._ He should never have done that. He shouldn't have revealed her name to everyone here. There was no telling how they would respond or who else would figure out how to order her around. _Danger Will Robinson, danger._ But she couldn't fault Sam for it. He was very bright. _But there's no way to combat ignorance._ Except with knowledge and no one had bothered to cut him in on the loop. _And I really can't._ For one thing, she was bound not to by the law and order of these parts and for another… _It would take far too much time to actually explain._ "I got it." She said. She looked around the group. Jake's fingers were tightening on his bar, Andy was staring at her with outright confusion, Ava was looking at her with a tearful expression and eyes that contained thinly veiled triumph. Kelly didn't mind that. _Bitch doesn't know what's coming to her._ But she would. Soon. "I'm off, Sam." She said.

_She looks like she's about to cry._ He thought. But Sam knew that he needed to speak to Ava alone and was stuck in a conundrum. He needed to make sure she stuck close by, but at the same time, he couldn't make his own decision about Ava with her around. Finally, the words came. "Just make sure you stay close by."

"Don't worry, Sammy." Kelly grinned. "I'll be here when trouble hits."

Sam started, this was the first time she'd ever called him Sammy. "Okay." He muttered.

"Yeah." Jake grumbled. "I bet you'll be right in the eye of the fucking storm."

"Good guess." Kelly winked at Jake. He took a step back. The knuckles on his right hand turning from black to a very pale gray. For the first time, Kelly noticed the pink scabs on his thumb and the scar at the base of his collarbone. He would be trouble. But she'd pegged that right from the beginning. "Just like the bad omen doggy you saw."

"Dude! Who is this chick?!" Andy demanded for the third time. His voice was going to a higher pitch and Kelly could quite literally smell the combining chemicals that created fear and stress. She glanced at him and smirked, he was staring at her in confusion.

Kelly tilted her head to the side. _Well, since the cat's already out of the bag._ And there was no way they'd be forgetting her name now. "I'm Kelly." She said. Then, she turned and stalked from the room. Her shoulder hitting Jake's on the way out. She jabbed the bladed bone into the weak point between his shoulder cuff and where it connected to his pectoral muscles. When it hard enough it was very painful. He staggered slightly then recovered his balance.

"Bitch." He muttered. His eyes didn't leave her back as she retreated, until she vanished around a corner. Then he let his gaze drop. He had no intention of letting her out of the range of his perceptions. Every instinct in his body told him that she was dangerous. Deadly. He'd seen eyes like that on more experienced soldiers, ones that had seen decades of combat. Ones that had seen the darker side of things and let it feed on them. Let it turn them. In that moment, there was one thing Jake Talley knew for certain, he wasn't going to let this jumped up bitch kill him. _Even if she is some kind of supernatural demon._ He'd figure out a way. Jake thought about Lily for a moment and shook his head. "I'm gonna go check the perimeter." He said after a few long moments of silence. "See if any demons've been lurkin'." With that, he disappeared down the corridor, but this time in the opposite direction. For all that he wanted to keep tabs on where the strange girl, Kelly, was. He didn't want to spend anymore time around her then he had to. Jake Talley didn't like to admit it, but she scared him. _Hell of a lot more than that Acheri demon or whatever._

Andy looked from Ava to Sam. He still wasn't sure what was going on. "Sam?" He asked. Did these two want to be alone? He'd felt a certain vibe coming off of them, but hadn't wanted to intrude. _And never got the time alone to ask about it._ Plus, there was the way that Ava was always clinging to Sam's arm. _But…_ There was the way that Sam looked at that strange girl… Kelly. Like he was in love, but didn't know what to do about it. _Dean's girlfriend._ Andy decided and that was who she must be. _The one Sam's been looking for._ No wonder his friend was so confused. _If she's the one he's been missing._ Then. Well, there was no real way of telling. But Andy figured that if Dean had dated the strangely dressed and dirty looking girl, then she couldn't be all bad. _Right?_

"Could you give us a minute, Andy?" Sam asked. He glanced down at Ava. "There's something we need to talk about."

"Sure thing, buddy." Andy said. He glanced to the side and saw a worn and cracked black leather duster lying on the floor. A woman's long coat. _Kinda like what Kate Beckensale wore in Underworld._ Andy would confess to being a geek and loving that movie, one didn't have to be a psychic to know that. Making a swift decision, he turned and snatched the jacket up off the ground. He wasn't the bravest of guys, but he figured there was only one person available to answer his questions. So, he might as well find her. Without a second thought, Andy turned and followed in the direction Kelly Jones had gone. He could trust her. He was certain of it.

A few minutes after everyone was gone, Sam turned back to Ava. There were too many questions rolling around in his brain. Kelly's earlier comment. _"Right, because no one here except me is a lying liar who lies. You're smarter than that, Sam_._"_ It niggled is brain and worried him. Had she been telling the truth? Or had she been lying? Sam didn't know if he could trust her to tell him the truth anymore. _But can I trust Ava?_ There were about as many things with her that didn't add up as there were with Kelly. "What happened?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Ava asked, tearfully. She'd moved around to start pouring salt along the sill of the nearby windows.

"With Kelly." Sam asked. He withheld a sigh. "What really happened?"

Ava spun around. "What?" She asked. "Don't you believe that she threatened to kill me?"

_No I believe that._ Kelly had flat out said that she wanted Ava dead. So hearing it from Ava's mouth wasn't that much of a surprise. _But…_ Why had she taken the time to threaten her? Everything Kelly had said and done in the town square, and since when she'd teased Jake about the black dog, left Sam feeling wary. He had a feeling that she was playing some kind of game. _I ordered her to help me._ And it was only just now occurring to Sam that he'd never mentioned how he wanted her to do that. _Is this her idea of helping me?_ That felt alien to him. Why was she trying to cause unrest and distrust among the group? Why was Kelly putting herself at risk by acting as the catalyst for it? What was she trying to gain? Sam would ask her, but he doubted he'd get one that was straightforward.

His long pause had made Ava uncomfortable. "Don't you?"

"I…" Sam trailed off. "I believe that she threatened you." _I just don't get why you're not lying in a bloody mess right now._ Sam had told Kelly that she couldn't kill any of the other psychics. _But I never said anything about harm._ That had been an oversight on his part. _One that should probably be fixed._ Whenever it was that he managed to track her down again. "But Ava, you and I both know that you wouldn't have been able to fight Kelly off." Out of the two of them, they were the only ones who knew about Kelly's heightened abilities. _And even Ava doesn't know that Kelly can change form._

"I'm just a little quicker on my toes." Ava sighed. "That's all." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, biting her lip. "She said she wanted to kill me like Lily, and then she looked like she was gonna attack." Ava's voice devolved into a whimper as she clutched the meaty flesh of her arms. Her fingernails digging into the jean fabric of her jacket. "So, I reached into my bag and threw salt into her eyes." She swallowed. "I figured that she couldn't do much if she wasn't able to see."

_You've seen her duck bullets._ Sam thought. Still, he had to admit it was an acceptable explanation of what happened. _And Kelly will probably tell me exactly the same thing._ Except why she'd done it. _I bet she'd find some way to evade that even if I asked her._ Still, Sam intended too. "Makes sense." He nodded. There was another reason why he'd wanted to talk to Ava. _I never asked Kelly to tell me the story of what happened when she and Ava got back to the house._ If they'd ever gotten back home. In retrospect, he probably should have. _Hindsight is twenty twenty._ "But there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." He admitted.

Sitting a few steps up on the creaky staircase, Kelly leaned her head against the wall. Remembering. The missions often came back to her quickly and while they were memories she longed to forget. They had something of a usefulness about them, a nostalgic quality that forced her to remember how she'd gotten here. But nostalgia did not necessarily mean fondness.

_She was standing on the abyss, staring down into the darkness. The blackness. It ate away at her. Three months gone. Three months gone, that was all it had been. A span of time that passed as quickly as tipping over the head of a pin and listening to it clang as it hit the table. Metal on metal. It should have been a short period of time. A blink. A moment gone, an instant forgotten. A nightmare over. And yet for her, for her, it had lasted forever. She stared down into the abyss and the darkness that lay there. Oozing up the edges of the cliff like oil, swelling against the crags, and clinging against the rock face, she stared down into the darkness. And the darkness stared back. _

_Kelly Jones closed her eyes and stepped back away from the table. The cliff face was only in her mind. A well into her own darkness, what threatened to swallow her on the lonely of most lonely nights and worse, she could feel _him_ inside her. She could taste him on her tongue. Feel his whispers in her skull, the soft stroke of his fingers along the collar that was snapped around her neck, he was with her on her lonely nights. And she hated him. She had a duty to perform and he was a distraction. Calmly she turned. Behind her a man hung whimpering from where he hung suspended by his wrists. The bones had already shattered from the pressure. She could smell it. Kelly turned and walked along the table to her right. She hummed softly. Trailing her fingers over the weapons lay strewn across the table. A power drill, a crow bar, a pair of pliers, and a scalpel, Kelly let a cold smile slither across her lips. She liked to keep it simple. _

_In the past three months, Kelly had discovered that old abandoned warehouses and abandoned ramshackle shacks in the middle of nowhere served best. With Azazel's unlocking of her abilities, she no longer felt the need to stay in one particular location. There was nothing stopping her from grabbing the target in Buffalo and porting him to the middle of nowhere in Idaho. The police were less likely to find the body when she was done. If they found anything at all. Kelly didn't like staying in one place too long, and she never came to the same location twice. She had plenty of enemies in the demonic world now. Those who hated her for her association with her boss, those who hated her for what she was, and those who hated her just to hate her, in the end they were all the same animal. And Kelly hated them. Hate, she'd learned was the only thing that kept her sane. She had no need for love or hope. Only the squirming hatred that corroded her heart and the desire to kill every demon she came across. Kelly glanced to the dark haired figure who hung suspended and naked in the frigid air. They were up in the wilds of Canada. Where she'd found an old woodsman's cabin. She'd been saving it for a special occasion. This was it. Kelly picked up the power drill._

_This was Aeshema, a demon of wrath and fury. It was important that Kelly keep herself calm and her mind only focused on the duty, the job. Emotionless. That was how one interrogated demons. It was the job. A job. If she gave into her feelings here, Kelly knew that Aeshema would be able to play off of them to use her anger and gain power from it. He would try to escape and then the link to her true mission, the assassination of Asmodeus would be lost. She would have to begin the hunt again and this time start from scratch. Kelly swallowed; she would never be able to find her ferrets and sources again. They would not turn on Asmodeus a second time and should she return, she ran the risk of alerting the ancient demon to her intentions. He was not the kind who could be lured to her by lying still. He was far to wily to be tricked into hunting her like so many of the others she'd tracked. He would not walk into her traps. No, she would have to walk into his. _And survive. _He was a bastard true, hardy and insidious with a sweet tongue like a snake. He had a cult that worshipped him in the New Mexico desert and Aeshema knew where they were. Kelly did not want to have to murder those fools who'd carved the demon's sigil into their flesh and offered up their own life source to him for feeding. Killing Asmodeus would no doubt free them to return to whatever pathetic lives they lead in the before had. A pity. Kelly glanced up at Aeshema. He was sleeping again. Quite the feat for one in so much pain and beginning to suffer the early signs of hypothermia, she smirked. Demons, she'd discovered, no matter how dead their host bodies, still had a hard time withstanding the cold. It didn't bother her. Her hardy fur kept her insides warm and her glamour was merely a reflection of it. If the Hound was not cold, then Kelly would not be. _

_She had left him hanging here for three days. Once his power reserves had been exhausted by teetering on a plastic bucket and never allowing him sleep for the first twenty-four hours. Then in kindness, after having extracted a few names, she allowed him to a three-hour rest period. Kelly never worried about her targets escaping. Her special enhancement, the rams head pentagon tattoo on her hand allowed her to bind a demon into it's host body and the silver nail emblazoned with a powerful sigil mark that she hammered into their skull at the beginning of the session ensured their demonic abilities were nullified and that they were in constant pain. It was also enchanted to make sure they could not leave the designated area. In this case, the cabin. _

_The mark on her hand, useful as it was, had to be used sparingly however. Its sealing power could only be used on one subject, once a day, and though it lasted for long periods of time, it was useless in melee and anything larger than a one on one battle. But in a situation like this, when she needed to extract information. To make a demon fear, it worked perfectly. _

"_Wakey wakey." She said. Walking forward, she lifted the end of the drill to the top of his ear and pressed the power button. A loud whirring sound filled the room and was dampened by the wooden walls. The demon, Aeshema screamed. Kelly gripped him by the hair and bent his head back. "Where in Carlsbad can I find him!" She snarled. Her voice filling the room. "Or I swear on your Lightbringer," the words left an acrid taste in her mouth. There had always been something a little off about demonic religion, but Kelly had never been sure of what. "I will shove this somewhere a little more unpleasant."_

_One would have thought that Aeshema would have been more willing to give up his boss. But, Kelly supposed that was too much to hope for. Most demons had a tendency to either betray or stay loyal to their superiors. The ambitions ones mixed the two and were always eager to see their master's fall. Kelly had quickly determined in the first few days that Ashema wasn't the ambitious type._

"_Fuck you." He hissed. "I ain't givin' Azzy up." _

"_You know you've got nothing." Kelly said. She trailed the whirling tip of the drill down along the top portion of his shoulder. "And there's nothing standing between me turning your arm into my next art project." She pressed the tip into the soft nerves underneath the cuff of his shoulder and into the socket of his arm. "You'll be living out the rest of your undead life as a head." She pressed harder. To his credit Aeshema moaned but did not scream. "How would you feel spending your eternity buried in the cold ground?" She asked. "With no company but the worms wriggling up your nostrils and the ants climbing across your eyeballs?" She leaned in close and pressed down harder until her lips were next to his ear. The drill went clean through Aeshema's shoulder and he began sobbing. "I'll let you go, Aeshema." She said. Her voice gentle, soft, as she ran her free hand comfortingly down the side of his face, Aeshema's tears were hot against her skin. "It's Asmodeus I want. Not you, and you're constant loyalty makes me testy." She smiled. "Cause you see, I could be down at Taco Bell right now, chowing down on a gordita. But instead I'm here." She twisted the drill and moved it sideways, sending spurts of blood spattering all over the floor, Kelly's shirt and goggles. "With you." She patted his cheek. "And I'll be here with you until you tell me what I want to know." _

"_Bitch!" Aeshema spat. "Azzy ain't gonna fall to the likes o' you. I know who you work for lovely and he ain't gonna take my master's followers." _

"_You know." Kelly sighed. "A part of me was hoping you'd say that." She reversed the direction of the drill, moving inwards towards more vital organs. "Gives me a chance to play Picasso with that gang-banger you're riding." She stroked his hair back as she pulled the drill out of his body. Blood dripped down his chest, out of the ripped holes in his flesh, trickling down his naked torso. She stepped back and turned towards the table._

"_Do you're worst, bitch." _

"_Aeshema." Kelly said. She pulled on a cleaner set of plastic gloves and picked up the pliers off the table. "Do you know how many organs you can extract with a pair of pliers?" She turned around and seeing the blank look on his face, she smirked_. Too stupid to understand_._ _She liked the smart ones, they were more fun to play with. "Then, it's your lucky day." She grinned. "Because you're about to find out." With amusement, merriment, and hatred in her heart, Kelly Jones went to work. The cabin and the surrounding woods were filled with screams for hours after and did not end, even when Aeshema's vocal chords could shriek no more._

"Hey." A nasally voice broke through her memories. "You okay?"

Kelly Jones looked up, surprised. She hadn't expected anyone to follow her here, much less try to strike up a conversation. Though… _I half expected Jake to follow me so he could crack me across the head again._ It was the kind of Alpha dog fight the military had trained him for. _It's why I don't want to see him win._ He was obviously a good soldier, but one lacking both in guts and imagination. Kelly stared down at the short guy at the bottom of the staircase. He was holding out her jacket like a peace offering. Reaching out, Kelly snatched it from his fingertips. The jacket was the only possession of hers that she really cared about. A reward for her good service from Azazel, a prize she'd stolen off of one a demon she'd killed. The jacket had been her soft spot, so Kelly had taken it from her. _And now I feel the same attachment._ It was just a jacket. _But it's also a symbol._ A symbol of how she had been forced to change. _And a reminder of why I can never go home._ One couldn't cross the same river twice and in a way, Kelly felt like Sam and Dean were lost to her forever. The jacket reminded her of why they were. _I'm like that Gordon guy. I'm becoming everything that they despise._ Nevertheless, she'd do her best to save them. _Even if they never understand._ The jacket was also a symbol of that commitment. "Thanks." She said.

Andy seemed to take this as an invitation, because he sat down at the bottom of the stairs. His clouded stoner eyes on her face with an insatiable kind of curiosity. It was the kind that Philip DeHardy had once possessed when he had come across her. Thinking, Kelly resisted the urge to look around for a window. He'd been far to interested for his own good. _And he didn't listen to me._ Something that had gotten him killed. He'd asked for her help too. _And I failed him._ She hadn't been able to save him from Ava. Just as she hadn't been able to use him as a tool in her own revenge. _Self preservation._ She would not become that woman's servant. Never. "You know Sam and Dean?" He asked. It wasn't really a question.

"A long time ago." She replied. Kelly tipped her head and let it rest against the wooden wall. Her ears were attuned to the conversation that was beginning between Ava and Sam down the hall. "Feels like a lifetime now." Her eyes moved down to her wrists, again hidden by the sleeves of her shirt. _A lifetime indeed._

"You're Dean's girlfriend?" Again, it wasn't a question.

Kelly lifted her head off the wall and glanced at Andy in surprise. _I shouldn't be._ Sam had obviously known Andy when they met. There'd been nothing to stop him from mentioning her relationships. _But I'm surprised he did._ "Once." She said. Why was she being honest with this little snot? Kelly glanced down at him. Her brown gold eyes deep in thought. _Maybe I just miss having friends._ That brought caustic laughter from her cold twisted heart. But up until this point, the last five months had been filled with treacherous paths, people, and more enemies than she could count. _And I made as many as I killed._ The full cult of Asmodeus for once, after she'd removed their demon leader. _More than a few swore vengeance._ But that might have been because she'd used the gold-leaf gilded alter to crush his head in after permanently removing the demon from the dead man's body. _Ironically, killing a demon is far less flashy than exorcising one._ But Kelly had needed to make sure that the dedicated wouldn't try to bring their lord and master back. _He was too hard to put down the first time around._ Still, splattering brains across the hardwood floor did often lead to the creation of a whole new set of enemies. Kelly was confident that dodging them wouldn't be too hard. After all, she'd convinced them afterwards that she'd been a hellhound sent by Lucifer himself. More than a few had bought that explanation. _Which was great, until…_ The aftermath where they wanted to worship her. _Being a deity just isn't my thing._

"But Sam said you still were." Andy pestered.

Kelly sighed. "Why the hell do you want to know?" She asked. Grabbing the jacket up from where she'd set it aside, she slid her arms through the sleeves and felt its familiar presence settle over her shoulders. The fifteen minutes without it had been uncomfortable.

"Look, I woke up in frontier land this morning. I just figured out demons are real. And I've already seen one murder today!" Andy snapped. "Then, you show up out of thin air. You! The friggin' girl that Sam's been moping about."

"Moping?" Kelly asked. Her lips twisting wickedly as she stared down at Andy's enraged face.

"The one he and Dean apparently lost five months ago." Andy's rant continued despite her interruption and Kelly decided that she'd have to give him props for that. "Turning up here of all places! In friggn' frontier land!" That was the third time he'd described this place as "frontier land". Kelly decided that he had to like the phrase. She was willing to admit that it was a good way to describe Cold Oak. "Are you another one of the psychics?" He asked. "Cause I'm sure Sam would have mentioned that."

"If I was, he would have." Kelly offered. "But I'm not like you or Sam or Jake." Andy didn't notice that she'd left out Ava, he was too focused on trying to figure out some semblance of the truth.

"But, what you said to Ava…" Andy trailed off. "It sounded like you've been here a long time."

_God, I don't like questions._ A part of her wanted to grab Andy and hurl him through a wall. _Brain damage does not constitute a kill._ But she knew she couldn't. For one thing, a small part of her actually liked him. _Disgusting as that sounds._ And secondly. _Sam's confusion over whether or not to believe me or Ava would be settled._ She needed Sam not knowing who to believe. _Mistrust keeps you sharp._ She wanted him thinking critically, not blindly believing in everyone's goodness. _Which means I'm a bad guy._ Obviously. "Longer than you." She replied. Her voice flippant as she deflected the thinly disguised question. _Sounds like he wants confirmation._ Unfortunately, she wasn't the best person to come to when seeking answers.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andy asked.

"Whatever you want it to." She said.

Andy paused for a moment and considered this. "Has anyone ever told you that you're really cryptic?"

"Yea-"

"I mean it's really cool. Like you're Confucius or Nietzsche or Yoda." Andy said. "You say all these things that you don't really mean and then you expect us to figure out the answers." He paused and evaluated her for another moment. Kelly was to stunned by this rerouting of the conversation to come up with a satisfactory answer. "Basically," Andy grinned. "You're awesome! I mean, the way you've been protecting Sam is like, so cool. You totally don't want him to trust you and I dig that."

"You reading my mind?" Kelly asked. _I hate mind readers._

"How'd you know?" Andy asked.

"Lucky guess." She replied. Her voice flat and dead, there was no amusement in her tone, but Andy found himself laughing when her lips twisted sardonically.

"Funny thing is," Andy said. "I can't get you to do anything." He didn't mention that she was one of the hardest people ever to read. The malevolent feelings that formed the surface layer of her brain clouded his vision into her mind. He got a few emotions, her feelings about Sam. How she wanted to protect him. Andy didn't quite understand why she was behaving the way and he didn't want to dig any further. The earlier images he'd managed to get all told him that he should be shitting himself instead of talking to her. _But she's like the anti-hero. Like a supernatural version of the Punisher!_ Andy couldn't ignore someone like that. He'd just had to talk to her. To figure out what she was all about. _She's not involved in this the same way we are._ And she seemed… calmer. Unlike everyone else, Andy couldn't sense any real fear over her own demise.

"Friendly suggestion," Kelly said. She flicked a clod of mud off her knee as she looked down at Andy. "Don't try."

"That's probably good advice." Andy swallowed.

"Best I've got." Kelly said.

Back in the sitting room, Sam was trying to work up the courage to tell Ava about what had happened to Brady. So far, he wasn't succeeding. It had been fifteen minutes since they'd talked about Kelly, leaving an awkward pause before they went back to demon proofing the building with bags of rock salt. He wanted to tell her, he did. But he also wanted her to stay focused. Could she do that knowing she had nothing to go back to? That her fiancée was dead? _I don't know if I could._ Not if someone had said something like that about Dean. _Or Kelly._ In a reverse situation, Sam would only have been able to focus on revenge. _On killing the son of a bitch that put us here._ What were the chances that he'd endanger every other person here trying to get it? What if the same were true of Ava? Could he risk it? Could he take the chance? The doubts Kelly had inserted into his mind were still wriggling there too. They were like locusts buzzing around and chewing their way into his interactions. _What if she already knows?_ Sam realized that he probably should have asked Kelly about that. But it was probably too late to do that now. Not when he was ready to ask. Finishing with the final touches of salt around the room, Sam straightened up, he noticed that Ava was done too.

Rubbing her hands on her pants she walked back towards the center of the room. Then, before Sam could, she broke the awkward silence that hung between them. "My horoscope said I shouldn't have gotten out of bed." She said. She came to a stop beside the table, so that she was standing next to him. Her voice was low and thoughtful, like she was regretting not listening to it.

Sam sucked in a deep breath. _Here we go._ He thought, making up his mind. _Do or die._ He wondered if he looked as uncomfortable as he felt. He didn't want to look at her. News like this was never easy to give. He knew he'd have to be prepared for crying and Sam Winchester didn't like seeing anyone cry.

Ava glanced at him. "How you doing?" She asked. Sam's eyes snapped to her. It was like she'd known what he was thinking. "Holding up?"

There was a softness in her tone, a gentleness, it set Sam a little at ease while at the same time building up the tension and guilt inside his soul. She was being nice to him and he was being an ass by not telling her the truth. _For primarily selfish reasons too._ "I'm doing okay." He responded with a small smile and a nod. "What about you?"

"Not so okay." She admitted. Looking down she played with the dust sprinkled across the table like a gray fog. There was another pause. Then, Ava looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Her voice breaking as she asked. "Why us, Sam?" She stared at him. "What did we do to deserve this?"

Sam swallowed. He didn't have an answer for her. "Just lucky I guess." He said A small, flippant smile on his lips. It was a mockery of the one that he'd seen Kelly wear. His was shaded with less bitterness and fewer angry emotions. Even though he felt that he had just as much right to hate his circumstances as she did. _I just don't know if I hate them quite as much._

"Without bad lucky wouldn't have no luck at all." Ava said. She glanced at Sam again, a half smile on her lips.

Outside there was another crash of thunder. A storm was moving in and this time it sounded much closer. Sam didn't want to ponder what it would be like fighting demons underneath torrents of rain. _Wouldn't want to try making it into the woods on wet muddy ground._ Or having Kelly obliged to chase them. From what she said about her pact, Sam doubted that she would have a problem killing any of them. _Maybe even me._ The thought made his blood cold. _I don't want to have it come down to a choice between my life or hers._ It was something that Sam would avoid at all costs. _Even if it means staying here._ Until he figured out what was in that deal and how to break it. _How to set her free._ Then, he was willing to bet, she'd have no problem helping all of them escape. _We just have to survive until then._ And he would have to keep her from killing Ava.

"I can't wait for this all to be over." Ava said. She stared up at the ceiling with a wistful expression in her eyes. "So I can pretend it never happened." She sucked in a very deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh but musty air. Then she exhaled. "I just want to curl up with Brady," she said. Her voice incredibly longing and Sam thought he saw real hope flicker in her expression. Then it was gone. "And watch bad TV."

Sam stiffened at the mention of Brady. Now was the time to tell her. But should he? The old worries came flooding back, paralyzing his tongue in his mouth as he looked away from her and sadly down at the floor. He frowned, the muscles around his mouth twitching. Painful news was always hard to give and made worse when one cared about the recipient. _But because I care, I have to tell her._ Sam thought. He'd made up his mind that he would do it. And he would do it.

Seeing the mixed emotions moving across his countenance, Ava's voice dropped worriedly. "What is it?" Sam shook his head. She'd spotted him. Now, he really had to tell her. He paused again, this time for several more minutes. "Sam?" Ava asked. "Do you know something?" There was another pause as she searched for the words. "Something that I don't?"

Sam looked away and down, then he exhaled heavily. "Look, Ava." He said. "I—" Sam stopped. He didn't really know how to tell her. The words were already hurting him, he couldn't imagine the blow that they'd be to her. He shook his head. Still, he had to do it. He owed it to her. She deserved to know the truth. "I'm sorry, I wish I didn't have to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" There was real fear in her voice now.

Sam straightened up and reached out to put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "When the demon broke into your house to take you,' Sam said. He'd moved to a standing position, sensing that Ava would need someone to stabilize her while she heard the news. "Your fiancée…" He paused. The words were hard to say and even though he was trying to be diplomatic, they stumbled out of his mouth clumsily. "He didn't make it."

Ava's eyes widened. A part of her, a part buried in the darkest depths of her mind. The place where she kept the memory of what had happened the night she'd been abducted. The thing she'd forced herself to forget, so that she could believe with all her heart that Brady would be waiting for her. That he was worried about her. It had given her the strength to keep going, to do what was necessary to ensure her survival. So that one day she could see Brady again. She'd needed to believe that. She'd had to. She made it by placing the blame on Kelly, by vowing revenge for being unable to save her, and then later, Ava had sought to control Kelly. Seeing the most powerful weapon was still outside of her control. She'd had her reasons for doing it, and while a part of it was spite, she'd convinced herself that it was worth it. _To see Brady again_. But now, because of Sam's words, the memory that she'd locked away since she'd come to this dreadful town was resurfacing and Ava was once again filled with that anguish. She stared at Sam, the heat of her tears stinging her eyes. Her mouth opening to into a small 'o', her jaw becoming slack. Her vision blurred as the tears began to leak from her eyes. Hot and burning as they coursed down her cheeks to collect under her chin and drip to the floor. In this moment she hated Sam. Hated him for taking away the one thing that had kept her strong. Removing without a shadow of a doubt the false hope that had kept her striving for the finish line. Even Kelly hadn't been that cruel. "No." Ava whispered. "No." She felt Sam's arms reach out as he pulled her into his arms. She pressed her face against his jacket as an emptiness filled her. Now, she had no reason to kill. Except for her own survival. And now, for Ava, that was enough. She hated Sam. He'd ruined her fantasy, ruined her life. He was going to have to pay for that. _I'm going to find a way._ And when she did, Ava vowed, it would be Kelly who dealt Sam's death stroke. That was the only way her vengeance could be satisfied.

On the staircase one hallway away, Kelly Jones closed her eyes and muttered. "Fool."

AN: Sorry, no YED. Next chapter. I figured that this one had gone on long enough and I should leave you waiting in breathless anticipation for the next installment. Where the YED will actually appear. But, I hope you enjoyed Kelly's teasing of the other psychics and Sam. Cause what fun would if be if she acted straightforward? Or gave away all the twists. In truth, I really do like Andy and he made for a funny conversation with her, and since he doesn't get much face time in the episode (Other than the beginning and his death scene) and because I didn't do the episode with him in it. (Time constraints and I forgot how awesome it was.) I figured it would be prudent to let the two characters interact here.

Side Note: Kelly's memory of torturing the demon Aeshema was a short story I wrote a few days ago as a submission for a challenge on my home board Paradise Lost, but I figured it served the story to input it here. It originally has two things that this version is missing, the song quote that inspired it.

Home in the darkness

Home on the highway

Home isn't my way

Home will never be (Burnin' For You – Blue Oyster Cult)

And a random musing by Kelly at the end on the subject of immortality, fear, and the one thing every being dead or alive fears. After all, what do demons receive when they die? Like Kelly, the answer is oblivion. And who wouldn't fear that. Anyway, the story was entitled "No Way Home", and I'm sorry for the creepy factor. In a way I was stretching my muscles for the third book to be entitled "Grim Rising", where Kelly will end up being the one to torture Alistair instead of Dean. (Oops, was that a spoiler?) Anyway, for that to happen you gotta set her up as having creepy talents right? For those of you who are squeamish, I promise there will be only one more flashback that indulges in Kelly's time with Azazel and that one will be along a slightly different vein, so no worries. But do yourself a favor and buckle in for violence. And after that? Why, there's only a few more deaths, a duel to the death, and an episode to go. Then my beloved readers, we will be finished… At the very least, with the first adventure, thank you for having stuck with me so far. As always it's your continued praise that keeps me going …. (I admit it; I'm a review whore.)

And yikes! I've rambled on more than usual. If you stayed with me to the bottom of this, I love you… and wonder why you're still here reading my musings. Shoo!

On the offhand, don't forget to review! My muse loves her feedings. So, feed her and she will give her love back to you.


	58. Chapter 58: Visions of the Past

Chapter 58: Visions of the Past

Another few hours passed and Sam found himself back in the kitchen with the others, drifting in and out on the edge of consciousness. Andy had returned after Sam's conversation with Ava looking slightly invigorated. Sam wondered what had happened, but when he saw Kelly pause at the door behind him and survey the room with cautious eyes, he had his answer. Honestly, Sam had never expected that it would be Andy to go after Kelly. _And he wouldn't do it._ Unless he didn't know that she'd killed Lily. Sam wondered if Andy could read minds, when they'd met nearly seven months ago, he hadn't been able to. He could only communicate what he wanted others to do through verbal commands. But the projection of images over long distances had made Sam wonder what else it was that Andy could do. Either way his friend looked far more relaxed than he had an hour or two beforehand. _Who would have thought that Kelly could be calming._ Whenever Sam saw her, she sent his heart rate racing towards the stratosphere. But even the boosts of adrenaline he got from looking into her eyes wasn't enough to keep him from sleep. He blinked once, then twice, and saw Ava stiffen and Jake straighten at Kelly's presence. Sam was glad that she didn't enter the room. He smiled slightly and rubbed his eyes again, looking up. Then he saw him. Sam's heart seized as he sat bolt upright.

"JAKE!" He roared. "BEHIND YOU!" Grabbing his own weapon he scrambled into a standing position. That was when he realized that the demon was not only grinning, but that everyone else was frozen in place.

"Howdy, Sam." Azazel said. His voice cheerful as straightened up off the doorframe and walked deeper into the room. His hands swinging at his sides, his pupil-less, merciless, yellow gaze on Sam. He bored into the young man's eyes, never losing the amused smirk that seemed to have become be a permanent fixture on his lips. He chuckled.

Sam glanced towards Kelly, but even she hadn't moved. Finally, in a breathless voice that sought to fight back the terror that was rapidly consuming him, Sam Winchester said. "I'm dreaming."

"What do you say," the demon said. "You and I take a little walk?" Sam realized that he had no choice and cast another worried glance at Kelly. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about her Sam." Azazel chuckled. "She'll be fine, never know you were gone." He paused. "Well, she actually might." His smirk widened as his expression grew colder. "But I doubt she'll hold it against me."

"Wha—" Sam began.

"Ah, ah." The demon lifted his hand. "We'll have more time for questions later." He cast a sweeping glance around the room. "But for now, whaddya say we go somewhere a little more private?" Sam didn't have time to respond as the demon lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

There was a jump. No flash of light but it felt like the world was spinning as if his insides were being jumbled. Like he was being ripped apart atom by atom and being rebuilt. It was a disconcerting feeling, Sam decided. When the world stopped spinning as the ride came to a stop, Sam stumbled out. His boots sinking into muddy ground and cold water splashed up his leg. Now his socks were wet. Great. He looked around. They were still in Cold Oak. Sam was surprised that this was the demon's idea of a private meeting. He swallowed. His glaring eyes boring into the Yellow-Eyed Demon's back. _Well, it's not like things can get much worse._ Here alone having parlay with a demon. _A demon who probably wants me dead._ The demon Sam hated with all his heart and soul. _The demon I want dead._ He wished that he could kill him now. To put his hands around the son of a bitch's throat and throttle him until the black cloud erupted from his mouth. _So he knows that I'm not gonna play his stupid game._ Which Sam wouldn't. _But I have to figure out what he did with Kelly._ Whether or not Sam trusted her, he was fairly certain that the reasons behind her actions was the demon in front of him. _I'd be able to get a better read if I knew what the hell was going on._ But Kelly hadn't told him. _Which means I have to go to the source._ Sam could feel his anger bubbling to the surface, his temper moving outside of his control.

"You're awfully quiet, Sam." The Yellow-Eyed demon observed. He was walking ahead of Sam, his boots squishing in the mud. His head turned a little bit, like he was looking forward to seeing whatever response Sam could come up with. He chuckled. "You're not mad at me are ya?"

Sam leaned forward, his voice harsh as he hissed. "I'm gonna tear you to shreds, I swear to G—"

He was cut off by dry and amused laughter. It made Sam feel small and insignificant. Like he was a gnat that the demon had just brushed off his shoulder. "When you wake up tiger, you give it your best shot."

"Where's my brother?" Sam asked. He spat the words out of his mouth, it took all his self control not to leap at the demon and start pounding his face into the mud. "What did you do to Kelly?" The second question made the demon pause.

There were a few moments of tense silence and then the demon said. "Quit worrying about Dean." He paused and tilted his head mockingly. "Or my best and most reliable naughty girl." The way he said 'best and most reliable' sent chills running down Sam's spine. The demon smirked, as if he felt the discomfort he'd caused the youngest Winchester. Azazel's voice was deadly serious as he continued to speak. "I'd worry more about yourself."

"What?" Sam asked. He spread his arms wide, challengingly. Daring the demon to do something. "You gonna kill me?"

The demon stopped and turned around to face the young man. His expression darkening a little, but the amusement remained. He held out an offering hand. "I'm trying to help you." He said. "That's why we're talking." He smirked. "You're the one I'm rooting for." The demon turned away from Sam and kept walking, he scanned the area. He knew his puppy could play I-spy on them while he was in Sam's mind, but that didn't make him less concerned. She'd grown rapidly over the five months he'd known her, soaking up his teachings like a sponge. She learned quickly and could apply what he taught with both brutal force and with a deft, subtle hand. But he'd expected that from a fey. Even one as damaged as Kelly was.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"Welcome to the Miss America Pageant." The demon spread his hands with amusement. "Why do you think you are here?" He turned back to face Sam. "This is a competition." Azazel lifted a single finger for emphasis as he added. "And only one of you crazy kids is getting out alive." He smirked.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. "You telling me I've gotta kill Kelly?"

The demon chuckled, dryly. A colder version of his smirk spreading over his undead visage. He tilted his head mockingly at Sam. "How did I know that question was coming?" He sighed. "But apparently you haven't been paying much attention to the hints my Hound has been giving you."

"Hints?" Sam asked. His expression blank as he stared at the shorter gray haired man.

"Yes, Sammy boy." The demon sighed. "Hints. She's been trying to help you win." He pursed his lips and looked back at the house, Sam's gaze followed. "If you were as smart as I thought you were, you'd have picked up on them." He chuckled. "You'd have even let her take care of your competition."

"What?" Sam asked. Things were starting to click together. His heart pounding as he realized that this was the conversation he'd been waiting for.

"And if you were smarter, you'd have let her." He laughed. "Well, that's what happens when you don't trust your allies." He shook his head. "Not that you're to blame Sammy boy. She's been such a bad dog these past few hours." The demon tutted and shook his head. "Amusing if futile, and I was so certain she was going to cheat… But she hasn't," he glanced at Sam again and the young man saw the coldness that lay there. The sense of glee over what was coming next. "Yet." The demon smirked.

"Whatever." Sam growled. "I thought we were supposed to be—"

"Soldiers?" The demon tilted his head back as he stared up into Sam's eyes. "In a coming war? That's true, you are." He flicked his hand up again, index finger pointing towards the sky as he slowed down his voice, savoring the words as they came through his lips. "But here's the thing." Slowly, his eyes not leaving Sam, he walked past him. Sam turned, following him. These were the answers he'd been waiting for. The demon leaned close, his voice low as he said in complete confidentiality. "I don't need soldiers." Sam felt a shiver crawl up his spine. "I need soldier. I just need the one."

"Why?" _And where does Kelly fit into all this?_

The demon laughed. "Well, I just couldn't come out and say that could I Sam?" He asked. "I had to let everyone think they had a fighting chance." He lifted his hand and pushed it out towards the younger man for emphasis. "But what I need," He took pleasure in revealing this to Sam. "Is a leader."

"To lead who?"

"Oh." The demon said. "I've already got my army." He paused and tilted his head and lifted his hand, it was almost placating. Like he was adding expletives for comedic emphasis. "Or, I will." A larger, more knowing smirk crossed over his lips. It looked as if he thought he was about to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and perform the greatest cosmic joke ever recorded. "Soon, anyway."

Another chill slithered through Sam and his heart continued pounding madly against his ribs. "You son of a bitch." _What do you want with Kelly?_ Was he planning on sacrificing her? Feeding her to gaping jaws of hell to barter out an army that would raise hell on earth?

The demon smirked at the angry expression on Sam's face. "Those are naughty thoughts to have running through your mind, Sammy." He said. "I can't personally say I approve, but I know of a few downstairs who'd love to do that to your little friend." He shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Sam demanded. "What do you plan on doing with Kelly?" The demons grin only widened as Sam stepped forward. "Answer me, goddammit!"

"Now, now, Sam." The demon waved his hands. "It's not prudent to use the Holy Father's name in vain."

"What would you know about God?" Sam hissed.

The demon smiled. "More than you'd think." He chuckled, his eyes never leaving Sam's. "But let's get back on task, shall we?" He watched as Sam lifted his chin defiantly. "You want to know about the fate I have planned for my special dog." It was a statement not a question and Sam suddenly realized that the demon might know him a lot better than Sam had ever thought was possible. "Well, I'll just say this you're friend is too… valuable to be wasted on that overly melodramatic kind of ending."

"You don't plan on killing her?" Sam asked. He felt confused.

"Kill her?" The demon laughed. "Kiddo, if I'd wanted her dead I'd have done it the first time I met her." Blank confusion crossed Sam's face as the demon's smirk grew ever wider. "That's right." He said. "She didn't tell you did she."

"What are you talking about?" Sam's voice came out, sounding desperate. He leaned forward as he felt his heard continue to hammer away. This was worse than he'd ever thought possible and yet it was very, very real. _He could be lying._ Kelly would have told them if the Yellow-Eyed demon had been coming to her. Wouldn't she?

"Your little friend, my precious hunting dog, Kelly Jones…" He paused, another twisted smirk finding it's way onto his lips. "I suppose that's what she'll have to be called, even if," he paused and smiled at Sam. "That's not her real name."

"You twisted bastard." Sam growled.

"Well, she first caught my eye in Philadelphia. When you lot were out hunting that, serial killing ghost." The Yellow-Eyed demon waved his hand dismissively.

"Really?" Sam asked. "Not the first time she fell? All those demons were after her then."

"Only the young and the stupid." The Yellow-Eyed demon sighed. "They saw a source of power that they didn't understand and they wanted it." He shrugged. "My kind will always be attracted to hers, seeking to eliminate the threat before it becomes writ large." He chuckled and tilted his head to the side, his pupil-less gaze never leaving Sam's eyes. "After all, the Hounds of the Wild Hunt, both C'wn Mamau and C'wn Annwn are our natural predators." He chuckled. "But where they saw as a danger to be eliminated, I saw an opportunity." He smiled and Sam felt his blood run colder. At this point it was practically freezing in his veins. "You see, Sammy boy, I'm old enough to remember what it was like when her kind ruled the world." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, like he was remembering the sweetest of memories. "And oh, you should have seen them. When they were at their best. They created more terrors than my kind could boast…." He paused. "So far anyway, but history has always been the harshest of judges."

"What do you mean?" Sam demanded.

"You must have been sleeping through your history lessons." The Yellow-Eyed demon mused. "But I suppose Daddy can be blamed for your poor education." He chuckled. "Dragging you from school to school, never attached to one place or one person." He smirked. "No, Sam, I am talking about the dark times." He said. "Before the days of Christ, when the old gods walked supreme. When demons walked this earth unchecked with only one real fear in their hearts."

"Angels?"

"Nice try, but no." The Yellow-Eyed demon smirked. "The Hunt, Sam. It's what our little Kelly is all about, the heart and soul of what and, dare I say, who she is. It's the reason why she will never be completely yours, or your fool brother's, or even mine," again, he smirked. "Pacted together as we are."

"So why would you want her?" Sam asked. He as confused. "If she's so dangerous."

"Allow me," the demon said. "To explain." Sam's brow bent together, but finally he nodded. He didn't like where this was going, but if it helped him understand Kelly better… Then, fine. All he had to do was remember that demons lied. "Once upon a time, in the old days when all our kinds were free to wander the earth, a demon named Legion found a wounded black hound. It was a creature of the C'wn Mamau, the shadow beasts behind there more famous, and," the demon shrugged. "Less dangerous counterparts. Either way, what he found was a pup, wounded on the edge of death. Legion should have killed this dog, but instead he made a deal." Sam bit his tongue to keep from speaking. "If the dog would follow him to the end of its days and swear it's eternal allegiance to the Pit, then he would restore it to full life and increase it's power tenfold."

"Why would any of these hounds deal with the things they hunt?"

"Why don't you ask little Kelly that." The demon said. "Or did she not give you an answer that does the body good?" He smirked. "You've got lots to learn about your friend Sammy boy," he looked away and back at the house. "I wonder if you'll have the chance to discover it."

"Did the dog take the deal?" Sam growled.

"What a stupid question to ask," the demon sighed. "Of course it did and began to hunt its brethren and whoever else Legion demanded. It killed and murdered so many that finally, after some foolhardy sorcerer returned Legion to hell, the dog was banished there to serve that place for all eternity." The Yellow-Eyed demon raised it's eyebrows at Sam and smirked. "And created," he paused for emphasis. "The first hellhound."

"What?" Sam asked. That seemed to become a question that he was stating a lot. "So, you captured Kelly to make her a hellhound?"

"You missed the point of the story, Sam." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. "What my relationship with that delightful doggy is about is power." He smirked. "Power over her and power over you. And to hold a card in my hands that the old ones remember, one that they fear. Because, you see, Legion?" The Yellow-Eyed demon smiled. "He didn't just kill ghosts and monsters and other fey. No." His eyes were frozen as he held Sam's gaze. "No, he used that hound to murder his rivals."

"Wha—"

"It's clear," The demon sighed. "That I'm going to have to show you, but not now." He lifted a hand. "We'll get to that later, right now, I want to get back to the subject of this discussion." He pointed a finger at Sam. "You."

_Right. This is supposed to be about me._ Sam thought and swallowed. Him and the other children.

"And honestly?" The demon shrugged. "I'm surprised you already figured out this little competition." He waved his hand. "I mean, why do you think so many children flamed out already? Max Miller and what's his name? Andy's brother." He turned around. His cold eyes boring into Sam's. "They weren't strong enough." He said. "I'm looking for the best and brightest of your generation." The demon turned his head to glance back at the house.

"My generation?" Sam asked. Momentarily, he was letting Kelly's issue fall to the wayside, the demon obviously didn't want to discuss it.

"Well, there's other generations, but let's just focus on yours." The demon said. He walked forward and closed the distance between them. "That's why I'm here, Sam. I want to give you the inside track. Your tough, your smart, and your well trained thanks to your Daddy." He nodded back towards the house. "In addition to all those fine, outstanding qualities, you've got her love. Which I have to say, from personal experience, is far more important than her loyalty. Tricky devil." He paused and turned back to Sam. "Sam." He said. "Sammy, you're my favorite."

"You ruined my life." Sam said. "You killed everyone I love."

"The cost of doing business I'm afraid." He said. "I mean, sweet Jessica, she just had to die. You were all set to marry that little blonde thing, become a tax lawyer with a beer gut and two kids and a mcmansion in the suburbs. I needed you sharp." He lifted his hand. "On the road, honing your skills." He paused again. "Your _gifts_."

"What about my mom?" Sam asked.

There was a pause as a genuine note of regret entered the Yellow-Eyed Demon's tone. "That was bad luck."

"Bad luck?"

"She walked in on us," the demon said. "Wrong place wrong time."

"And Kelly?"

"Ah," He said. "We're back to that same old tune." He smirked. "I was right to let her stay with you."

"Let her stay?"

"That's right." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. "Let her, and believe me, there were times when I struggled with that decision. But seeing you, here, so filled with righteous anger, so worried about her safety, her future, I know I made the right choice."

"Why?" Sam demanded.

"To bond with you." The demon said. "You see, I don't really control her, never have never will, not the way you could anyway."

"But—"

"What I'm trying to tell you, Sammy." The demon said. "Is that there's still one more you can save. And if you can or when you do, then, we'll show the world something new." He smirked. "Something unique."

"What does that mean?" Sam asked. None of this made any sense. _I can save Kelly? How? And what did he mean about Mom?_

"It was never about any of them, not your girlfriend, not your mother, not your dog. It was about you." He leaned in close. "It's always been about you."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Okay." The demon lifted his hands. "You caught me in a charitable mood. I'll show you two things," he smirked. "How much our sassy little puppy dog has grown and that night with your mother."

"Why?"

"The truth is, I should only be showing you one. But the truth is I just love the fun my little firecracker gets into. Makes me feel all warm inside." The demon snapped his fingers and the scenery around them changed.

When the world finally stopped spinning again, Sam looked up to find himself in a small underground basement. Or well, a fairly large one. Behind him, three tapestries hung depicting a silver snake slithering up through a pentagram. That threw Sam off, because pentagrams were used to ward off demons and spirits, not the other way around. They were standing at the back, and Sam stared at eleven hooded bodies kneeling before an a gold-leaf alter set at the back of the room. There was one urn in the center and there was another hooded man standing behind it. His robes were a deep emerald green, his face was in shadow. The room was cold. The man in green robes lifted his hands and began to pray in an old language that Sam wasn't familiar with. It wasn't Latin. It sounded like Hebrew or possibly Arabic. Sam wasn't sure. The followers lifted their arms eagerly as the man in green looked around the room. A hum filled the air. He wanted to ask what they were doing, but instead he held his tongue. The demon most likely wouldn't tell him anyways. His heart thumped when the man in green selected one of the grey robes in the center of the semicircle. There was a quiet moment of regret as the chosen one stood up with a loud cheer and slipped off his robe. Sam nearly took a step back when he saw the variety of scars strewn across his back and the large sigil mark cut into the upper part of his right shoulder.

"What?" He asked. The chosen man stepped up towards the front of the room as the man in green turned and picked up a slender knife off of the alter. The chosen man knelt before the gold leaf podium, his hands up stretched. He spoke in English, jarring Sam back to reality.

"To the Serpent we give our blood." There was a gentle murmur through the crowd. _"To the Serpent we give our blood."_

"Honestly, Sammy." The demon sighed. "Haven't you ever found demon cults?"

"Demon cults?"

"Shh, this is the best part."

"To the Serpent, we pledge our lives." _"To the Serpent we pledge our lives."_ The man raised his wrists as the knife came down. "With this blood," the chosen man said. "The source of all life."

"_The source of all life."_

"We make our lives his."

"_We make our lives his."_

"And we make his power our own."

"_We make his power our own."_

"As he leads us into eternity."

"_Into eternity."_

"Asmodeus was always a little tacky. He liked," the demon chuckled. "Well, he had a fun time convincing poor fools like these that he was the devil." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. It was as if he was offering up an explanation.

"You mean he convinced them that he was Satan?"

"Yes, he did. In all his sacrilegious glory." The demon laughed. "This Lord of Hell Liked having his blood cults and thralls eager to do his bidding. Extravagant parties. Grand gestures. And over a hundred demons in his retinue, eager and willing to serve." He shook his head. "Not exactly the lowest profile in our little above ground community." He shook his head. "Was attracting a little too much attention. Even had a few hunters go after him."

"What happened?"

"Happened?" The demon asked. "He started encroaching on my territory," he glanced over at Sam, a wicked look dancing in his eyes. "And I couldn't have that."

"So what did you do?"

"I sent my best." The demon smirked.

There was a bang on the far side of the room and Sam felt something fly past him. He tried to move away, but the blood went through him. He swallowed as he watched a decapitated head rolling across the hard concrete floor, screaming at the top of it's lungs. Sam glanced over at the Yellow-Eyed demon and saw a look of dark amusement in his eyes that made Sam's blood run cold. He didn't dare ask who had removed the head, and he was slightly more surprised that it still retained the ability to speak. _Reanimating dead corpses._ Well, there had to be some kind of explanation. "I didn't do it, my lord!" The head shrieked. "I didn't lead that dumb bitch here!"

The small group of humans, who had turned at the sound of the door banging open, began to scream when they saw the head. The man on the alter did not turn, but the green robed man, the demon Asmodeus, raised his head angrily. "You fool!" He roared. "Who dares enter my sacred sanctity! This house of worship!"

"You mean this smelly, underground, rat infested hole?" Sam recognized that voice. Sam spun around. Kelly Jones walked into the room, both hands brandishing USP 9mms that glinted in the gloomy light. "If this is what you lot call worship," she smirked as her fingers twitched on the trigger of her pistols. "Then, I'll take plain padre's sermon in a Catholic Church any day." The group began to twitch, one man reached for a bag he kept beside him. "No one move." She ordered. Her voice firm as it carried through the empty room. "Especially you, Asmodeus."

"Kelly." Sam began.

"Magnificent isn't she." The demon said.

"Kelly what are you doing!" He started to move forward, but a quieting hand rested on his shoulder.

"She can't hear you, Sam." The demon cautioned. "This is really just a high def instant replay." He patted the younger man's shoulder. "Relax, enjoy the show."

"Look, my children." Asmodeus said. His harsh laughter filled the room and like a bunch of trained monkeys, his thralls laughed with him. "Another foolish hunter come to defile our sanctum." Kelly merely shrugged and holstered her pistols. "You have defeated Aeshema." He added, his voice smooth. "Which is impressive." He spread his hands wide. "But I am stronger than he." He glanced to the side. "Brellus." He said. A tall man, large in the shoulders and with a broad back stepped forward out of the shadows.

"Funny." Kelly smirked. "Naming your new servants after your most beloved children." She tilted her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't think demon's could be that sentimental."

"Remove her." The muscle bound hulk nodded and charged down the center of the room. Sam watched as Kelly moved to meet him. Her eyes cold, her back was to him so he didn't see if her eyes changed color.

"Kelly!" He yelled.

Brellus swung the first punch. Kelly shifted sideways, letting him fall past her. As he went by, she hit him with a hard uppercut to his solar plexus. Brellus fell back, gasping. But he soon straightened up. "Caught you're second wind?" She asked. Her voice cheerful as she lifted her hands up, protecting her face. Then, mockingly and in the style of the old Kung-Fu moves she shifted into a ridiculous looking stance, and motioned back towards herself with her fingers. "Come on." Kelly said. "I need the work out."

"Ah, kiddo." The demon smirked. "You're making Daddy proud."

"You didn't train her to do that." Sam snapped.

"No." The demon admitted. His eyes didn't return to Sam, he was watching Brellus's second charge. "I just improved on a foundation." He was moving like he was watching a boxing match. Sam turned back to look. Brellus had thrown a straight punch, but Kelly, she wasn't there anymore. She'd ducked underneath his guard and was coming up from underneath. "And pow!" The demon laughed as Kelly caught Brellus under the chin and sent him staggering backwards. "Broke his neck with that one."

"She didn't." Sam growled.

"Well, I'd like to think she did." The demon sighed. "But the coronary report from the Hospital later that afternoon says different."

"That all you got?" Kelly asked. Sam could practically feel her raising that challenging eyebrow. Her eyes were on the green robed man.

"Asmodeus I swear un' my mother's grave!" The head continued to shriek. "I didn't lead Azazel's Hound to your door."

A strange look came over the hooded man's shadowed face. "So you are Azazel's latest thrall? I have heard much of your exploits. Tell me," he asked. "How did your master bind you?"

Kelly smirked. "Like this." Sam watched as the girl vanished and in her place stood the black dog. When had that transition become so easy? The Dog growled, her black fur dulled by the darkness of the room. Then she vanished.

"My favorite part." Azazel smirked.

There was a bloodcurdling scream from the center of the room and Sam watched as the man on the stage crumpled. His body collapsing into a heap. Kelly straightened up on the other side of him, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Tasty." She said, and turned. Sam noticed another thing about her. She was still wearing clothes. How did she do that?

_Last time she changed, she reappeared without her clothing._ So why was she able to come back fully clothed now. _I thought that was a law or something._ Maybe he'd been wrong. He listened to the Yellow-Eyed demon, Azazel, chuckle.

"But a little dry, needed A1." Kelly said together with her demon master.

"How many times have you watched this?" Sam wondered aloud. He didn't get a response.

Kelly turned around, her gaze wasn't on the worshippers who were now crawling backwards. "Guess eternity was pretty short after all, huh?" She joked. There was an easy smile on her face, but it made Sam's skin crawl. He forced himself to remember that she was doing this for the Yellow-Eyed demon. Not because she enjoyed it.

_She didn't cut that man's head off for fun._ He repeated in his mind. His eyes moving off the alter to the still screaming head that lay on the ground.

"You promised!" It was shrieking. "You promised! You swore!"

"Shut up, you little traitor." Kelly sighed. "I need to finish something." She reached out and grabbed the podium, slamming it down on the head of what had been the body of Asmodeus. There was a sickening crunch as Sam looked away, his eyes moving to the demon. He was unnerved by the excitement he saw in those eyes. Brains and bone splattered everywhere and several more screams rose up among the demon's followers. Each scrambled back to escape the spray of blood or glop of brain matter, grayed by it's exposure to the air. Kelly flicked a glob off her cheek and lifted the podium, slamming it down again on the same shattered skull. Sam wondered if it was for emphasis.

"You think you have destroyed him?" Came a tremulous voice from the first row. "Our master will rise again! No prison can hold him! Not even hell itself!"

"And that is a might fine prison." Kelly mused as she tossed away the podium. "But I'll give you that the security's shit." She stepped down off of the alter. "So maybe you'll see him again." She walked towards them and the small group of eleven stepped back to allow her to pass.

"Not likely." Azazel chuckled. "But it's sweet how she gives them hope."

"What happened to the demon?" Sam asked. He wasn't sure that he really wanted to know. What he'd just witnessed was unlike any exorcism he'd ever experienced.

"She ate him." Azazel responded.

"Ate him?" Sam asked. "She ate him?"

"Doesn't work with all of us." The demon shrugged. "But the weak annoyances are puppy chow."

"Ate him?" Sam repeated. That sounded so preposterous.

"A growing puppy needs good nutrition." Azazel replied. He didn't sound to bothered. "And I want my doggy big and strong."

Sam watched as Kelly stooped to pick up the still shrieking head. It was going on and on about how she must keep her promises. He started as she rolled her eyes and shook the head back and forth like a terrier with a rodent. Though, he doubted that this would break it's back. If it had a back. "Shut up." She said. Then, she stalked out the door.

"What's she going to do with him?" Sam asked.

"What all dogs do best." The demon replied.

"She's going to eat him?" Sam hazarded.

"No, Sam." The demon shook his head. "She's going to bury him. In the ground, like a bone." He raised an eyebrow at the younger man.

"Bury…"

"Yes, Sam. She'll cut off his eyelids and bury him somewhere in the Yosemite valley, I'm guessing. I don't really know where she puts them. Never followed her that far." He smirked. "I was busy with other things." He chuckled. "Either way, it's a nice touch."

"I don't…"

"You should ask her about it some time." Azazel said. "You'll just love the answer." He smirked and patted down his jacket. "Either way, we're done here. I hope this whetted your appetite Sam." The demon said. "I need all pistons in that marvelous brain of yours firing for the main event."

"She buries…"

"I'll take that as a yes." Azazel said. Then he snapped his fingers and the room shifted again.

Sam was disconcerted for a few moments. His eyes seeing sparkles of black, green, and yellow. His mind was still on the information the demon had handed him. The belief that he must be lying. Except that Sam had seen the truth with his own eyes. _Kelly._ What had she gone through, what had possessed her to bring that podium down on the man's head. _The demon was already gone._ Swallowed wholesale off camera by an invisible dog. So why crack his head open like a watermelon. Why make those people scream? Why leave them with the hope that their demon might come back? It all seemed to contradict itself in his head, not making any sense at all. Except this. _She cut off a demon's head and she went to bury it._ How did she ensure that the demon stayed inside the severed head? What tricks was she using? Sam had never found one that ensured a demon was permanently sealed inside a body. Maybe he'd just never done enough research. Sam looked up, they were somewhere new now. A nursery. His nursery.

"Look familiar?" The demon asked. "It should."

There was a man in a hooded sweatshirt standing over a white crib and a baby inside it crying. Tears in his eyes. Sam looked around in shock. How had the demon done this? How had he brought him back here? _If he made me see Kelly kill Asmodeus, then…_ Was he commanding Sam's dreams? _Yes._ He probably wouldn't be able to effect anything here either. But that didn't stop him from exhaling sharply and jumping forward to push the demon away from the cradle.

"Relax." A firm hand grabbed him the shoulder.

"This is just a hi def instant replay?" Sam asked. He already knew the answer, but it was fun being quippy.

"Exactly."

"I guess you want me to enjoy this show too?" He asked.

"Just as much as the last one." The demon smirked.

"John." It was the voice of his mother. Sam turned to see the blonde woman wander sleepily into the room. She didn't seem focused on what exactly was going on. Sam was stunned for a moment. He'd seen pictures of his mother, but it didn't compare to actually seeing her for the first time. For all that her face had gone craggy with age and there were laugh lines around her eyes, she was very beautiful. But it was more than that. He knew she was his mother. He could feel it and it filled him with a combined mixture of terror and joy.

"Mom!" He whispered.

"Is he hungry?" She asked. Her eyes were still closed and she swayed a little bit where she stood. There were heavy bags beneath her eyes, a telling sign that she hadn't been sleeping well. A crying sound came from the crib and the dark man didn't turn around. There was a soft, 'shhh', from beside the crib and Mary Winchester shrugged. "Okay." She said. Turning around, she started to head back down the hallway.

"Wait, Mom!" Sam called. "Mom!"

"What did I tell you, Sam?" Azazel murmured into his ear. "She can't hear you. This isn't real."

Sam looked back in frustration and hatred at the demon, then back to his younger version, the one standing over Sam's crib. He heard the slicing of skin and watched as red drops slid out of the demon's wrist, dripping into the baby's wide open mouth. Sam's mouth. "What the hell are you doing to me?" He asked.

"Better than mother's milk." The demon whispered.

Sam watched as for a moment, his own eyes flashed gold. He stuttered. "Does this mean…" He trailed off. Turning, to the demon, who's gaze had not returned to him, he asked again. "Does this mean I have demon blood in me?" Azazel just laughed. "Answer me!" Sam growled.

There was a gasp as Mary came running back through the door. She stopped, hatred in her eyes as the demon's head whipped around. The yellow-pupiless eyes no longer hidden by the night and shadow. They were clear and glowing in the dark nursery. Mary sucked in a heady breath. "It's you." She said.

"She knew you!" Sam exclaimed.

Mary started forwards to grab the demon, but he flicked his head, sending her flying. She struggled on the wall, her feet raising off the ground and moving towards the ceiling. She didn't scream.

"No!" Sam yelled. But the demon's eyes only widened as Mary was dragged further up the wall. "No!"

"I don't think you want to see the rest of this." Azazel said. He waved his hand as Mary started to scream.

"Sam!" A hand was shaking his shoulder. "Sam!" The voice was growing more insistent. "Wake up!" Sam sat bolt upright and looked around. He was back in the ramshackle farmhouse, trapped in Cold Oak, South Dakota by the Yellow-Eyed demon. _Azazel._ He blinked. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up at the person who had woken him. It was Andy.

"Andy?" He asked. He couldn't quite believe that he'd been released. _Though everything the demon told me was pretty unbelievable._ He didn't know if he could trust all of it. _But there's one person that I need to talk to._ He looked up at Andy. "Andy," he said again. This time his voice was less groggy, it was stronger and firmer. "Where's Kelly?"

"That's why Jake told me to I wake you." Andy said. He looked both worried and frightened. "It's Kelly and Ava… They're gone."

AN: I know, I know, but allow me to indulge myself in a major ass kicking for one chapter. She'll be back to being beat up and shot, tricked, deceived, lied to and making all around bad choices soon. And I wrote this late at night, so I might end up coming back to it later and fixing it. Probably not my best work and I don't want any of you getting it in your heads that Kelly is actually important. : P She's not. I just wanted to cut her loose, because after book 1… Well, you'll have to keep reading to see.

The next chapter finishes off the AHBL part one arc and will send us tumbling head over heels towards the finally. There are some great surprises in store, along with a bit of a twist on an old favorite.

Anyway, until next time, leave reviews!


	59. Chapter 59: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 59: The Beginning of the End

Sam and Jake hurried out of the house. They'd searched it thoroughly, but found no trace of either Kelly or Ava. Something that left Sam feeling both unnerved and very worried. Was Kelly going to kill Ava? She couldn't right? She couldn't kill her. He'd told her not to. But the memories of everything that the demon had said, everything that Azazel told him, was clouding his mind. He didn't have room to think. He just had to react. _She wouldn't._ But she had decapitated a demon, a level to which neither he nor his brother had ever sunk to. They usually tried to preserve the host. _What's going on with her?_ He didn't know, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Sam held the iron poker tightly. His fingers squeezing around it. The demon had said that Kelly was the prize of the winner. Sam didn't know what that meant. Kelly's earlier conversation was on repeat through his mind. The way she'd disregarded her own murder and had seemingly forgive the faceless Hound that had pushed her over a cliff. _"You talk about it like my murder was the worst crime they could have committed."_ The words left an acrid taste in his mouth. Could he kill her if he was forced to? Would he be able to do it to protect Ava? _"In their minds leaving me there would have been a crueler fate."_ He swallowed. Could he do it? She'd admitted to not having a soul. That made her no worse than any of the creatures he'd hunted, maybe it made her less. At least they either had their own afterlife, or were already into the second round. She didn't get one. If he killed her, she'd be gone. That was assuming she was even threatening Ava. Jake seemed to think so. But Jake had been prejudiced against Kelly ever since she scared the bejeebus out of him in the old school house. _When she didn't save him from the demon._ Even though she could have. What was it that she wanted? The Yellow-Eyed demon seemed to think that he could believe her. But should he trust that? _Another plethora of bad advice and more truth mixed with lies._ Or maybe things that were omitted. He knew that Azazel hadn't given him the whole story. But which parts should he believe?

He and Jake came to a stop. "I'll take the barn and the hotel." Jake said. "You take the houses."

"Alright." Sam nodded. He wasn't incredibly fond of this idea, but then again what choice did he have? If Jake came across Kelly he'd probably try to kill her. _But will I do any less if I find her first?_ Would he find her standing over Ava's ripped apart corpse? _"Sometimes you have to kill people to save them."_ That's what she'd said. _But was she referring to herself? The psychics? Ava? Or me?_ Or was it all of the above. He was fairly certain that Kelly wouldn't have agreed to help him if she wanted to kill him. "Be back here in ten minutes, okay?" Jake nodded his assent. With a deep and uncertain breath, Sam headed off towards the houses, with Jake disappearing behind him.

Kelly stood behind the farmhouse, staring out into the woods. The ghosts had grown restless and their howling had disturbed her while the others had slept. Then, she'd been called. The risen moon was covered by the clouds, but Kelly knew that tonight was a spiritual time. The woods were alive and moving, their spirits stretching out hands in supplication. _As if they expected the skies to run red._ She stared up at it. Unlike some of her elder brothers and sisters, Kelly had no skill in precognition. No skill in anything really. _Just killing._ She was a murderer by human standards. A hunter by her own. Perhaps that was all she ever could be. A predator. That was the basics of her nature. Kelly let her head fall into her hands as she knelt in a crouch. She could feel the pain that was filtering down through the air. It was as if the universe was holding it's breath, waiting. _Waiting for what?_ Kelly shook her head. It was distracting and she felt guilty for having left Sam alone. _He's probably better off without me. _She'd heard a scuffle of bodies a few minutes prior. They'd gone off in search of someone. _Probably Ava._ She turned her head, looking back at the house. _Maybe me._ It was hard to find Kelly when she wanted to be lost. It was a skill she'd cultivated all the months she'd been here. Perhaps it wasn't the most useful one to have at the moment though. She straightened. Her senses picking up a howl, one that came from deep in the woods. She shivered. Even for someone as thick as herself, Kelly could tell that whatever was coming… well it was bad. _And it probably has something to do with Azazel's plans._ She looked back at the house and sniffed. Andy was the only one still inside. Should she interfere. Sam had told her to help him and other than killing off the other psychics, she was left to interpret that however she chose to. Should she protect him? She liked Andy. She truly did. He reminded her of the doofus little brother or the bright stoner. He'd made her smile. Something she hadn't done for a very long time. _A smile that reached my eyes anyway._ She shrugged. He'd made her feel human. _An accomplishment._ "Like there's something worth living for." More than hate. She trailed her finger through the dirt. "Something worth protecting." Someone other than Sam. Could she protect Andy without breaking her deal? Kelly didn't know. Should she risk it? _If I break my deal._ Then she'd be outcast from her brothers and sisters, fallen, Unseelie. Bereft of all honor. Nothing more than a maddened beast. _They'll give me to the Inquisitors._ Who would rip her apart, shatter her, piece by piece. _For several thousand years._ So, with that and Sam's safety on the line? Did she dare? _Well, I do like Andy._

Andy walked through the lonely house, the floor creaking creepily beneath his sneakers as he stepped over a salt line. He'd heard something downstairs and now that Sam and Jake were gone, it was his job to check it out. He was careful not to disturb the salt, after all, it was the only thing standing between him and the demons. He didn't know if his mind mojo would work on them. He'd never tested it out. Seeing a figure in the shadows of the window, he came to a stop. The hair was long, shoulder length and tinged with red. It wasn't Kelly. He'd hoped that it was. He was more comfortable around her. She made him feel safe. But if it wasn't Kelly, then it had to be Ava. "Ava." He said. "Where'd you go?"

By the window, Ava pulled her finger through the salt line and turned around to face Andy. Out of all three boys, she'd determined him to be the least threat. Requiring less planning than it would to take down either Sam or Jake. She didn't even have to worry about Kelly showing up to interfere. After all, she only cared about Sam's welfare. _That much is obvious._ She just wanted to shut him up. Andy was getting on her nerves, then maybe, with his death, she could play Sam and Jake against one another. If they killed each other off, or were left wounded, then they'd be easy pickings. _Even with Kelly around._ But no, Kelly had to be the one who killed Sam. Ava wanted to make Kelly suffer, she wanted to make Sam suffer. She wanted to make them all suffer. _Starting with Andy._

"Didn't you, didn't you hear us yelling?" Andy asked. He took another step forward as Ava turned around.

"Yeah." She said. Lifting her fingers to her temples, she shut her eyes and concentrated. The Acheri demon was still under her control. That would be enough to take Andy down. "I heard you." As Andy watched in horror, a black cloud came down underneath the window and over the broken salt line. He took a step back, but he couldn't find the voice to scream or the strength to run. He just stared, with his mouth agape.

"What are you doing?" He asked. Ava turned away from him and looked to her left as the cloud reformed into a little girl. The demon that Andy had seen earlier. "Holy sh—" He started.

"Andy!"

Kelly's voice entered Andy's ears a little too late. He looked to the left and watched as her eyes began to burn a bright glorious gold. He watched as she lunged across the room. He was being pushed down. His back hitting the ground. He could feel the demon's claws sinking into his chest and his terrified screams came out in a gurgle of blood. He heard the loudest and most horrifying roar he'd ever listened to and watched as a black shape crossed his vision. It was the dog that had killed Lily. _So, Kelly was the dog…_ It made a strange kind of sense in Andy's fading mind. He listened to the screams of the demon; its shrieks were like echoes in his ears. He didn't see what happened. His vision was darkening. The world seemed like it was made up shadows. Then, the screams stopped. A pair of arms wrapped around his shoulders, propping his head into a lap. It was warm. He opened his eyes and stared into her face. There was a long gash raked across her cheek and three solid holes in her jacket, blood dribbled down her cheek and splashed across his face. They were warm like tears. Could he pretend that she was crying for him? "K…Kelly." He whispered. He felt her finger press against his lips.

"Don't try to speak."

"Heh…not much chance of that." He coughed. He wondered if he was gurgling more than speaking. Did she even understand him? "Ava…"

"I know." Kelly said. "I'm sorry."

"So scared…"

"I'm with you." She murmured. Her eyes moving up to Ava's face. Would the girl try to summon another demon? Ava was watching Kelly with horrified eyes. Kelly knew she'd defied her expectations. _But in the end I failed._ She hadn't saved Andy. He was dying. _Maybe that's for the best._

"I'm cold."

"You'll be warm in a moment." Kelly whispered. "In a moment, that's all it takes." She waited for another few moments, until his skin began to cool.

"And another one bites the dust." Ava laughed. "You know, you're a really sorry kind of hero." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the other brunette. "You really can't save anyone." She chuckled. "No matter how hard you try, you're like seconds too late." She tilted her head to the side. "How does it feel Kelly? Being the world's biggest failure?"

Kelly closed her eyes and ran her hand across Andy's face. With her fingers, she gently wiped the blood away from the corner of Andy's mouth. Slowly, she reached her hands over his eyes and shut them. His eternity shouldn't include him staring away with terrified eyes. She hoped this would be over before his soul managed to reform. She didn't want him to face life as a ghost. _He deserves to get to wherever it is that he's going_. Kelly hoped it would be nice. _After all, it's something I'll never see._ She brushed Andy's hair off his forehead and opened her eyes with new determination. Then, she stood. Burning golden eyes flared as she stared at Ava. The other girl took a step back. Kelly's hatred swarmed her. Anger filled her. It made her cold. Focused. A cruel smile lit her lips as she stared at Ava. "Now be a good girl," she inclined her head. "And scream for me."

In the center of town, Sam heard Ava's scream. He turned and took off back towards the house. _That's strange._ What had brought her back to the house? He didn't have time to consider it. If Ava was in trouble then he had to help her. Sam charged across the muddy ground and climbed up the steps to the porch. Banging open the door, he ran down the hallway to the sitting room. There he found Ava, held by her throat against the wall. He was staring at the back of Kelly's head. He looked down, Andy's body was bloody, like it had been ripped apart. _Oh, no._ "Kelly! Put her down!" He yelled. That was an order, she had to obey a direct order. He turned to Ava. "Ava! What happened?" He asked.

"I can't do that, Sam." Kelly said. Her eyes were cold and she didn't turn to face him. "Prior orders always take precedence over new ones." Her fingers tightened around Ava's throat. The other girl gasped.

"Sam…she killed Andy…You have to…" Ava choked out. Her legs kicking against the floorboards.

"Come on, Ava." Kelly sad, a maniac grin on her lips. Her golden eyes cold as her fingers continued to tighten around Ava's throat. "Scream for me."

"Sam…." Ava gasped.

"Kelly!" Sam hurried forwards. He seized her arm, trying to force it down. There was a strange expression in Kelly's eyes. They were murderous, angry, and sad at the same time. She looked broken. "Let her go!"

"No." Was the flat and emotionless response.

"Let her go! Now!"

"You…have to stop her…" Ava wheezed. Her face was starting to become pale.

"Kelly, I swear, we'll get to the bottom of this. You can't kill her." Sam's hand tightened around Kelly's wrist. "Don't kill her." He scrambled for something that would make her stop. He didn't want to kill her. Hell, he didn't want to hurt her. _She's been through enough already._ "Dean wouldn't want you to kill her!"

"Dean doesn't know me anymore."

"Okay." Sam said. He stared down at her, his hands tightening around her wrist. Maybe there was a reason why Azazel had shown him that memory of her hunt. "But I do, Kelly."

"How could you know?" She asked. Sam could see the hot tears that were starting to gather in the corners of her eyes, maybe he was getting through to her. Ava continued to struggle and gasp. "How could you fucking know what I've been through?!"

Sam's eyes went to the burns around Kelly's wrists. "Because I've seen it." He said. "I dreamt it, when the demon came to me." His fingers closed around those burns and he felt her wince. He knew that it was from memory and not from the pain. "He showed me what you've done." His fingers grew tighter and he felt Kelly's grip begin to loosen.

"Then you know that she has to die, Sam." Kelly hissed. "For all the kids she's killed."

"You're not much better… murderer…." Ava coughed.

"We both did what we had to do!" Kelly growled.

"You…left me… to die!"

"I told you that it wasn't my choice!"

"Still…your fault…"

"She's not worth it." _If she killed Andy._ "Kelly, she's not worth losing you. Killing her won't bring Andy back. It won't bring any of them back." _What has she been watching all this time?_ "Dean can't lose you." He said. He could feel himself growing desperate. If she killed Ava then it would be over. _Her deal will break._ The way she'd talked about it, it had always sounded like something sad. Irreversible. "_I_ can't lose you, Kelly."

Kelly paused and looked at him. There was a long moment were Sam held his breath and nothing happened. Then, miraculously, she gave in. Stepping back, Kelly let Ava go. The other girl collapsed to the floor in a broken mass. "For you." She said. Crossing her arms, she moved back to Andy's side. Sam saw the genuine regret on her face.

_She couldn't have killed him._ Sam realized. He glanced at the window and saw the line in the salt. The spell that protected the house was broken here. "Ava." He said. Turning around, he stared at her. The other girl was finding her feet again. "The salt line, it wasn't broken when I left." _Kelly wouldn't need to break it._

"Maybe, Andy…"

"Andy wouldn't do that!" Sam growled. He glanced down at Kelly, she looked up at him and shook her head. _Kelly was right all along._ About Ava anyway. "Kelly," he glanced down at her. "She was right about you."

"Yeah." Ava lifted her fingers and brushed away her tears. "She is." She stepped forward. "You really should know who to trust, Sam."

"Obviously." Kelly sighed. She stood and moved to Sam's side. He felt her arm brush up against his as she maneuvered herself between him and Ava.

"You didn't exactly make it easy!" Sam growled.

"She never makes it easy." Ava replied. "But she and I have been here a long time, Sam. Longer than you might think, and not alone either, people just keep showing up. Batches of three or four at a time." She glanced at Kelly. "Who was the last one you liked Kellster? Scrawny guy with floppy hair… Philip something?" Kelly lifted her chin.

"Philip DeHardy." She said.

"See." Ava grinned. Her eyes dark. "Don't think that with that big tough act that she doesn't care. I swear, she remembers the name of every kid who was killed during her time here." She nodded. "Tell him, Kel, tell him about the last few you tried to help."

"You killed them." Kelly replied.

"Damn right I did." Ava smirked. "I'm the undefeated heavyweight champ."

"All of them?" Sam asked.

"That's right, every single kid like us." Ava smiled. "And I did it right in front of her too. Ripped 'em to pieces, just like poor old Andy." Ava's words spat venom and Sam watched as Kelly stood there and took it. "Another one our dear sweet girl was too slow to save."

"I was trying."

"Trying to make up for all those horrible things you did?" Ava asked. "I know sweetie, I dreamed about them. I saw you do it, every night you were away. I doubt Sam knows half what I know." She smirked. "And I doubt he'd forgive you." She glanced at Sam. "That's right lover boy." She said. "She's killed more people than I ever did, in crueler ways too." She glanced at Kelly. "Though my favorite has to be the sixteen year old in Buffalo." Kelly closed her eyes and looked away. "He screamed and screamed, but you didn't let the demon out. Did he die from shock? Or from you spilling his organs across the floor?"

"Neither." Kelly said. "I killed him before I started the ordeal. You got front row seats to a demonic suffering." She shrugged. "Congrats."

"My god." Sam breathed.

Ava spread her hands and shrugged. "I don't think god has much to do with it, Sam." She said. "We're both monsters, I'll admit it. But she's worse than me." Her eyes moved back to Kelly, the other girl was running her fingers over her burns, a pained expression in her eyes. "And you know what her boss did to her when she failed?"

"He punished me." Kelly said. Sam glanced at her, watched her fingers trail over the runes of her collar. He could practically feel the hurt emanating off of her.

"That's right." Ava said. "Some kids woke up to her screaming, but none of them could ever find her." She cocked her head to the side. "He didn't put you in the shackles just once did he Kel, he did it whenever you were bad." She giggled.

"Ava…" Sam trailed off.

"And by the way. I had no choice." She smirked. "It was me or them. After a while, it was easy." She smiled. "You get that Kel, it was even kind of fun wasn't it?" Sam glanced at Kelly. But she didn't say anything. "I just stopped fighting it."

"That's the difference between you and me." Kelly said.

"What you're better because you lasted a week?" Ava laughed. "Really? A week!"

"I regret it."

"No you don't." Ava replied. "I know you, I saw what went on in your mind when you were working a job. The hate, the pleasure, you enjoyed it, relished in it. It's what you are." She shrugged. "It's half the reason why I went bad in the first place." She lifted a finger and pointed at Kelly. "You showed me the way."

"Why didn't I dream about her?" He glanced at Kelly. "You?"

"I don't know, Sam." Ava said. "Maybe your not as well attuned." She shrugged. "Maybe if you'd stopped fighting it…"

"Fighting what?" Sam asked.

"Who we are, Sam." Ava replied. "If you just quit your hand wringing for two seconds and open yourself up, you have no idea what you can do."

"Kelly?"

"Don't ask her." Ava said. "What would she know about it? But I'm telling you Sam, the learning curve is so fast." She snapped her fingers together. "It's crazy. The switches that just flip in your brain." She laughed. "I can't believe I started out just having dreams." She glanced at Kelly. "Even the best ones were about you."

"I always bring the very best violence." Kelly muttered. She shifted her stance again, this time so that she was even more in front of Sam. She glanced back at him and he blinked.

_She wants me to run._ He realized. There was no way that he could do that.

"Do you know what I can do now?" Ava asked.

"Summon and control demons." Sam replied. His voice hoarse, he glanced at the window again and then at Andy. _The Acheri._

"And I hope you have another one in your pocket." Kelly said. "Cause I ate the Acheri."

"Yeah, but now you've got a full stomach. And there's always more where that one came from." Ava replied. Her voice harsh. Putting her fingers to her temples, she added. "You know Sam, you really should have let her kill me when she had the chance."

"Go." Kelly said.

"I'm not leaving you." Sam replied.

"You should listen to her, Sam." Ava said. "She and I have been headed this way for a long time." She grinned. "How about it Kellster? One final showdown? See if I'm the best suited to be your master?"

"I'm all for that." Kelly said. She settled in front of Sam. "Me versus whoever you can summon."

"Kelly." Sam said. He didn't like where this was headed. No, he really didn't like this at all. But everything that the two had exchanged between them stopped him dead. He couldn't think of anything to say. _She didn't kill Ava that time._ But was there any way for him to actually stop her?

"If I win, you stand down and let me kill Sam."

"And if I win, I send you to Brady."

"Deal."

Kelly lifted her chin. "Is that an order?" She asked. Her tone flippant, she tilted her head back. Arms crossed over her chest, a smirk on her lips, she took another step forward. Her features melting into a playful sort of seriousness as she bent low in a crouch, looking the part of the wild savage as she spread her arms wide and growled.

"_Is that an order?"_ Sam looked between the two of them in confusion. He'd already stopped her from killing Ava once. He didn't want to have to stop her again. Then he paused. _She's getting Ava to order her own death._ Why was she doing that. _Because she can't kill Ava otherwise._ He blinked. Another demon was coming down and underneath the window. He didn't have time.

Ava's brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at Kelly. Then finally, she sighed. "Yeah." She said. "That's an order."

"Get out of here, Sam." Kelly said.

"Kelly…"

"I have to do this, Sam."

"_Sometimes the only way to save someone is to kill them."_ Her words rebounded through his skull. Finally, Sam backed away. He didn't want to leave her. _I have to trust her._ "Kelly."

"While I'm distracted by Ava, you and Jake can make a run for it." She glanced back at him. A smile on her lips. "Go," she said. "I'll catch up."

He stepped back, was he really going to do this? He glanced at the door then back at Kelly. He had to trust her. "Make it out alive." He said.

"You too." Kelly turned back to Ava, she wanted to help Sam, but this had to be settled first. _"Sometimes the only way to save someone is to kill them."_ And Ava's bill was long past due. She listen to Sam's retreating footsteps and turned to face the other girl. A wide smile on her lips as the demon solidified before her. She didn't recognize the make or model. But either way it didn't matter, this fight was in the bag. Kelly settled back into her mocking fighting stance and flipped her fingers at the demon. "Bring it on, freakazoid."

Outside the boundaries of the town, Dean Winchester's 67 Chevy Impala slowed to a grinding halt as it came to a stop at the edges of the road. Seeing the large logs that cut off any access, Dean stepped out of the car. Disbelief and irate disappointment in his eyes. "Well," Bobby said. "Looks like the rest of the way's on foot."

Dean muttered an assent and walked around to the back of the car. Popping the hood, he and Bobby grabbed shotguns and flashlights, along with extra rounds in case they needed them. Dean wasn't happy about having to travel the rest of the way on foot. He slammed the trunk shut and cocked the shotgun. Then he glanced at Bobby. His eyes serious. _Sam better still be alive by the time I get there._ Maybe if they were lucky, they'd find Kelly too. _I can dream._ Even if it was safer to be pessimistic. He wanted to see her again. Her and Sam. "Well," he said. "Let's go."

Outside the house, Sam ran into Jake Talley. He was on his way back from the barn, running Sam grabbed him. "The way's clear!" He yelled.

"What?" Jake asked. He glanced past Sam, screams came echoing out of the house.

"Kelly's keeping Ava busy." He said. "We can make it out of here if we hurry."

"What about the Acheri demon?" Jake asked.

"No." Sam said. "Kelly got rid of that."

Jake nodded slowly; he glanced back at the house. _It's like he's got an angel on his shoulder with that girl around._ "And your sure Kelly's being kept busy?" He asked. "She's not comin' out of there anytime soon?"

"Yeah." Sam said. "She said she'd catch up."

"And she's gonna kill Ava for us?" Jake asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it." Sam replied. "I don't think Ava's really a match for her." He turned around. "I can fill you in later," he said. "But right now, we gotta get out of here."

"No." Jake said. "Not we, Sam."

Sam stopped in his tracks and found himself staring at Jake with startled eyes. Why hadn't he seen this coming? This was insane. _This is crazy._ The only way out was if they worked to together. The only way. _I'm not going to fight him too._ It meant fulfilling the demon's plans. _When Ava ordered Kelly to kill her she signed her own death warrant._ From everything that Ava had said, Sam could see why Kelly would want to kill her. _Mercy or hatred?_ And did it really matter? Between those two, it was almost like a destiny. It had to play out. He could feel it. _I tried to stop it._ And it had just come right round again. Kelly had given him this opportunity to that his life could be saved. So that he could escape. Deep down, Sam wondered if she really meant to escape. _He punishes her when she's bad._ Did this count as being bad? _What punishment will she get this time?_ Now, he wanted to go back. To stop her. To save her.

"_Sometimes, the only way to save someone is to kill them."_

"Only one of us is getting out of here alive." Jake said. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Sam asked.

"I had a vision." Jake said. "That Yellow-Eyed demon or whatever it was, he talked to me. He told me how it is."

"Jake." Sam said. "Wait, listen, you—you can't listen to him."

"Sam!" Jake said. "Black dog or no dog! Kelly or no Kelly! He's not letting us go! Only one. Now, if we don't play along, he'll kill us both and your friend. Now, I like you man, I do, but do the math here. What good's it do for us both to die? Now, I…I can get out of here. I can get close to the demon. I can kill the bastard."

"If you come with me, we can kill him together!"

"Not with her watching his back." Jake shook his head. "And how do I know you won't turn on me? Kelly was Ava's friend and she's killing her."

"Jake!" Sam said. "We're not like Kelly and Ava!"

"I don't know that." Jake said. _And I don't want to die._

"Okay." Sam lifted his hands. "Look." He pulled the knife out of his pants and slowly, set it down on the muddy ground. He felt that it would be best to show a sign of good faith, but found himself looking back at the house. Hoping that Kelly would catch up soon. _Then we can take on Jake._ He'd be easier to subdue, tackling him two on one. _How do I know that Kelly won't kill him too?_ He wondered. He didn't have time. If he fought Jake it would be to the death and that was something that Sam wasn't ready for. Sam straightened back up. "Just come with me, Jake." He said. "Don't do this." He shook his head. "Don't play into what it wants." Slowly, Jake put down his own iron rod. "Okay." Sam sighed. He barely had time to react as Jake swung at him. Catching him under the jaw, Sam flew backwards through the air, landing hard in the muddy ground at the center of the corral. His back breaking the wooden railing as he came down. He tumbled sideways. His chin aching. The hit probably should have broken his neck. _Guess I got, lucky._

Inside the house, Kelly was buying time. Ducking and dodging around the small room, she let the demon chase her. Finally, she hit it. The disembodied form flew back as a cloud of black smoke, right into Ava's face. The other girl coughed. Refocusing her concentration, she reformed the demon and sent it screaming after Kelly again. It slashed Kelly's other cheek and cut across her belly with it's long claws. Gnashing it's teeth as it stared at her, the demon slithered across the floor, tasting Kelly's blood. _A little longer._ Kelly thought. She needed to make sure that they were well outside the perimeter. _A little longer._ She stared at Ava. Then, the sound of breaking wood hit her ears. _Damn._ There was another fight. She needed to get to Sam. _Finish this first._ With a feral growl, she hurled herself wholeheartedly at the demon. Shape-changing in a blink of an eye. The black dog's teeth sank into the demon body, chewing on it.

Sam forced himself to get up. _There's no other choice._ He realized. He had to fight. The time for talk was over. _Apparently, it's cheap anyway._ He fought his aching body into a standing position. _Hit him high, hit him low, duck and dodge, can't take the hits._ He probably wouldn't survive another direct blow like that. Jake ran towards him like a freight train, ready to finish Sam off. Sam met him with a swift kick to the gun. His foot sinking into Jake's abdomen as he pulled it back and hit the other man again. Jake backed up, holding his stomach as Sam staggered forwards. He could do this. _Kelly probably heard the crash._ She'd be here soon. He was distracted and Jake moved forwards in a blur of black. His right punch connecting solidly with Sam's shoulder. Sam gasped and turned sideways. It was dislocated, or at worst, broken. As he held his shoulder, Jake came in for a low blow. Hitting him in the kidneys with a swift and solid uppercut. Sam roared in pain. He felt like a wounded animal. Falling over, Sam rolled, trying to get his stuttering nervous system back into order. Fire flamed on the edges of his nerve clusters, traveling up and down like electrical shocks every time he tried to move. It hurt. He'd just have to fight through it. _I can't let Jake win._ He was already under the demon's sway. _If he gets out of this unchecked, it'll be a disaster._ Sam couldn't let that happen. _Where's Kelly?_ He wondered. Were things going well for her?

Inside, Kelly stood over Ava's crying form. "You did it." She whispered. "You really did it." Kelly stepped forwards, past the remains of the demon, and knelt beside her. Ava felt Kelly's hands on either side of her head. "Always knew." She said. "I always knew you would." Kelly twisted her hands and Ava's neck snapped. Her body crumpled sideways, sliding down the wall. Kelly watched it fall without emotion and glanced back over her shoulder at Andy. Then, she stood.

"Goodbye, Ava." She said. Turning, Kelly headed out the door. She needed to help Sam. It was what she'd promised to do. What she wanted to do. Ava's body remained on the floor, propped up against the wall like a forgotten doll. There was a small smile on her lips.

"_Sometimes, you have to kill someone to save them._

Sam fought his way back onto his feet. But was kicked back through the corral fence and rolled on the ground. He tried to find the strength to stand again. Watching as Jake walked past him to pick up the knife, he groaned. He had to stop him. Sam staggered to his feet as Jake turned with knife in hand. Ready to stab him.

Kelly came out of the house in time to see Jake pick up the knife. A split second was all that she needed to know what she had to do. There was no time to stop it. Just enough. _Just enough to get between it._ If she did it in her true form. She shifted and moved silently and swiftly across the ground. Golden eyes watched as Sam staggered back, the knife was nearly inches from impaling, there was no way to stop it except one. One stupid way. _I am the world's biggest idiot._ The Dog thought as she jumped between the two men. There was white-hot pain for an instant and she heard herself groan. Kelly fell, the form of the black dog melting away as Jake Talley's knife plunged into her side. Her knees hit the mud as her fingers dug into the pools of dirty water, collecting silt and sediment underneath her nails. She could feel hot blood running down her ribs as the area around the knife numbed. Then it burned.

"Kelly!" Sam yelled. His hand on his dislocated shoulder, his eyes wide as she went down in front of him. He turned to Jake. "You son of a…"

"Girl shouldn't have gotten in the way." Jake said.

He ran towards the limping Sam. Sam leaned down into the mud, his fingers closing around the lead pipe that lay on the ground. Kelly closed her eyes as Sam caught Jake across the throat. The other man went down, his body lying in the dirt. He groaned in the mud. Sam lifted the pipe above his head and stared down at Jake Talley's body. He contemplated his choice. He could kill him and fulfill the demons plans or he could take his chances and let him live. He should kill him. _I should._ He'd stabbed Kelly. He'd tried to kill Sam. But if Sam killed Jake then, the demon won. _I should_. His fingers tightened around the metal of the pipe and he lifted it higher. _I should._

"Sam." Kelly groaned. She tried to pull her head up from the muck. It caked on her cheek, sliding down around her chin in large black globs. She pulled her hand out of the mud. Her fingers outstretched towards him. "Sam…"

Her voice brought him back to his senses. Tossing the pipe away, Sam turned and sloshed through the mud to her side. Arm aching, ribs broken, Sam's knees hit the ground as he collapsed next to her. _What am I doing?_ He wondered. All the things she'd said in Cold Oak. When she'd refused to help him. _When she killed Lily… She killed Ava…_ Sam couldn't stop his good hand from sliding around her shoulders._ And god knows how many others._ She was a murderer. Sam rolled her over. "Hey!" He said. "Hey!" He held her against him. "I'm here."

"Sam." She said. Her voice trembling with the effort to speak. Kelly felt the warmth in his voice and suddenly she felt guilty. _I should never have said those things to him._ She thought. _I should never… stupid…_ "Stupid…" She whispered. "Should never…have…should never…"

"It's okay." He said. "I understand." _I knew there was no way she could have meant it._ "Don't try to talk." Sam had no idea what had occurred between her and the Yellow-Eyed Demon in the four months that she'd been gone. He knew that she'd been changed. He'd seen that much when she'd stood over Lily's body with blood on her muzzle like a bad omen predicting everyone's doom.

She was fading, she could feel it creeping up behind her eyes. Her head was in Sam's lap, her hair a crown around his thighs. She could feel his good hand on her forehead and she closed her eyes. _I…_ Was this how she could forgive herself? Dying for Sam? Was this what she'd been living for? What she existed for? To die here? _I don't want to die._ That was what had driven her to accept Azazel's deal. Fear of death. _I…could hide behind the Dean clause, but really…_ She'd been afraid of the iron shackles. _I'm not a cat._ She wasn't like the Winchesters. _I don't have nine lives._ If Sam was to be believed then she'd already died once. _That's all I get...I don't want to die._ The knife was still in her side, burning against her organs. She could feel it beating close to her heart. _I don't want to die…_ "Sam." She whispered. "I'm cold."

"Hang on." Sam's hand went down her side and closed around the handle of the knife. His fingers closed around its smooth handle. In most cases, in human cases, it would have been better to leave the knife embedded in her side. To use the blade to stem the flow and stop her from bleeding out. _But we can't do that here._ The knife was made of iron, it couldn't stay in Kelly. "Just hang on." His fingers tightened and then, with a sharp jerk, he pulled the blade free. The knife arced through the air to land in the mud and lay still. Sam moved his hand over her side, and pressed against the blood as it flowed from the stab wound. It was hot and sticky against his fingers.

"Sam…I'm…"

"Kelly, hang on okay, we'll get help." Sam looked around the dark shadows wildly, his damaged arm hanging uselessly against his side. _Why hasn't Dean found us yet?_ Where was he? What was taking him so long?

"Too late…" Kelly whispered. "Belong to…sorr…" Her voice trailed off into silence. Sam looked down. She was lying still in his arms, her blood growing cold beneath his fingers.

"Kelly?" Sam asked. He nudged her. "Kelly?" His voice grew more insistent, growing louder as he said her name again. "Kelly!" He straightened, her body limp against him, but he couldn't lift her. His arm was dislocated. "Help!" He shouted. "I need help!" Then he looked back at her, his fingers on her back. "Hang on, Kelly." He said. The repetition of words was not a comfort to Sam Winchester. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were all alone out here. That no help was coming. "Help!" He shouted.

Against all odds a voice came back out of the darkness. "Sammy!" It was Dean. He'd come.

Sam stood. He was unwilling to move far from Kelly, but the relief of hearing his brother's voice drew him forward. "Dean." He called as he stumbled forward. It was like he was in a daze. His hand on his arm. "Come quick!" He forced the words out of his mouth as behind him Jake Talley stirred. "It's Kelly! She needs…"

A black hand reached out, searching in the mud. It found the knife. Jake was on his feet and striding up behind Sam. Dean felt like he was watching the scene in slow motion. "Sam look out!" His voice echoed emptily through the town of Cold Oak as overhead the sky opened up and the rain came pouring down.

Jack Talley rammed his knife into Sam Winchester's back, his blade slicing through the lower vertebrae of Sam's spine. It moved through the man's skin and organs like butter. He yanked it out, turning and running as Sam fell.

"No!" The long syllables flew out through the night air as the rain came down. Dean ran to his brother, catching him by his lapels as Sam's knees hit the ground. Blood and spittle sliding out the side of his mouth. "Sammy?" Dean asked. "Sammy?" He looked over his brother's face, looking for some sign of recognition in his brother's eyes. There was none. Sam's eyes were glazed over as he stared off into the distance. "Come on." Dean said. "Stay with me. Stay with me, Sammy." His voice pleading.

There was a snap as the steel collar came loose. Falling, it lay stuck in the mud.

"Sam!" Dean yelled as he hugged his brother against his body. "Sammy! SAM!"

The world was vast and empty. It was white. The purest of whites that seemed to extend into forever as the far away horizon melded with the ground, disappearing completely. Bodies, shining shapes and dark ones milled around in the vast expanse of this world. Old men, young women, old women, middle aged ones, crones, beauties, warriors who carried heavy broadswords strapped across their backs, and many others. Even if he had a thousand years, Sam Winchester would not have been able to describe them. He stood on this plane, his feet firmly cemented in the glowing surface, and he was dressed the same as he had been when Jake Talley stabbed him. His comfortable shirt, jeans, and jacket with hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked around. _Where am I?_ Was this heaven? Was he dead? He remembered Kelly's angry roar, when the black dog had leapt between Sam and Jake's knife, knocking Jake to the ground as the blade rammed into her ribs. He remembered holding her bleeding form, as she lay in the mud asking between coughs whether or not he could forgive her. _I didn't answer._ Was she dead? He'd removed the knife, but the wound had already been contaminated by iron and it hadn't stopped bleeding. While Jake lay unconscious, Sam had tried to find a way to save her. _"Stay with me!_" He'd bellowed as her eyes flickered shut, as tears leaked down her cheeks. _"Kelly! Stay with me!"_ Sam shook his head. Dean had arrived shortly after that. In desperation, Sam had stood and called for his brother. He'd been so thankful to see him. Then… Nothing. _Dean's arms squeezed around him, seeing Kelly lying bloody in the mud as Bobby chased after Jake Talley. Dean screaming my name._ They all seemed like figments. _I just woke up here._ Here. Where was here? Sam shook his head. He needed to plan his next step. He needed to figure out a way to get back. To help Dean. To save Dean. To save Kelly. He would figure out a way.

"Sammy?" A familiar voice, but not one Sam immediately recognized, asked. This person, this woman sounded shocked. "Sweetie, what are you doing here?"

In the vast white landscape, his feet on nothing but a permeating glowing floor, Sam Winchester turned around. He stared at the woman; she stood before him in a flowing white nightgown, her blond hair hanging loose and curly around her angular face. It was the same vision he'd seen at Cold Oak, the same woman. But it couldn't be. She was dead. Voice hoarse, he asked. "Mom?"

AN: I'll admit I've been on a roll these past few days, but I think it comes both from procrastination (avoiding my policy paper and other homeworks) and excitment about finally getting into the climax of the story. So, I hope you've enjoyed these new revelations. The next chapter will definitely be up soon.

Until then, review please! ^____^


	60. Chapter 60: Conversations with the Dead

Chapter 60: Conversations with Dead People

If Dean had ever been asked, he'd say that today was the worst day in his life. Sam was dead and Kelly Jones was hovering on the edge. He sat in an empty house, burying his sorrows in bottle after bottle of beer. He could not quench the feeling of loneliness. The betrayal that he felt over the words Kelly had mumbled when Bobby had slid her bloody body into the back of the Impala. When they'd propped Sam dead corpse in the front seat. Dean blinked away the tears. They were burning at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He glanced towards the sofa in the living room. That was where Bobby had lay Kelly. _Kelly._ The girl he loved. The girl who'd been missing for five months. _Who finally turns up._ Wrapped up in the shenanigans of the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _On the edge of death._ Looking like hell. _Oh, Sammy. Oh, God. Sammy, Sammy, Sammy._ He'd promised to protect him. He'd sworn. _I told Dad._ He'd always done it. It was part of who he was. _What'll I do now?_ He downed the last of his beer, letting the hot sting soak down his throat. God, he needed something stronger. Something better. Gin, scotch, vodka… He needed vodka. Dean Winchester wanted to spend the rest of his life stone cold drunk. _I let him die._ It was his fault. He'd been too late. _Seconds faster. If I'd just been seconds faster!_ If he'd gone ninety-five on the highway instead of ninety. If he'd thrown caution to the wind. _If I'd just run!_ Then maybe, maybe… _I'd have gotten there in time._ Dean stood and walked across the dusty floorboards. They creaked loudly beneath his swaying steps as he stumbled into the three legged side table. His shins banged against the wooden edge of the musty couch. It hurt. Dean didn't care. He swung his head down over the pale face of his girlfriend. Vision blurred by tears and booze as he stared down at her, Kelly's head was tilted to the side, her hands resting on her chest. _RIP huh._ Bobby had said that she would be fine. "Fine." He mumbled. "Why do you get to be fine?" He asked. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't blame her. _At least she tried._ A treacherous voice hissed from the back of his mind. _Well, she should have tried harder._ Then, Sammy wouldn't be lying dead downstairs. The stench of him beginning to fill that basement room as his flesh began to rot. _Already baby, he's already rotting away._ And Dean couldn't save him. "You should have saved him." Dean hissed. "You should have. You could have." He reached down, a clenched fist rubbing against her cheek. _You're a monster. You're strong._ "You monster."

Dean needed to blame someone and he couldn't just blame himself. The words just tumbled out of his mouth, coming as quickly as the tears. Anger, hurt, blame. A part of him blamed her. Really, blamed her. Dean let his knuckles brush across her soft skin, the white cast under her tan, the tightness in her lips. His eyes fell to her neck and the four inch wide scar that was glittering in the darkness. Ugly, twisted flesh, luminescent and catching in the shadowy light. Dean didn't need to look down to be reminded that there were matching ones on both wrists. Bobby had mentioned that there were countless scars all over her body. With her jacket stripped away, Dean could see them on her arms and her exposed belly. Closed up bullet holes, badly stitched together incisions, crisscrossed knife wounds, burns. Dean smirked. Hers was beginning to resemble his. _And she's spent less than a third of the time doin' the job._ He didn't feel pity. He didn't have anything left. Dean Winchester was empty. _Hell, I don't even have hate._ But he did have blame. _I should be thankful she's still here._ But he wasn't. Not when Sammy was dead.

When Bobby had returned from a futile chase of Jake Talley, the other hunter had discovered that Kelly, though passed out, was still alive. Blood slowly pumping out her side washing away the contamination of the iron, he'd knelt beside her and found a quiet heartbeat still pounding away beneath her ear. She'd been broken, her right lung collapsed when Jake Talley had stabbed the knife between her ribs. Her healing ability stalled by the metal. But in the back of the Impala, Bobby had made certain she would survive. He'd said it was by the skin of her teeth. That's she'd been lucky that the knife hadn't permanently damaged her organs. But even with a collapsed lung, she would survive. _And probably be no worse for wear_. She'd just have another scar. Dean swallowed. She'd survived. Not Sam.

_Why didn't you save him?_ He wondered. He didn't know what had happened out in that rundown town. He didn't know the circumstances that had lead to his brother's death. All he had was anger, grief, and blame. Then, even as he blamed Kelly he blamed himself for blaming her. _When I get down to it. It's all my fault._ He should have looked after her better. _I promised her too._ He'd promised that they'd figure out what was happening to her. _I failed that._ He'd promised he would protect her. Dean looked down at her sleeping face. _Failed that too._ He'd failed Sammy. He'd failed Kelly. _All I can do is blame the woman I love._ Dean tipped the bottle back and swallowed the last of the beer. He turned away from the couch. He couldn't bear to look at her. She and Sammy, their bodies just reminded him of all his failures. _I doubt I could look Kelly in the eye._ He swallowed, thinking about the words she'd mumbled when Bobby had carried her into the car. Dean had been frozen over his brother's own cold form. He'd been too slow to react to her. _Now, all I can do is blame._ He hated it. What did he have left? Dean walked back into the kitchen and looked down at the empty bottle in his hand. He blinked slowly and then, seeing his reflection in the glass, hurled it against the wall. There was a crash as the brown bottle shattered into pieces. Left over beer soaked against the paisley wallpaper and dribbled down the browned surface to the floor. Dean turned away and then rammed his hand into the closed cabinet behind him. His hand stung as he felt the bones of his fingers scream. Dean gritted his teeth and slammed the palm of his now useless hand into the table. He winced, but the pain? It felt good. It was what he deserved. Staring down at his index finger, he shook his head and slumped down into the nearby chair.

"What are you doing here?" Sam demanded. He shook his head. If his mother was here, then there was only one place this could possibly be. _Heaven._ He swallowed. So he was dead after all. Mary lifted her pale eyebrows as she silently evaluated him. "Never mind." He shook his head. "Where are we?" He hadn't expected the thunder of questions that came flooding out of his mouth, he'd expected to run to his mother, and pull her up into a sweeping hug. He hadn't seen her since…

"The poltergeist." Mary said.

"In our old house." Sam nodded. That was where he and Dean had seen their mother's spirit. She'd been trapped by the malevolent evil that had been left behind by her murderer. "But Missouri… she said that you were destroyed, when you saved us."

Mary shook her head. "No, honey." She said. Walking forwards, she lifted her hand and pressed it against Sam's cheek. "I was released to go where I was meant to." She looked past him and added. "The Crone doesn't let her children go easily." She shook her head. "You and I are both caught in her web."

"How?" Sam asked. He paused. "Mom, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, he showed me the night he stood over my crib and poured blood into my mouth. You…"

"Sweetheart…" She began. She sounded sad.

"You recognized him." The memory was still fresh in Sam's mind. "You knew him." The accusation was fresh on the younger Winchester's tongue. "How? How could you have known him?" He swallowed, not knowing what to feel. Guilt, rage, betrayal, despair, happiness, they all competed for a reaction inside him. A swirling mass of confusion. "I thought…"

"I can't answer that, sweetie." Mary said. Her hand trailed down his cheek and she tapped his chin. "It's something you'll have to figure out on your own."

"Why?" Sam demanded. "If we're dead then we've got nothing but time. And I need answers." He added. Desperation creeping into his voice. "Real answers about who I am, where we come from, why Dean and I… " Sam had become firmly convinced that they're was more going on than just Azazel's blood flowing through his veins. This was bigger than that. _Like why Azazel needs a soldier general to lead his armies._ Armies to do what. _End the world?_ That was the only thing Sam could think of and it didn't make sense. _Why end the world?_

"Because," Mary said. "She isn't done with you yet."

Iron hinges squealed as the house door swung open, but Dean Winchester didn't even lift up his head. "Brought you this back." It was the voice of Bobby Singer. Bobby. He'd always been someone Dean could count on.

Reaching out, Dean grabbed another beer off the table and screwed off the cap. He took a long swig, not bothering to wipe his mouth. Dust, sweat, grime, and left over moisture from fallen tears clung to his cheeks. There was a sheen on his forehead as dark bags hung beneath his eyes. "No thanks." He said. "I'm fine." He took another long swig. Escaped beer dribbled off the side of his mouth, curving around his chin to splash on the hardwood table. Dean leaned forward. His hollowed eyes staring blankly at the small circles in the wood grains.

"You should eat somethin'." Bobby said. Dean could hear the sound of a paper bag being tossed aside. He listened to the older man's footsteps as they moved across the floor. It didn't take Dean two guesses to know who he was looking at. "While I check on our patient."

_Right. Since Sam's dead and rotting downstairs, Kelly takes priority._ It was too much for Dean to swallow. "I said I'm fine." He snarled. He slammed his already sprained hand into the table and stood. Walking through the doorway and back into the living room, he leaned against the wall and watched as Bobby checked Kelly's bandages. The grizzled old hunter's hands moved methodically along Kelly's side.

Bobby whistled. "Well, she's comin' along nicely." He glanced at Dean. "Should be wakin' up anytime now." Dean glanced at Kelly and felt a new kind of rage boiling up inside him. "Damn wish I had that kind of recovery time."

"It's Kelly." Dean said. His voice flat as his eyes bored into the floorboards. "What the hell did you expect?" He crossed his right arm over his chest and took another long swig of beer.

"I'm just glad she's pulling through." Bobby said. After replacing the bandage over her newly sown wound, he glanced up at Dean and stood. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he shook his head. "She can't survive everything, Dean."

"I'm beginning to have serious doubts about that." Dean smirked. His voice hard and dry with vicious humor as he lifted his gaze off the floor to stare at Kelly's sleeping face. Rage. That was all he felt. Rage. "I'm bettin' our immortal princess could live through a comet dropping on her head." It wasn't fair. Why did Kelly get to heal so quickly when Sammy… _Oh God, Sammy…_ Dean would not collapse into a sobbing ball of tears. Not in front of Bobby. Not where Kelly could wake up and see him. _She has a lot to answer for._ And Dean would see that she did. _One way or another._ "Come rain, wind, or nuclear explosion she'll always be around to fuckin' haunt me!"

"Dean!"

"What?" Dean growled.

Bobby sucked in a deep breath. He glanced from the sleeping figure of Kelly to Dean and shook his head. Walking forwards, he took the older Winchester by the arm and forcefully dragged him from the room. Bobby wasn't about to let Kelly overhear the things that Dean said in the heat of his grief. _Boy's lookin' for someone to blame._ And he was lashing out at everyone. Bobby was reserving judgment on Kelly. They didn't know what had happened out in Cold Oak, South Dakota. They didn't know why Kelly had gotten herself stabbed by a knife. _The same knife that probably killed Sam._ They didn't know anything. _And Kelly's the only one with the answers._ Bobby didn't know how long it would take for her to wake up. _But I'll be damned if there ain't at least one friendly face around when she does._ She didn't need to be berated by Dean for Sam's death. _She probably doesn't even know he's dead._

Inside the kitchen of the broken down shack Dean and Bobby stood in silence. Bobby knew what had to be said, but he was afraid of saying it. He watched morosely as Dean downed yet another beer. _Christ knows what it's doin' to an empty stomach._ And Bobby wasn't really in the mood to watch Dean hurl. "I hate to bring this up." He said. "I really do." Bobby watched Dean's lips tighten. He knew all about Winchester stubbornness and knew that he'd have to fight it here. _And this ain't the time or the place._ "But," he paused. "Don't you think maybe it's time," he paused again. This was a hard thing to say and Bobby knew it was something that Dean didn't want to hear. Still, it had to be said and Bobby Singer was the only one who could. _Could still use Kelly's help_. He didn't glance back at the couch, even though he had a vain hope that now would be the time she woke up. _She's got a way with Dean._ And pissed as the Winchester boy was… _I don't doubt she can make him see reason._ Or at the very least provide another bastion of support. Bobby knew that Dean loved her. _Mad as he is._ He probably wouldn't listen to her. _But she's someone he could lean on._ To let him know that he wasn't alone. "We bury Sam."

Dean's head swung up. Stubborn anger written all over his face. His mouth was tensed, his eyebrows bending inward as he glared at Bobby. "No." He said.

Bobby stood. There was a bigger picture at hand here, something that both he and Dean needed to focus on. He walked around the table to face Dean. The boy needed to hear sense. "Well," he said. "We could maybe…"

"What?" Dean cut in. "Torch his corpse?" There was another pause as Bobby nearly stepped back from the casual yet hostile tone that was flooding Dean Winchester's voice. "Not yet."

Bobby leaned forwards. The flesh of his palms pressing into the table edge as he stared into Dean's cold hazel eyes. They had darkened into a blackish brown color in the shady light, serving only to emphasize the boy's pigheaded mood. Bobby understood that Dean was grieving, but there was a time and a place for that. _And it ain't the here and now._ "I want you to come with me." He said.

"What?" Dean laughed. "We'll pile Kelly's near corpse into the back of the Impala?" He asked. "Prop her head up so she looks like she' comfortable? Nevermind the fact that it's been two days and we can't get her to wake up!" He shook his head. "I don't care what you call it, healing trance or coma, there's no way we're liftin' her out of here." He looked away from Bobby, his hands tightening into fists on the table. "Then, we leave Sam rotting downstairs while we hunt some baddie?" He leaned forward, his voice harsh with a note of finality as he said. "Don't shit with me Bobby." His dark gaze sharpened into a piercing glare. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Dean." Bobby sighed. "Please."

"Why don't you cut me some slack?" Dean looked up from the table. His mouth twisting into a grimace as he spat out the words.

"I just don't think you should be alone, that's all!"

"Well, I'm not alone." Dean said. He finished off his fourth beer and tossed it aside. At this point he was regretting the high level of alcohol tolerance he'd built up after so many years in skeezy bars hooking up with dirty naughty women. "You said it yourself," he indicated the living room. "_She's_ here to keep me company." He laughed. His voice hard, dry, and with a hint of irony as the sound of it moved through the room.

"Kelly hardly counts Dean." Bobby said.

"Why?" Dean asked. "'Cause she's in some kind of special fairy coma?" He shook his head. "At least, she's makin' better conversation."

"Dean." Bobby took another deep breath and shook his head again, refusing to let his eyes leave Dean's face. He could see that there was no use arguing with him on that front. He swallowed and let the heavy silence hang between them for another moment's breath. Finally, he spoke. It was time to try another tactic. "I gotta admit." Bobby said. "I could use your help." But Dean merely snorted. "Somethin' big is goin' down!" Bobby exclaimed. "End of the world big!"

There was a clatter as the wooden chair hit the floorboards and Dean was on his feet. "WELL THEN LET IT END!" He roared.

Bobby took a step back. "You don't mean that." He said. His voice soft as he fought back the sorrowful tears that were now itching to fall from his own eyes, Bobby didn't let his gaze leave Dean's. He hated seeing how far a strong man like Dean had fallen. He hated it with the might of his being. _And yet there's nothin' I can do._ Dean wasn't about to listen to him now. Not with Sam dead and Kelly unconscious. There was no one left who could get through to Dean. _No one except Dean himself._ And Bobby didn't see that happening anytime soon.

"You don't think so?" Dean asked. He was in Bobby's face now, nearly nose to nose. The stench of alcohol was acrid on his breath, like acid seeping up Bobby's noise, poisoning his senses. _Sammy's dead, Kelly's gonna recover but she's practically gone._ After the things he'd been saying, yelling, there was no way she'd forgive him now. _And that's only if she's innocent._ Dean didn't want to suspect her of having a part in Sammy's death. _But there's no way to be sure._ She'd been there in Cold Oak. _With a knife wound in her gut, the same as the knife that severed Sam's spinal column._ "You don't think I've given enough?" He asked. He tilted his head to indicate both places where Kelly and Sam were lying still, one breathing the other not. He took another step forward as Bobby held his ground. "Huh?" Dean's voice was heavy as his frown darkened. He took another step, until he was nearly eye to eye with the taller man. "You don't think I've paid enough?"

Bobby looked away, his eyes falling to the floor as he shook his head. Moisture blurred his vision, but he didn't lift his fingers to wipe it away. He hadn't given up on reaching Dean. _Or stalling for time so Kelly can wake up._ "Dean…" He tried again.

"I'm done with it." Dean said. "All of it." He held Bobby's eyes with his flat angry gaze and Bobby watched as the tears glistened on the edges of Dean's eyelashes. He could see the trail marks from un-wiped moisture in the dirt on the Winchester brother's cheeks. "And if you know what's good for you," Dean said. "You'll take her," he nodded back towards where Kelly lay. "Turn around and get the hell out of here." But Bobby didn't move, he remained standing in the same spot. Staring at Dean, not knowing what to do next. Seeing this, in a fit of anger, Dean turned back and pushed Bobby hard. "GO!" He roared. Bobby stumbled back, his feet coming to a stop as he stabilized himself before hitting the wall. Dean stared at the floor. He had alternate reasons for wanting Kelly gone. _I don't trust what I'll say to her._ And judging from her body, she'd been through enough already. _I don't trust what I'll do._ At the end of the day, Dean didn't want to drive away the only person he had left. _She's all I've got left._ And it wasn't enough. _Not without Sammy._ "I'm sorry." He said. "I'm sorry." Dean slumped back down into his chair, his head collapsing into his hands. "Please." He whispered. "Please, just go."

Bobby stood there and stared at Dean for another long moment. _Nothin' doin'_. There was no way to get through to him. Not right now. _I'm just afraid he'll do somethin' stupid._ And Bobby didn't want to see his suspicions confirmed. _Terrible thing when a man's lost everything._ Or believed he had. Did terrible things to the soul. Bobby understood that. He'd been there himself. _All I had was revenge._ But even he had discovered over the years that revenge wasn't worth living for. "Fine." He said. Bobby glanced back at the girl on the couch. It was probably safe to move her. He could do as Dean asked and take her with him. _But leavin' her here might be a deterrent against desperation and grief._ There was a cold pit in the bottom of Bobby's stomach, like he sensed something bad about to happen. _But I can't stay here._ Not with whatever was going down. _Not with the fate of the world hangin' in the balance._ Someone had to be there to stop it and if Dean wouldn't, then Bobby would. "Fine." He said. "But Kelly ain't in any condition to be moved." The lie came out easily through his teeth. "So she stays."

"Yeah, okay." Dean muttered. A part of him was relieved to keep her close by. "Whatever."

Bobby turned and headed for the door. "You know where I'll be." He said.

Then Bobby vanished from view and only the swinging of a shutting screen door marked his passing. Dean waited until he heard the rumbling of an engine outside. Finally, he sucked in a deep breath and stood up again. Outside the sun slid down on the western horizon in the flatlands of South Dakota. Birds chirped as above the thunderheads rolled past in the gray sky. A cold wind swept across the plains, brushing up against the long grass and sending the field mice scurrying for their burrows. They could all feel it. The storm that was brewing. The storm that was coming, it's crest would be upon them soon, leaving only disaster in it's wake.

In the expanse and the brightness of the White World, Sam Winchester stared at his mother. He was confused. "She?" Sam asked. "You mean Kelly?" How could that be? His mother didn't know Kelly, she hadn't even been around when they'd been reunited by the haunting in the Winchester's old house in Lawrence, Kansas. How could his mother know about Kelly? _And why wouldn't Kelly be done with me yet?_ He stared at her face. It was wrinkled the way he remembered it from his vision and from seeing her at their old house. She was still very beautiful with long curling blonde hair that fell well past her shoulders, nearly to the center of her back. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd often wore it bound up in a ponytail or a bun. He supposed it was a silly thought to consider, especially since being here meant that he was most-likely dead. But Sam had always been curious about his mother, about the habits that his brother never remembered and the stories about her his father never told. No one in the Winchester family had ever discussed Mary in length or depth. It had been too painful. Sam shook his head, his question had yielded another worry. _What happened to Kelly?_ He still regretted yelling at her. _And Dean?_ Would Dean blame Kelly for Sam's death? He hoped not.

"Kelly?" His mother asked. Sam watched as confusion spread across her features, as she crossed her arms and pursed her lips in thought. "You mean…" She trailed off. "The Hound that was sent to you?"

"Hound…" Sam repeated. How did his mother know about the fey? How did his mother know that Kelly was a fey?

"No." Mary continued. "I wasn't talking about her, though I suppose she's in pretty hot water by now." His mother looked up at his face again, her expression hardening. She hadn't been willing to tell Sam how she knew Azazel, the Yellow-Eyed Demon, and now she was talking about Kelly like she knew what was going on. None of this made any sense.

"Mom…" Sam trailed off. "You know about Kelly? About the Fey?" _And who's this she?_ The one who wasn't done with him yet. Who was she? What did she want? Was she the reason why Sam was here? _No._ He was dead, that meant he had to be in some portion of the afterlife. Maybe this was purgatory or some kind of limbo. _Then why would Mom still be here?_

"I never wanted this life for you." She said. Her voice firm and matter of fact as she crossed her arms over her flowing white nightgown and stared past him at the meandering band of strangers in medieval jesters outfits that were now wandering by. "I wanted to get away from it." She closed her eyes as if remembering something painful. "Protect you from it." She shook her head. "I wanted you to grow up normal, with no idea of any of this." Sam watched his mother's fingers tighten on her arms and stepped forward reflexively. Ready to tell her that it wasn't her fault. "Then, maybe, I thought, maybe she'd skip a couple generations, but apparently not." Sam reached out but stopped as his mother looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "You discovered this life without me."

"Mom." Sam said. His voice coming out very slowly as the pieces of the puzzle were all starting to fit together. "Were you a hunter?"

Mary laughed sadly. "Yes, sweetheart." She said. "I was." She stared straight at him and lifted her chin slightly, almost challengingly. "You see." She said. "Some hunters are born for the work, others find their way to it, and still others, ones you have yet to meet," her eyes scanned the population of mingling spirits that were in front of and behind them. "They were bred for it."

"Like Samuel Colt?" Sam asked. He was hesitant to admit his meeting with the man. But what were the chances that his mother knew the man who'd provided some of the keys to Kelly's past and what she was. _The man who told us all about the fey._ What they were, even if he hadn't fully explained in depth what they were capable of. "And Rhett."

He watched his mother's face fall. "So you have met them." She murmured.

"What?" Sam tried for a joke. "Were they friends of the family?"

"Not mine." Mary said. She shook her head and tucked a loose strand of curly blonde hair back behind her ear. "My father's." She held her arms against her as she looked at her son. "Samuel Colt would wander in every five years to a decade." She sighed. "He never changed, never aged. A sweet old man, but he frightened me. He had the dog who always traveled behind him." Mary sucked in a deep breath. "My father, he hoped that a Hound would come to me and claim me for the Service." A wry smile twisted on Mary's lips as she caught herself in the web of her memories. "For the Hunt." Her blue eyes moved back to her son. "He wanted our family to be blessed with the Crone's good favor." Mary shook her head again. "I just wanted to escape and leave the life behind me." Instead, she'd brought tragedy into her home, to her parents.

"Blessed?" Sam asked. Had his mother run away? He frowned.

"I was told from the beginning, from the day I was born that I was special." Mary said. "Chosen. My father's family belonged to the Hunt and he worshipped his mistress," Mary shook her head again. "Our mistress, the Crone."

"Is she some kind of god?" Sam remembered Samuel Colt mentioning that name. _Mallt-y-Nos._

"A fey." Mary said. She smiled sadly. "A very ancient and powerful fey."

"I don't understand." Samuel Colt had spoken about a deal, Sam remembered. "What do you have to do with this Crone?" _The fey who supposedly heads Kelly's people._ "Colt told me about a deal."

"He must have mentioned the clause in that deal about descendants." Mary's wry smile widened as she spoke. "And eternal service." She raised an eyebrow in Sam's direction. "Didn't he, sweetheart?"

"Are you saying that Dean and I…" Sam trailed off. That was too impossible. _We don't belong to some ancient hunters cult or a fey._ No, it didn't make sense. Their entire lives, being thrown into the hunt by their father after their mother's death. That had been because of a demon not chartered destiny. _We became hunters, we weren't born or bred one._ True it was what they did now, but that didn't mean that it was all they were.

"Through my bloodline, you belong to the Hunt." Mary said. Her voice was both sympathetic and sorrowful as she spoke. Sam could feel her sincerity and her love in her gaze, he found he couldn't look away. "I'm sorry sweetie, I should have been there for you. You and Dean, I could have prepared you. I would have, if I'd known she was going to mark you." Sam watched his mother's head fall into her hands as she shook all over. "I knew she was cruel." She muttered. "But I never thought she'd punish me so thoroughly."

"But you must have run away." Sam said. "Dean and Dad never knew about any of this." If they had, they'd never mentioned it.

"John, your father, he… " she trailed off. "He never knew about my family's real occupation. He thought..."

"That you were a normal girl?" Sam asked. His mother's love life was beginning to sound like Sam's own. They both had the desire to get away from hunting and live a normal life. He saw that now. It was warming to know that they had so much in common. Sam couldn't help it, despite the seriousness of the conversation. he grinned.

Mary nodded. "I never wanted him to know." She said. Mary tapped her lip and looked up at him. "Your father? Is he?"

Sam's face fell. "He died." The words came out simply but the weight of grief behind them nearly crushed him. Mary only smiled sadly.

"Against the demon?" She asked. Sam only nodded morosely and Mary laughed. "How like John." She shook her head. "Foolhardy and pigheaded to the end." She closed her eyes. "Once he knew, he'd never have stopped until the thing was dead." She smiled. "That was the kind of man he was." There was a fondness in her voice that made Sam's throat constrict as he felt the weight of guilt settling on his shoulders. "Well, at least he can rest now." Sam didn't have the heart to tell his mother about the deal his father had made to save Dean's life. He couldn't tell her that the man she loved was rotting away in hell.

"You don't seem surprised that he's not here." Sam noted.

"John would never have come here." Mary said. "The souls of mortal men and amateur hunters are not for this place."

"Dad wasn't an amateur!" Sam snapped. He was surprised by his quickness to defend his father, and watched his mother's lips quirked caustically. But now that he was in the thick of it, he couldn't just turn back. "He was one of the best hunters around. Everyone says so." Now he sounded like a three-year old repeating gossip. _My daddy is the best! I don't care what anybody says!_ "All the other hunters we've met."

"I'm sure he did very well." Mary said. "But there are many things he and most amateur human hunters don't know." She looked up at him. "That you don't know." She sighed. "Things that are impossible to learn on your own and things that normal experience will not expose you to." Her lips quirked and tightened. "Like why you won't find your father here," she took a step forward and closed the distance between them. "Only those belonging to the Crone come to the White World, Sammy." She lifted her hands and stepped forward to tweak his nose. "Something I should have taught both you and Dean. But I believed I'd escaped her grasp, so I neglected Dean's proper training." She looked up at Sam. "Another example is creatures like the Hounds of C'wn Mamau and your friend." She paused and frowned. "Kelly?" She didn't pause to wait for confirmation. "I'm guessing you didn't know what she was on your first meeting?" Sam nodded slowly as his mother continued. "You were baffled when her powers started to manifest? When she could do things? When her eye color changed?"

"How?"

"The question, you should be asking yourself sweetheart," his mother continued. "Is why she didn't bond one of you right away?"

"Because she didn't remember." Sam said.

"So, she was possibly damaged by her fall." Mary said. She lifted her fingers to her chin again, her expression contorting as she sank deep into thought. "Did she remember what she was?"

"No."

"So, she'd spent too much time in a mortal form." Mary shook her head. "Still, a fey wouldn't free its cousin from a mortal body unless it wanted something." She paused and crossed her arms. "A sacrifice."

"Kelly said becoming mortal was a fate worse than death for her kind." Sam offered. His mother was surprising him. Consistently and it was making Sam nervous. He hadn't expected Mary Winchester to be like this. _Calm, collected, knowledgeable like Bobby._ He'd given her the barest basics and already she seemed to know what had occurred with Kelly. Explaining everything that Samuel Colt had told him.

"It is." Mary said. "It is a punishment only fitting for the greatest atrocities and dealt to the worst offenders." She paused. "It is worse than permanent exile. Makes one wonder what your friend did to deserve such a fate."

"She said it was an accident."

"Did she?" Mary sighed. "Even so, Hounds like her are fairly common creatures in the Otherworld. Her brothers and sisters would not have found her and killed her without an order from above."

"The Crone?" Sam asked.

"Maybe." His mother shrugged. "Or perhaps it was a supplication to the Crone for her to allow the completion of a demon's deal." She looked up at Sam. "Sweetheart, is there something you're not telling me?"

Dean Winchester sat in the dank basement, his hands on his knees as he leaned forward. He was sitting across from his brother's dead body, tears in his eyes as he set down the beer he'd been drinking. Wiping his face, Dean sighed heavily. This was all his fault. Kelly was upstairs, she hadn't even been woken by Dean's heated exchange with Bobby. It made Dean wonder if she ever would wake up. Not that he cared if she did. Not now anyway. _Not with Sammy dead._ And all Dean's promises broken. All he could think about was Sam, his little brother. His poor dead little brother. _Sammy._ Dean loved his brother more than anything, more than anyone, and… _And I never got the chance to tell him._ There were times when Sammy's safety was all that kept Dean going. It drove him. _I love Kelly._ But what he felt for her paled in comparison to the devotion he had for keeping Sam safe. _Not that he ever made it easy._ Dean chuckled. It was a broken and hollow sound that barely made it around the room, failing to echo back at him. His last family was gone. Sam was gone. _At least now I've got the chance to tell him._ Dean thought. He didn't know if it was worth anything. _But I…_ He needed to let Sam know.

"You know when we were little." He said. His voice came out slowly, stuttering over the words, there was a fondness behind them a wishing for better days. "When you couldn't have been more than five, you just started asking questions." Dean smiled as another tear trickled down his cheek. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Like why didn't we have a mom, why did we always have to move around, where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time. I remember I begged you 'quit asking Sammy! Man, you don't wanna know!'." He chuckled again. "I just wanted you to be a kid." He said. Dean's eyes never left his brother's still face. Sam looked so peaceful, lying there with his hands crossed over his chest, his head tilted to the side, eyes closed. He looked like he was sleeping and if it wasn't for the fact that his chest never rose or fell, the fact that his nostrils never flared with exhaled air, Dean might have believed his brother was just sleeping. "Just for a little while longer." He'd failed at that too, Dean remembered. "Always tried to protect you." A sad smirk twitched on the edges of Dean's lips, as if he was now just catching the irony behind what was happening. "Keep you safe." He nodded again. "Dad didn't even have to tell me." He laughed. "It was just always my responsibility y'know." He stared down at his shoes and then looked back it. "It was like I had one job, one job." He leaned forward, his voice breaking heavily with tears as another one escaped from his eyelids. "And I screwed it up." His lips pursed and tightened as he stared at the body of his brother. The corpse of what had once been Sam Winchester. The weight of Dean's failure fell heavily across his shoulders, burying him beneath it. Was this what his whole life had amounted to? Failing to protect what was most precious to him? "I blew it." He whispered. He stared down at Sam. "And for that I'm sorry." Another tear escaped his eyelashes and fell down Dean's cheek. He sniffed and wiped it away. "I guess that's what I do." He said. "I let down the people I love." He swallowed. "You know I let Dad down, couldn't save him, he had to give his life to save me." Dean's voice choked as his throat grew thick with emotion. "How worthless is that?" He laughed. Then Dean swallowed and continued. "Let Kelly down, couldn't protect her, I let her keep running, she's lyin' hurt upstairs all cause I couldn't catch her. Couldn't keep her safe." He looked down at the floor and shook his head. "And now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down too?" He asked. "How can I? How am I supposed to live with that?" He stared at Sam's peaceful face, begging for answers, but none came. "What am I supposed to do?" He asked, his voice sinking to a whisper as he gazed at his brother. "Sammy." He whispered. "God." The tears were starting to fall freely now as Dean felt himself penned into a hard decision. What could he do? "What am I supposed to do?" The words were repeated in the same harsh voice, their pleading question falling on deaf ears. Frustrated, Dean stood up. Kicking the concrete plateau that Sam lay on, Dean threw his head back towards the ceiling and screamed. "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!"

AN: Yes, finally the promised chapter 60 as we get well underway with the final part of the story, so hurray for that! I've been trying to find the time to write this for so long now, it's incredible… Seriously, who knew that the end of the semester would come so fast and I would be so ill prepared. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this latest installment and, of course, Mary. Never did see enough of her on SPN for my tastes, I always wanted to know more about her and so now, in fic form, I'm planning on taking the time to elaborate that Hunter background. (I always wanted her to be a hunter anyway. ^_^) Hee! Next chapter will be Bargains, Dean's demon-deal with a twist, the YED meets Jake, Kelly wakes up, and a master sets foot on the stage.

As always, read, review, and tell me what you think and how you like it. I promise that at the end of it all, it will make complete sense.

Feed my muse. And below, is a preview of chapter 61.

Chapter 61: Bargains

The question sang out and rebounded back at him, echoing and empty without any real solution. Then, suddenly, Dean knew what he had to do. It was the only thing left. Yes, it was stupid, foolhardy, and suicidally reckless… But? What choice did he have? He couldn't leave Sam down to rot in that cellar. No, he knew what he had to do. And he'd give whatever it was, whatever the demon asked to bring Sam back. He climbed the stairs quickly. His feet pounding loose the excess dust between the boards. He crossed the kitchen as he gathered the Impala's keys and his jacket. Pulling it on, he headed towards the door. His heavy steps banging away against the floor, then he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. Kelly lay on the couch, still asleep. [I]_Like she's dead._[/I] Angry as he was, Dean couldn't leave without saying goodbye to her. He felt guilty leaving her here all alone with no one to wake up to. [I]_And Sam dead downstairs._[/I] With any luck, he'd be back before she did. [I]_With Sam alive._[/I] Suddenly much more subdued, he crossed into the living room and walked around the couch. [I]_She'll never forgive me._[/I] He thought, kneeling. A touch of warmth sprang up in his heart as he looked down at her sleeping face. Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of dark brown hair off her forehead. "I'm sorry to do this, to leave you." He whispered. "But its only way to save Sammy." He leaned down and tilted her chin up towards him. "I love you." He whispered and then kissed her fiercely. Gathering her body up in his arms he pressed his mouth against hers as if his life depended on it. He'd been waiting a long time to see her again and, even now uncertain as he was, Dean needed her to know that his feelings hadn't completely changed. Then, kiss over, he lay her back down and walked out of the house, ready to face whatever lay ahead.


	61. Chapter 61: Prices, Payments, Bargains

Chapter 61: Prices, Payments, and Bargains

It was night and in the far off distance the sound of hooting owls preparing for their nightly hunt carried on the soft sweet breeze that blew in from the south. Jake Talley sat in the dark, twitching over every cricket chirp and crackling ember that hopped out of his campfire. He half expected it to be the men who'd chased him back in Cold Oak. The men who'd come looking for Sam. _And found him dead._ Jake couldn't blame himself for what he'd done. It had been a choice. A choice between his life and Sam's and Jake knew that even if the other man showed potential, Jake Talley was far more suited to kill it. After all, he had the training behind him, the experience from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. What had Sam Winchester had? _A little ghost and demon knowledge._ But Jake was sure he'd already picked up everything that he needed to know. Everything that Sam could teach him. _Now I just have to fulfill my promise._ Find the demon and kill it, then this nightmare would be over. _Then I can figure out the rest of my life._ He was a deserter now, he needed to figure out how he'd survive. The damned demon had ruined his life and Jake Talley was certain to repay the favor. _No matter how long it fucking takes._ He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the upended truck of a fallen tree.

He was very tired. How long had it been since he'd slept? _Can't sleep, gotta stay alert._ Alert and ready for an ambush, an attack, or an appearance by the Yellow-Eyed Demon. He straightened and then slumped back down, his eyelids flittering shut. It had been days. He was weary. What could it hurt? Catching a few zz's here and there? He needed to be ready and he couldn't be ready if he was tired. Tired. Jake's eyelids flittered shut. Rest was good, nice, comfortable. It was what he wanted. _No!_ Jake's military trained mind snarled as he sat bolt upright, rubbing his eyes. He needed to stay awake. Then, as his vision cleared and he could see past the smoke billowing up off the campfire, Jake saw him. The man with the Yellow-Eyes was sitting across from him, cowboy boots crossed as he leaned back languidly. Jake frowned, it was as if he didn't have a care in the world. _Isn't he scared?_ Jake wondered in a frightening moment of silence before the Yellow-Eyed demon spoke.

"Howdy Jake!" The demon said. He tilted his head to the side, a sly grin on his lips as he examined the challenge winner with yellow, pupil-less eyes. Jake scrambled to his feet and the Yellow-Eyed man watched him like a snake watches a flighty bird. His head winding back and forth as he followed the black man's movements.

"I'm dreamin'." Jake stuttered. "I-I-I'm dreaming again aren't I?"

Uncrossing his ankles and leaning forwards towards the fire, the Yellow-Eyed man sighed. "I got a genius on my hands." He watched with amusement as the young man stiffened, as his muscles spasmed in his cheek, and as Jake Talley fought between his fight and flight instincts. Azazel had a feeling that curiosity would win out. "Well, congratulations Jake." He said. "You're it," he smirked and twitched his head, like he found the entire concept hilarious. "Last man standing." He lifted his eyebrows as his smirk widened. "The American Idol." He chuckled and shook his head. "I have to admit." He said as he stood. "You weren't the horse I was bettin' on." Azazel glanced around the empty forest. "Lost a good chess piece with that miscalculation, but…" he lifted his fingers. "Still, I gotta give it you."

"Go…" Jake said. He was finally finding words, the demon liked that. Maybe it meant the kid had a little spunk in him after all. "To hell!" Jake finished emphatically.

Azazel could see the terror etched into every crevice of the boy's battle hardened face and he couldn't help but let his smile widen. It was an amusing turn of phrase to be sure. 'Go to hell', there were so many ways to play it, make it a pun, a joke, a laugh. Hell was supposed to be the worst place on or off earth. Humans didn't really understand what hell was, not until they went there themselves. He could be clever with the word play, but the breaking of his favorite pact had left an acrid taste in his mouth. It was past the time for being clever. Instead, he decided to be droll and used the most common response a demon could give.

"Been there." He said, his lips quirking into an even wider smirk. Azazel was the cat who had just eaten the entire canary, the one who'd just made off with the entire gingerbread house, he'd nearly hurled the old granny into the oven and he wasn't about to stop until he had. He'd practically won, suffering no losses except one small experiment that he was rather fond of. He lifted his head. And now it wouldn't hurt terrorizing the poor kid so he'd behave. Azazel preferred them malleable. It was a combination made better by fear. He winked. "Done that."

"Everything you put me through!" Jake yelled. "Draggin' me to that place!" There were tears in his voice. Azazel couldn't help but feel unsympathetic. "Makin' me kill those people!"

"All part of the beauty pageant." The Yellow-Eyed demon grinned.

"Terrorizin' us with that black dog!" Jake snarled. "That girl!"

"Ah, Sammy Winchester's friend." Azazel smiled. "Don't worry, Jake my boy, you'll get your chance to repay her." He was enjoying this immensely. "Give her a fate worse than death." He shook his head. "But enough of old rhyme's and unrepentant grievances." He spread his hands in supplication. "Jake, I needed the strongest." He said. Leaning forward, the demon tipped his hands to point directly at Jake's chest. "And that's you."

"Needed me for what?" Jake demanded.

"Oh, I've got a laundry list of tasty things for you." Azazel said as he eyed Jake over the jumping flames of the fire. "And a few tasks left unfinished by your predecessor, my little black dog." He smirked.

"My predecessor?"

"A right hand." The demon shrugged. "Though she was going to be demoted to the second string, once you took the field." He shook his head. "I'm crying crocodile tears over lost partnerships." He smirked. "You two crazy kids could have been brilliant together."

"The only thing I'm gonna do is wake up, hunt you down, and kill you myself." Jake said. His voice flat and emotionless as the words tripped over themselves falling out of his mouth.

The demon didn't doubt the fervor behind the statement, even if he very much doubted the follow through. He could work with this. Azazel chuckled. "You know other's have tried." He said. "It's not easy." He watched Jake's eyes widen as the realization hit the young man. _Like cows to an electric fence._ A load of bricks dropping ten stories to crash land on Jake Talley's head. The demon could see Jake's thought process clear as day. Humans were easy to predict. And now, Jake here was realizing that killing the demon might not be as easy as he'd thought. "Trust me, Jake." The demon said. "You want to be a good little soldier here."

"And if I'm not?" There was still a touch of defiance in that tone. Good. It would make things easier.

"If you're a bad little soldier?" The demon stood and made his way around the dancing flames. "Well that dear old mom of yours," he paused for emphasis. The demon could practically taste the suffering on his tongue and he relished the idea. "That sweet, sunshine and light, tastier than the promise milk and honey kid sister," he paused again, a casual smirk widening on his lips as he spoke. "Well, let's just say…" He trailed off and fixed Jake with a wicked grin. "I'll make certain that they both live long enough to know the chewy taste of their own intestines." The words came out of his mouth smooth as butter, but Jake knew the threat behind them was real. It frightened him. The corners of the demon's mouth twitched. Jake opened his mouth, but Azazel cut him off. "No, Jake." He said. "I'm not bluffing." He reached out and put a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder. "But your welcome to try me." He smiled. "After all, I gotta prove I'm good to my word." He chuckled. "What's the world coming to if a demon can't be honest?"

Jake looked down. He felt outfoxed, outmanned, and outgunned. He didn't dare cross this thing with his mother and little sister on the line. He couldn't even dream of doing anything that would put them in harms way. _Demon's got my by the crosshairs._ And he had a feeling that the thing wasn't about to set him loose. Not yet, anyway. "How do I know you're tellin' the truth?" He asked.

"Oh, Jakey Jake Jake." The demon chuckled. He held up his right hand ironically. "My word is my bond." He squeezed Jake's shoulder. "I'll live up to my end, so long as you play along with yours."

"But how…"

"No guarantees I'm afraid." The demon smirked. "You just gotta," he lifted his hand off Jake's shoulder and tossed them up into the air. "Trust me."

Jake considered this for a long moment. The feeling of being trapped with no way out but a face heel turn left him feeling sick to his stomach. _But it's my family's lives on the line._ He couldn't afford to screw up. He couldn't trust this demon, but even so he had to believe that this thing would be true to its word. _As long as I'm true to mine._ He swallowed. The words ground out between his teeth as he held the gaze of the Yellow-Eyed demon, he asked. "What do you want me to do?"

"Like I said." The demon smiled. His hand moving away from Jake's shoulder to pat the boy on the cheek. "Genius."

Abandoned House Fifty Miles Outside of Cold Oak, South Dakota

The question sang out and rebounded back at him, echoing and empty without any real solution. Then, suddenly, Dean knew what he had to do. It was the only thing left. Yes, it was stupid, foolhardy, and suicidally reckless… But? What choice did he have? He couldn't leave Sam down to rot in that cellar. No, he knew what he had to do. And he'd give whatever it was, whatever the demon asked to bring Sam back. He climbed the stairs quickly. His feet pounding loose the excess dust between the boards. He crossed the kitchen as he gathered the Impala's keys and his jacket. Pulling it on, he headed towards the door. His heavy steps banging away against the floor, then he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. Kelly lay on the couch, still asleep. _Like she's dead._ Angry as he was, Dean couldn't leave without saying goodbye to her. He felt guilty leaving her here all alone with no one to wake up to. _And Sam dead downstairs._ With any luck, he'd be back before she did. _With Sam alive._ Suddenly much more subdued, he crossed into the living room and walked around the couch. _She'll never forgive me._ He thought, kneeling. A touch of warmth sprang up in his heart as he looked down at her sleeping face. Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of dark brown hair off her forehead. "I'm sorry to do this, to leave you." He whispered. "But I gotta do all I can to save Sammy." He leaned down and tilted her chin up towards him. "I love you." He whispered and then kissed her fiercely. Gathering her body up in his arms he pressed his mouth against hers as if his life depended on it. He'd been waiting a long time to see her again and, even now uncertain as he was, Dean needed her to know that his feelings hadn't completely changed. Then, kiss over, he lay her back down and walked out of the house, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Long after the squealing of tires had faded into the distance, a lean and hooded figure emerged from the shadows of the room. Reality seemed to bend around the figure as she moved silently across the floor of the living room. Pausing only for a moment to stare out at the receding dust cloud, a clear bell-like voice could be heard echoing through the empty rooms. "Fool boy." She sniffed. Then turned to the body that lying prone on the couch. She moved around to stand at the head of the broken piece of furniture, her hooded face hidden by shadow and gloom as she clucked disapprovingly in the back of her throat. The tall figure leaned down, careful not to touch any of the dirt and grime stained into the fabric. Gently, she reached out with her fingers to touch the top of Kelly Jones's head. "This is not what I called you here to do my puppy." She said. Her voice soft in the shadowy light, she swatted the girl hard over the head with an open hand. "Wake up." She commanded.

There was a gasp below her hand as the brunette stirred. The hooded woman watched, mildly perturbed as Kelly Jones stared up at her with wide brown eyes. "Where?" She gasped. Realizing that the feel of cold steel was missing, Kelly's hands shot to her throat as she felt around for her collar.

"Gone." Replied the woman, her voice anything but gentle as she spoke.

"My deal." Kelly asked. Her voice hesitant as she sniffed the air. This scent, the one that hung around this woman, it was so familiar. A mixture of sandalwood and holly, spicy, a smell distinct from all the demons she'd encountered.

"Broken." Came the tart response. There was a pause the length of a breath as the hooded figure sighed. "Don't worry, darling." It was a gentler tone that was supposed to soothe her, Kelly stiffened, it set her on edge. "You're not breaking any laws by remaining in this place." A pat on the head.

"I'm not." Kelly blinked. If the collar was gone from her throat, then it must be true. _It would only ever fall if the deal was broken_. She swallowed. "I'm not worried about breaking any laws." Not anymore, now all she wanted to do was find Sam and Dean. She needed to make sure that they were okay.

"Ah," a note of displeasure. "I had thought curing you of troublesome memories and giving you time in a mortal body would have lent some perspective." The words came with that same warm touch but beneath the airy tone lay winter's chill, and Kelly fought back a shiver. "But alas, I see you are as foolhardy as ever before." The woman sighed, leaning forward as a gnarled and twisted Hawthorne staff emerged from within the folds of the black robes.

Again, the musty air carried the woman's fresh scent to Kelly's nose. _Woods and forests_. But clearer and fresher and greener than any found in this mortal place. That could only mean one other world. _Home._ She blinked. The Otherworld. "I know you."

"Of course you do, dearest." She moved out of the shadows, her face hidden beneath a wide hood. The staff tapped against the cold concrete as the figure moved forward. The edges of the black cloak dragged across the floor, vocalizing indistinct whispers. Tones that Kelly couldn't understand, her heart sped up, beating rapidly against her ribcage. She came to a stop a few feet from Kelly, leaning heavily on her walking stick as she stared at the girl. From within the shadows of the hood, Kelly saw a pair of silver eyes shining out at her.

"It would be a pity if you had forgotten." That was a biting remark and it came from Kelly's foot. She looked away from the haunting silver eyes into a pair that were much more like her own. She watched as golden eyes flashed around a pupil the color of a cloudy sky. It was a chiseled face, as if newly sculpted to perfection by Michelangelo, a woman's face. Alabaster skin was framed by two long sheets of perfect raven colored black hair that fell wildly around the woman's striking visage, as Kelly watched pert lips tighten. It was a figure and countenance that was too perfect to be real and in recognition the young Hound nearly bayed in excitement. Instead, she held her tongue as the second woman stood and bowed to the first. One sharp glance reduced Kelly to silence and she winced from where she lay, propped up on the couch. "Then I would be forced to call you forever lost." The gray-eyed woman snorted. "You remain luckless as always Keely."

"Sam." The words came out strangled as Kelly looked from the hooded woman to the Hound that was straightening up on the other side of the bed. "Is he? Did he?" She barely remembered what had happened after Jake had stabbed her. _And now cousins are hanging around._ Something must be very wrong, she realized. Her heartbeat quickening in her chest. _Or why would they bother to come here at all?_ No, something must be very wrong. She looked around. Where was Dean? Where was Bobby? _Did they leave me here all alone?_ The thought was tremulous in the back of her mind. Had she been abandoned after all?

"Sit up." Commanded the gray-eyed woman. She stalked around the side of the couch and grabbed Kelly firmly by the hair. "Sit up!" Kelly yelped as hardened fingers sank into her scalp and, even as her nerve ends screamed, dragged her head upright. "Damn it, Keely! I'll not have you turn a sloth just because you haven't the sense to bow down before your betters!"

"Cassandra." The chill was back in the hooded woman's voice.

To Kelly's surprise, the other Hound released her and stepped back. Slowly, body aching, Kelly forced herself into a sitting position. Her limbs shook, muscles contracting from laying about too long, as she tried to find the strength to stand. Kelly lifted her chin. _Where is Sam?_ She wondered. Glancing at the Hound, Cassandra, she asked. "Did you bring me here?"

"Be silent, you useless cur!" Cassandra hissed. "Before you have us both set loose upon this lowly plane!"

Kelly stiffened, she was well aware of what Cassandra meant. It was like being decommissioned. It meant disgrace and exile. Kelly's eyes moved back to the woman in black and sucked in a deep breath. This was where all the power lay and Kelly was frightened that she knew what it meant. _I should have known._ But who could have ever guessed? _To come here of all places._

"Cassandra." The voice from beneath the cloak was still cold and in it there was a warning. "The child has suffered greatly these past months, alone without the comforting hands of her fellows. Would you begrudge her kindness and strike out with the lash over a few forgotten manners?"

"She should never have been allowed…" Cassandra trailed off as the hood lifted and the older Hound met two hard silver eyes. "No." The word came out grudgingly as she moved away from Kelly to stand beside the woman in the long hood.

"I thank you." Kelly said. The words were careful as she scooted to the edge of the couch. She was eager to find the Winchester boys. She needed to be sure that they were safe, even though she was frightened that they would not accept her back. _I have nowhere else to go._ She just had Sam and Dean. They were it. The men that she was desperately in love with, her best friends, and in many ways her only trustworthy family. "Both for your patience and your kindness." She had to be careful; the woman in the hood was made of power. Power that could squash her, should Kelly say the wrong thing. _Caution._ She chastised herself. These were not humans or demons and they were more treacherous than both. If she wanted to see Dean and Sam then she would have to extract herself from the situation. _As delicately as possible._ "Lady, but I have lost my companions and I must beg your leave so that I may go look for them." Formal was best, and while the words sounded strange on her tongue, she didn't doubt that they would do the trick. At least, she hoped they would. _Sam, Dean…_ Had they managed to kill Jake? She'd meant to sacrifice herself. _But it seems I'm destined to keep on living._

"I too am curious about how your companions have fared." The woman in the robes said. Kelly felt her heart sink into her boots. "One of them is below and waiting, you will lead me to him." It was not a question or a request, but a command.

"Yes." Kelly said, bowing her head. She stood on unsteady feet. She did not want this person anywhere near Sam or Dean, whichever she was leading her too. And yet, Kelly understood the dangerous predicament she'd found them in. She shook her head and sniffed the air. _I…_ She could not say no to this woman.

Miles away at the nearest crossroads, Dean Winchester buried a box containing his picture and a hex bag in the gravel mixed dirt. He covered it over, his fingers stinging from the friction. He stood and looked around, waiting for a sign. Life. The demon had to come. She was contractually obligated to. Dean's heart pounded in his chest. His own thoughts and worries mere echoes in the back of his mind as he fought for a reason behind this madness. Sam was dead. Would the demon deal? Or would she simply laugh in his face? Dean thought he had a good chance. After all, how many demons wanted to get their hands on his soul? _But there's always a chance she'll say no._ And then, then… what would he do?

Dean looked left, down the crossroads, and then right back to his car. Nothing. He saw nothing. Slowly, listening as the birds chirped in their nests and the crickets told the temperature, he turned around. He looked down the next lane. Still nothing. He withheld a sigh of worry; there was one more road. One more, and he knew that she would be there. She had to be. "Oh, come on already!" He muttered. Lifting his voice he turned around again, desperation clinging to the anger in his tone. "Show your face you bitch!" He roared. His voice echoing out into the clear night sky. The sound was cold and empty as it rebounded back at him. Dean felt like his own insides had been ripped to pieces, or would be if the demon refused to show. _What the hell'll I do if that bitch doesn't come?_ Then, the voice he heard behind him was sweet music to his ears.

"Easy sugar," she said. Her voice filled with a light, cheerful, and mockingly amused touch to the edges of her vowels. She was not the demon he'd dealt with before or maybe she was, Dean Winchester wasn't sure. Either way, she'd have grabbed a new body by now. He took a deep breath and turned around. And there she was, a pretty little brunette in a low cut top with perfectly curled hair and a pair of bright red eyes. Crossroad's Demon. But was it the same one? "Dean, Dean, Dean." She looked him up and down. "It is so, so, good to see you." Yeah, it was the same one. He stiffened as the gravel crunched beneath her high heel patent black leather stiletto sandals. "Oh I mean it." She said. "You've gone and got your family killed, all alone in the world." Dean opened his mouth. "Wait, you've still got that pesky furball kicking around don't you?" Her lips twitched. "The irony, that kid outlives the great Sammy Winchester." She chuckled. "And she sure does have a sucker punch coming, her way. Can't say I'll shed a tear." She shrugged. "So it's you and Monster Mama, all alone." She leaned forward. "I gotta say it's just too sweet." Inhaling a deep whiff of Dean's scent, she walked to his right and paused beside his shoulder. Leaning in, she whispered into his ear. "Excuse me, you'll have to give me a moment. Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses."

"I should send you straight back to hell." Dean growled out. The words came gritted out of clenched teeth and that only made the Crossroads Demon's smile grow wider. He could see that she was enjoying this. His pain, she sucked it up like a sponge. _Easy Winchester._ He thought. Repulsed as he was by this idea, as riled up and angry as he was, he needed to play this smart. _I gotta get Sam back._ And if that meant letting a demon take a few potshots then fine.

"Ooh." She smirked. "You should. But you won't." She walked away from him. "'Cause without me, Sammy boy's just one more carcass rotting in the dirt." She stopped a few feet away from him and Dean turned, slowly. He couldn't let her get him riled up. That meant he'd do something stupid and he was desperate enough already.

"So you heard about that?" Dean chuckled.

"We all have." The demon tilted her head to the side. "And," she smiled. "Following in Daddy's footsteps you want to make a deal." She leaned forward. "Little Sammy back up, walking and talking like that big bad soldier boy never cut him down." She chuckled. "And let me guess, you're offering up your own soul?"

The cellar basement was cool, musty, and dank. The smell of mildew and mold were heavy in the air, billowing off of the four walls surrounding the body. When Kelly Jones' eyes adjusted to the light, she fought back a pained cry. There he was and now, this close, she could smell the death on him. Dark brown hair hung limply around her pale face, as Kelly made her way forwards. Her eyes falling on Sam's prone body, still dressed the same as he'd been at Cold Oak. A lump coalesced in Kelly's throat as she stared at his pale sleeping face. He looked so peaceful. She swallowed, her throat dry, as she moved to stand beside his body. The others behind her forgotten in her grief. Her knees hit the hard ground beside the body as she reached out towards his face. _No._ Her mind whispered. _No, no, no, no!_ This was not why she'd dived in front of Jake Talley's knife. This was not why she'd nearly broken her deal with Azazel. _No…_ Her mind moaned. She let her hands drift across his skin. It was cold, frozen to the touch, with none of the warmth she was so accustomed to feeling. Her fingers moved up to his brown bangs, brushing them back, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his hard skin. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Tears hovered on the edges of her eyes, glittering on her lashes, refusing to fall. Kelly closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Sam." She shook her head, stroking his fine hair as she let herself collapse over his body. Pressing her face against his chest, she let out an angry scream. The sound was muffled by Sam's plaid shirt and he continued to lay still. "Wake up!" She cried. Her fist rising over her head, it slammed down onto his pectoral. "Wake up!" She hit him again, and again, and again. Finally, she slumped to her knees. "Please wake up." She whispered. Fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt, she pulled her face in close to him. "Please." She drew a deep breath, swallowing the acrid smell of newly rotting flesh. It stung her nose. "I didn't mean it." Her voice small, she sounded like a small child, frightened and alone. "I didn't mean any of it. So, please." Her throat dry, she pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice a whimper. "Don't leave me, please." She knew she sounded pathetic like a beggar crying out for a crust with no one listening. No one willing to give aid. "Don't go."

"A sad thing isn't it."

This was the sympathetic response from behind Kelly. It was a note of pure compassion, loving, and sweet. The woman sounded genuinely regretful. _She knew he was dead_. Kelly realized. _She knew, she just wanted to see how I would react._ Swallowing, she looked up from Sam's body, tears streaking her cheeks. Silence was the only way she could respond, no quick quip, no clever phrase, nothing. She had nothing. She watched as Cassandra followed the hooded and robed woman into the center of the room. She listened to the click of the staff on the cement floor and felt the dank moisture seeping into her jeans. Kelly shivered.

"I say good riddance." Cassandra said. She was leaning against the wall, watching their interplay with bored eyes. Her gray gaze was away from them, on the window, her nose wrinkled. "After all, he's already begun to smell."

"Sam." Kelly murmured. She kept her fisted hand on Sam's chest. Her eyes going to the hooded figure. She couldn't afford to be distracted by the other Hound. _I'll figure out a way to save you. Somehow._ She was sure that was where Dean must have gone. _I bet he's making a demon deal or something._ Kelly paused. Her eyes returning to the robed woman. _That won't work though…_ She realized, heart thudding in her chest. _The only way to make that work is…_

"Mom." Sam stared at his mother, his gaze blank and confused. "What do you mean supplication?"

"Oh, Sammy." Mary sighed. "Most souls are born into this world their own master, harboring their own free will and choice. They are capable of manifesting their own destiny." Sam nodded. "Then, there are other souls." Mary said. She motioned around her to the ghostly figures that flitted back and forth across the blinding lands of the White World. "Like these poor fools, like you, me, and Dean, who were born into this world already shackled and owned by another."

"You mean." Sam paused. "That to do something like resurrect me…"

"The Crone must be appeased first." Mary said. "Yes."

"And what would something like that cost?" Sam asked. He was growing more worried by the moment. _I hope Kelly's keeping Dean from doing something stupid._

Mary shrugged. "Whatever the Crone wanted, usually a life is taken."

"Human sacrifice?"

"Perhaps," Mary sighed. "Perhaps she will take something else. The fey are fickle creatures sweetheart, they will do what brings them the most amusement in the moment and think little about the effects it will have on those of us that stand beneath them." She spread her hands helplessly. "We are pieces on a chessboard, my little Sammy darling, moved at her whim."

"So, how do you escape her?" Sam wondered.

"Pray as I did that she does not stop to notice you, hope that she is busy elsewhere, and if she should decide to toy with you, pray my son, that she grows bored with you soon and moves on to other things." She lifted her finger and jammed it into Sam's chest. "And you have already fallen captive in her sphere of amusement. You and your brother, I'm sure."

"But I'm dead." Sam said. "Shouldn't that…"

"The fact that you are here means that you're not outside her playpen, but you are safe from the touch of others." Mary crossed her arms over her chest. "Like demons looking to resurrect you."

"A demon couldn't pull me out of here?" Sam asked.

He felt his stomach sink as his mother shook her head, sadly. "They're not all powerful honey." She said. "And they have no power over this place."

"But she could resurrect me?"

"Certainly." His mother answered. "You and Dean are both in her power, her permission is needed before any change is made to you, either living or dead."

"So she could…"

Seeing where Sam's question was going, Mary only shook her head. "No, son." She said. "What she can do and what she will do are separate things. It's best not to count on her for any simple solution."

"But you think she's not done with me yet?" Sam questioned. "How can you think that when I'm still trapped here and Dean is doing god knows what!" And Kelly… _Oh, god Kelly!_ Was she alive? Was she dead? Did it matter anymore?

"Call it a hunch." His mother smiled. Quickly, Sam discovered that he didn't find her answer very reassuring.

Clucking with her tongue, the woman stood over Sam's head, looking down at his peaceful expression. She tutted like an old grandmother and shook her head. "So this is how it has come down." The sleeves fell back and Kelly saw gnarled fingers with knobby joints and protruding blue veins. Even in the darkness, she could clearly see the age spots freckled across the old woman's hands and the long clawed fingernails. "How unfortunate." The fabric of the black hood shivered. "When they fall so far below expectations."

"You can save him." The words were through Kelly's lips before she could stop herself. The hooded face swung up towards her and silver eyes pierced hers. Kelly's glowed yellow in response and she growled.

"Cheeky cur." Cassandra growled.

Kelly stepped forward, her eyebrows contorting into an angry frown as she crossed her arms over her chest, digging her fingernails into the leather of her black duster. "This is between me and her." Kelly snarled. Her eyes shone in the dark light as she glared across the room at Cassandra. "Don't interfere!"

"Ungrateful cub!" Was the return howl as Cassandra took a step forward. "I'll bash your brains in with my right paw as I should have done long ago." She raised her fist high in the air. Kelly refused to budge as her lips curled back to expose large canines. Her voice rumbling from her chest as she readied herself for a fight as she knelt protectively over Sam's corpse.

"Had you been able, you would have!" Kelly hissed. "I'm not afraid of you or your bloody pack, Cass!"

The robed woman cackled. "Such passion." Kelly could feel the coldness of hooded woman's smile slithering down her spine. "For a pup your size to stand against her elders."

"Forgive me." Kelly whispered. "I meant no disrespect."

"To fight so passionately for one so mortal." The woman stroked the top of her staff as she smiled. It was a warm smile, one that made Kelly cringe. "You must love him dearly, Keely." It was a statement, not a question. There was no doubt in her words, only complete confidence. Kelly growled again, the rumble spreading from deep inside her chest to bubble out through her lips and she tensed over Sam's body. "Ah, yes." The woman turned away. "You still prefer that mortal name that mortal woman gave you." Kelly could feel woman's smile widen as fingernails sharp as claws raked across the inside of her mind. "Or perhaps I should say, the name I whispered into her ear on the night of your conception."

"I'm afraid that is lost to me, Lady." Kelly bowed her head low over Sam's chest. Her fingers clenching the lapels of his jacket as she spoke.

"It was on Beltane night if I recall." The leathery sound echoed through the basement, ringing through Kelly's ears. "I found a loving couple in naked arms on a bed of red." It was a teasing sensation that filled Kelly's heart and she closed her eyes, wishing that she could not hear this. It caused a feeling so foul that she wanted to retch to well up in her stomach, and Kelly clutched tightly to Sam's shirt. He was the only thing stabilizing her as the story continued. "And when the moon rose orange and heavy in the sky, you were slipped inside a human woman's egg and made one with a mortal." Another warm smile, Kelly's head fell against Sam's chest as she listened to Cassandra chuckle. "A special night for a special child."

"Your sacrificial lamb, my lady." Cassandra said. Then the other Hound uttered her name. "Kelly Jones." It sounded like a sickness or a sheep turd she had just flicked off her boot. It was mocking and ran through Kelly like a jagged edge. She stiffened. She had to remain strong.

Kelly looked away, her gaze moving back to Sam. She could see the truth of his birth written on his face, the same as when her own had been revealed to her. She could see the Crone's mark, bright and blazing on his forehead. Why had she never seen it before? She looked up at the woman in robes. Her master. "Save him." She whispered. "He is yours." Her lips pressed in a thin line as she blinked back her tears. "You have the greater claim on his soul." She looked down at the hard floor. "His mother could not sell what you already own."

"No." Was the cool response.

"Please!" Kelly cried. She turned to face the robed woman, the Crone, and stood. She took a step forward. Her eyes pleading. But Kelly could see the coldness in the robed woman's eyes and felt the chill sink into her soul. She could not expect pity or compassion from this woman.

"Do not expect me to correct your mistakes." She said. Her voice was chill and Kelly felt the frost settle around her shoulders, she repressed the urge to shiver. "You had one mission."

"I know." Kelly whispered. She hung her head, chin brushing against her chest as she struggled to contain her tears. _I must not show true emotion._ That would be used against her. _I must not take pity._ It would not earn her respect.

"You failed."

"I know!" Kelly growled. A single tear leaked from her eyes as she cut herself off. _I sound like an angry teenager._ Being a petulant youth would not help her to convince the Crone to save Sam. She listened to the murmur of fabric as the old woman moved. She heard the _rat-a-tat-tat_ of her cane against the concrete. She did not shiver as skin, both wrinkled and smooth slid down her cheek and under her jaw.

"Not that your failure was a surprise." Cassandra snorted.

The Crone lifted Kelly's head. "My poor little lost lamb." She murmured. Kelly did not trust the sympathy in her tone, though she didn't doubt that it was genuine. "You have had quite the rough time." Kelly did not lift her eyes; she kept them focused on the floor.

"I understand." She said.

"The why?" The Crone asked. Kelly could feel the amusement in the old woman's tone and it made a chill crawl up her spine.

_Be careful._ She thought. Wariness was crucial. _And I will still step into all her traps like some innocent newborn. Or a mortal._ Since Azazel woke her memories, her sense of self as a Hound, her one desire had been to protect the Winchesters from the attentions of the other Fey. _A battle I've obviously lost._ "I know why I was lost." She said. Her voice barely louder than the dripping of the pipe or the buzzing of a flies wings in the stale air. "Why you lost me." _To bring me here. It was all to bring me here._ To this moment. "Why I was killed."

"_They MURDERED YOU!"_ Sam had bellowed at her on the streets of Cold Oak. _"Screw the rules! Screw them! Help us! Kelly, help me."_

But she hadn't, she'd stood by and watched as Ava murdered two young psychics. The way she'd murdered so many before. Then, only after she'd threatened Sam's life, Kelly had acted. _I snapped her neck._ Ava had tried to bind the Hound to her will. _And she'd almost succeeded._ Only through his blood could she have figured out how. _Because the same blood is running through my veins, permeating what constitutes my soul._ Kelly clenched her teeth, her fingers balling into a fist. Her right hand moved to the still tender skin covering her ribs, where Jake had stuck the iron knife. _Healing my wounds._ Only Sam's order to help him had allowed her to join the battle, to help Andy, to take the knife blow. And, she was also bound by her first priority. _We must protect those bound to serve Mallt-y-Nos_. With their lives if necessary. She'd planned to give that. End her own suffering and attempt to redeem her actions under Azazel by saving Sam. _And then I only made matters worse._ If not for her selfish and foolish actions, Sam might have lived. _I failed._ Her wound had distracted him, kept him from killing Jake, and then the other psychic had cut his spine. An irreversible killing blow. Misery knotted her gut.

"There are a couple hundred demons that would love to get their hands on it." Dean said. "And it's all yours." He stared at the demon with fierce eyes. "All you gotta do is bring Sam back." He stared at the demon, the depths of his hazel eyes serious. "You give me ten years." He said. "Ten years and then you come for me."

The demon tilted her head to the side and laughed. "You must be joking." She said. The caustic sound of her voice was harsh in Dean's ears as he felt himself laughed out of the room.

"That's the same deal you give everybody else." Dean said.

"You're not everybody else." The demon replied. There was a sarcastic smirk in her lips and an edge to her tone. Dean could see she was enjoying this. Well, one way or another he'd get his own back. He just had to figure out how to convince her to make the trade. He watched as she took a few steps forward, sliding seductively up to him. She had him in her power and she would see herself damned back to hell before she let go. The Crossroads demon was having far too much fun. She leaned forward, her voice soft like velvet and gentle for his ears alone. "Why would I want to give you anything?" She asked. "Keep your gutter soul." She whispered. "It's too tarnished anyway."

"Nine years." Dean offered.

"No." The demon smiled.

"Eight." Dean said.

"You keep going." She laughed. "I'll keep saying no."

She took another step back, leaving Dean standing there in stunned silence. He hadn't expected her to say no. _What do I have to give?_ He wondered. _What do I have to give to get this bitch to say yes?_ He sucked in a deep breath. "Okay," he said. "Five years. Five years and my bill comes due, that's my last offer." He shook his head, his voice finite. But the demon only looked at him, a satisfied smirk on her lips. "Five years or no deal."

She walked back towards him, her grin growing wider and wider until she stopped before him. She leaned in close, as if she was about to kiss him. Dean leaned forward expectantly and felt his world shatter around his ears as she whispered. "Then no deal."

"Fine." He whispered.

"Fine." She returned. "Make sure you bury Sam before he starts stinkin' up the joint."

He stood stock still, no muscle twitching no lip moving, he was completely still and as he watched, she turned her back on him and began to saunter away. _What do I have to offer?_ He asked himself. _What else to I have to give?_ He lifted his head. His voice breaking. "Wait!" He called.

She stopped mid-stride and grinned to herself. "It's a fire sale." She murmured. The demon was now in the best place for bargaining. Now, she could take everything that she wanted. "And everything must go." Slowly, she turned around again and made her way back to Dean.

"I hear your acceptance of your responsibility." The Crone said. Her voice grandmotherly as she gazed at the young Hound.

Kelly looked away from her, eyes on Sam's peaceful face. His skin was chalky and yellowing by the second, body rotting away before her. "I ask for supplication." She whispered. Turning, she walked towards Mallt-y-Nos and fell to her knees. Head

bowed. "As your creature, I seek your benevolence and your assistance."

To the right, she heard Cassandra snort. "At least you've finally remembered how to beg proper." The other woman muttered. It was low enough that only she and Kelly could hear. She fought back a frown and tried to keep her face passive and open.

"Perhaps you are not as contaminated as Cassandra thought." Kelly could feel the Crone's smile from beneath her hood. It would have warmed any mortal, but Kelly was now separated enough from her humanity to not be blinded by it. She kept her eyes on the bottom folds of the Crone's robe. "But you understand the laws that bind us all."

"Something cannot be given for nothing." Kelly whispered. Cruelty Kelly understood; it was warmth that left her wary. _She's only offering because it benefits her._ Did she want Kelly to go along with Azazel's plans? _Only to use one of hers instead of Jake?_ No matter what Azazel believed, Kelly could never truly bond to a mortal unless they were either of a contracted bloodline or a Hunter cut above the rest. _No matter how much blood he pumped into me_. Kelly closed her eyes. _She never meant for it to be a competition._ "That is our way."

"And the way of all things." The Crone said. Her voice curt as she rapped her staff bottom three times on the cold cement pavement. "However dearest child, your passion and sincerity have awoke in me a feeling of generosity." The Crone said. "How could I not reward you, after having been put you through so much." She bent low and stroked Kelly's hair with long and thin fingers. "This I will do for my Keely." Kelly nodded. There was a momentary pause as the Crone lifted one long finger and tapped it against the side of Kelly's face. Her silver eyes held Kelly as she said, her voice incredibly cold. "But should the other Winchester make a deal, he will carry both its weight and punishment. Is this understood?"

"Yes." Kelly said. "A bargain is a bargain." _And a Crossroads demon will never be able reach Sam without you allowing._ The demon would need the Crone's goodwill and permission to bring Sam back into the world, whole and healthy. _Without her it might be something else entirely._ Kelly shivered, not wanting to contemplate the kinds of creatures that could be pulled from the Pit. _Not in Sam's body._ Kelly wouldn't let anyone other than Sam crawl into the younger Winchester's body.

"As you know well enough." Cassandra hissed.

"You will not interfere with the deal's maker or it's making." The Crone said. "Even if the boy, your lover's, final destination is hell."

Kelly nodded. "I will not interfere with his dealing." She said. Her voice was flat and while she longed to, did not close her eyes. She had to take advantage of the crone while she was in a generous mood.

"You will stand aside of this, until his punishment is revoked at a time of my choosing." Kelly swallowed. This condition was simpler than the first one, but made her wonder what it was that the Crone wanted with Dean. _Why does she want him in hell?_ Her gut writhed uncomfortably and her heart pound in her chest as she dug her nails into her palms.

"I will." She whispered. _She will combine fey magic with demonic ones to restore Sam._ Kelly realized. _She will raise him at the exact time Dean makes his deal._ So that Dean's deal would still remain legitimate. The Crone was playing a deep game, one Kelly could not track. _Too many variables._

"Will you bind yourself to the young Winchester before you and make his fate your own?"

_You don't get something for nothing._ She would give Sam her immortal life and tie his soul to hers. _And it will be my choice._ It had to be. Kelly Jones looked up at her mistress and maker. "I will." The words came out more strongly than Kelly realized they would. "Should he accept the agreement."

"He does not have a choice." The Crone responded. "His destiny as a Hunter was foretold when the first Hound made her contract with a human. He will follow in the steps of his ancestors."

"He gets to choose." Kelly said. Her voice harsh and for the first time, she lifted her face to stare up into the Crone's silver eyes. "You let his mother choose."

The Crone chuckled. "You have indeed become contaminated by your time spent here." She smiled. But Kelly could feel the hardness behind her mask and it sent a chill winging up her spine. "But if you wish for Dean Winchester's deal to succeed, you will accept my conditions." Her gaze held Kelly's and the girl was paralyzed, feeling that submission was inevitable. "I have given you a boon by answering your supplication, do not test my patience Keely." Kelly shivered.

"Know your place." Cassandra hissed. "You stretch above your station!"

_I do know my place._ She swallowed. Kelly looked down at Sam. She loved Dean with all her heart. _But all things must end._ For Dean to save Sam, he would have to sacrifice her. _Even if he doesn't know it._ Sam meant the world to Dean, Kelly knew that he'd give up everything to save his brother. _Including his own soul._ Meaning that he was already willing to sacrifice any future that the two of them might have had together. Dean would exchange her for his brother that was the reality. _Destiny_. The ever present lump in her throat thickened. _If I love him, then, I have to be willing to give the same. To take his burdens._ Even if he would never know what she'd done. Sam couldn't be revived without dealing with the Crone. To do so would leave her open to mischief, and turn Dean's deal on its head. _He'll come out with nothing._ Kelly couldn't let him sacrifice his soul for nothing. Slowly, she nodded. "I accept your terms." _That doesn't mean I will stop trying to get Dean out of his deal._ That had not been included in this pact. _She intentionally left it out. Why?_ None of this sat right with Kelly. _But I have no choice._ "Tell me what to do."

"Take this." From within her right sleeve, the Crone drew a long silver dagger. It gleamed brightly in the gloomy light and handed it, hilt first, to Kelly. She stood and took it, her fingers sliding across the smooth handle. She could feel the burn of magic from within it and swallowed. "Slice across his right hand and your left, be careful to spill not a drop of blood."

Kelly walked to Sam and knelt down beside him. "I'm sorry." She whispered into his ear. Taking his right hand, she pressed the blade into his skin and drew it across his palm. Then she drew back her sleeve and performed the same act.

"You know what to do, dear." The Crone said.

"What do I have to do?" Dean asked. He watched as the demon turned around and came back towards him.

"First of all." She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and sneered at him. "Quit groveling." The gravel crunched beneath her heels as she stalked towards him. "Needy guys are such a turn off." She stopped in front of him and sucked in a deep breath. Then she exhaled heavily and stared at Dean in a moment of contemplation. Her lips twisted with memory and then she glanced away, down towards her shoes. "Look." She said. "Look, I shouldn't be doing this." She looked up at him. "I could get into a lot of trouble." The demon smirked, but Dean didn't have to guess at the seriousness that lay behind her tone. "But what can I say?" Her smirk widened into a tiny grin. "I've got a blind spot for you Dean." She leaned forward, her lips inches from his own, teasing him with the possibility of a deal. "You're like a puppy. You're just too fun to play with." She sucked in another deep breath and then exhaled loudly in a sympathetic sigh. "I'll do it." She said. Dean felt his heart leap into his throat.

"You'll bring him back?" Dean asked.

"I will." The demon nodded. "And because I'm such a saint, I'll give you one year and one year only." She took another step closer and they stood toe to toe, breathing in each other's scents, smells, and carbon dioxide. "But here's the thing, I want something else too." She smirked. "Something more valuable to you than that soul of yours."

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked. "What can you take from me that's worth more than my life?"

"Your heart." The demon ran her tongue across the top of her lip as she gazed into his eyes. "I want that little feeling niggling around inside there. I want your love for her, Dean. I want your side of that turbulent little relationship."

Dean stopped. Give up Kelly? He wasn't even sure what the demon was getting at. "What good's that do you?" He asked.

"Everything's got its price." The demon smirked. "Maybe I want to do her a favor, get her out from under a bum loser like you, send her into the arms of someone more worthy. Do my good Samaritan bit of spreading evil a little further, one soul at a time." She slid in closer. "What I do with it isn't your concern little boy, now let's hammer out the final conditions." She smirked. "What I want, Dean, is, for you to break up with her during the duration your one year sentence. I want you to stay close to her, unable to make love to her, kiss her, even hug her tightly. You won't leave her side of your own volition, so make sure you're never a city sized length away from her at anytime."

"And if I'm kidnapped?" Dean asked.

"Oh, I'm a generous girl." The demon sighed. "I'm not over looking the hazards of your job. That'd simply be unfair." She smirked. "So, I'll give you a month to return to her side."

"And if I don't make it back in time?" He asked.

"Then it's the same as if you tried for an escape clause." She smirked. "Sam crumbles into dust on the wind and Kelly's gone forever as a shade wandering the corners of this reality." She said. Her voice lilting slightly as she spoke, leaning in closer to that her lips almost touched his. "Standard stuff really, break this deal and the same thing will happen to them." She paused and lifted a finger to his lips. "Oh, and you must never ever tell little Miss Puddledidoggychops or anyone else that this was part of our little arrangement and if you do the same rules as above apply." She crinkled her fingers together. "Little Sammy's one dust cloud and your girl's lost forever." She leaned in closer. "And here's a little hint." She grinned as her lips ran over his ear. Her breath tickled the creases. "When fey become shades," she whispered. "Not even we demons can bring them back." She lifted her chin and looked him over one more time. "So?" She asked. "Do we have a deal?"

Kelly nodded. She reached forward and clasped Sam's bloody hand in her own. "In the name of Mallt-y-Nos and the Wild Hunt, in the honoring of the pact made between your ancestor and mine, I call you to the Service." She said. "To hunt beside me and share all my days on this earth." Her voice loud and clear, echoing around the room's solid walls as she spoke, her eyes on Sam's face. She sucked in a deep breath and, feeling the eyes of the Crone burning into her back expectantly, she leaned forward and pressed her soft lips against Sam's cold immovable ones. Then, everything disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

"Ouch!" Sam exclaimed. He lifted his hand, a long slice had appeared in his palm and he was bleeding. He looked up at his mother, but she just shook her head.

"It's time." Mary said. There was a sad smile on her face. "Take care of yourself, sweetheart." She put her hand on his shoulder. It was warm and comforting, but did not melt the knot buried in Sam's stomach. Something bad was happening. "And Dean, too. Look after each other."

"What?" Sam asked. He was confused. What did she mean? What was going on?

"Sam." Sam spun around as the familiar voice floated over his shoulder. He stared at the familiar brunette in tattered clothes and a long leather duster. Kelly smiled at him. "Kelly?"

"Hi, Sam."

"Did you die too?" He asked. The words sounded extremely stupid as they came out of his mouth, and he wished he hadn't said them. Sam's eyes dropped to her left hand, there was a duplicate cut on her palm. The skin was puckered, kissing the air, it was bleeding.

"No," Kelly said. Her voice calm. She lifted her right hand and Sam watched as a frog appeared in her palm. "I've come to take you back."

"_Frogs are seen in African mythology as harbingers of doom." Bobby said. His voice coming in strong and clear over the phone. Sam felt his gut tighten._

_"So…death and destruction is what we have to look forward to?" That didn't make sense, not even in Sam's head. The frogs had been scary, maybe even malevolent, but there was something else to them. 'You should have taken the frog, Sam.' He remembered the sad expression on her face._

"_Not necessarily, to the Chinese they're used as a symbol of rebirth. Doctors used dried frogs to cure diseases and as a good luck charm to ward off spirits."_

"Rebirth through death?" He whispered, staring at the frog in Kelly's hand. Kelly smiled and took his hand.

"To stand against a rising storm." She replied.

Mary pressed her lips against her youngest son's cheek. "Serve well and beware." She said. Her voice soft. "Remember what I said about the Crone. The fey are cruel and fickle masters." She looked at Kelly, a wry expression on her face. "Take care of him, Houndling."

"I will." Kelly said. "I'll defend him with my life." She stared into Mary's eyes. "I give you my solemn word." Mary nodded, she knew, like Kelly did, that the word of a fey was a binding promise.

"Mom." Sam began.

"Don't worry about me Sammy." Mary said. "Worry for yourself." She smiled. "Never forget, I love you."

"So?" The demon asked. She moved in close to Dean. Her hungry eyes fixed on his face. "Do we have a deal?" Dean stared the Crossroad's demon for a long moment, contemplating the deal she was offering. He didn't see any other way out of this. Dean sighed deeply and leaned forward.

A whistling sound blew across the land of light. Kelly lifted her head and sighed. "It's time." She said. Her hand moved up around the back of Sam's neck and she whispered. "Take the frog, Sam."

"But…" He trailed off.

"Take it." Kelly hissed, holding it out in the space between them. "Before it's too late." Sam glanced at his mother again. But Mary only nodded.

"Take the frog, sweetheart." She said.

Reaching out, Sam felt his fingers close around the frog's slippery skin. He picked it up off Kelly's hand. The world felt like it was exploding around him. Overhead there was a loud shriek of triumph as Kelly pulled his mouth to hers. Light encompassed them, blinding, flooding out of them, shining brightly as it covered the world of white.

In a moment of decision, Dean leaned forward and pressed his mouth against the Crossroad's demons and began a wild, passionate kiss. Sealing the deal. Sealing his fate. Sealing his brother's destiny and his girlfriend's future into one single bargain.

AN: A short AN this time. This chapter was already partially written (silly me sometimes I jump the gun), so it wasn't that hard to pull together. ^_^ The next chapter I wrote about a month ago, so it'll be up soon too after I revise it to make sure that all the plot points stay consistent, and so on and so forth. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this long chapter, the revelations it brought, and are prepared for the endgame coming in the next few chapters. I know I'm ready to write it. ^_^

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Preview: Chapter 61: Marionette Men

Sam sat up with a sharp gasp. "Easy, Sam." Kelly said. Sam felt her cold hands on his shoulders as she pushed him back down. "Take it slow."

Sam looked around the small room, unsure of where he was. He remembered. He remembered the white world, he remembered being stabbed by Jake, he remembered Kelly lying in the dirt. She'd been bleeding out. "Kelly?" He asked. His chocolate brown eyes met hers as he swallowed heavily. The lump was growing in his throat as he looked at her. "How?" His eyes went to her throat, where he remembered seeing the silver collar. The collar was gone. In the gloom, he could see the shiny white skin of a scar around her neck. It peeked out at him from underneath the collar of her jacket.

Kelly's smile tightened. "My contract's broken." She said.

Sam nodded. He'd wondered if that was the reason why she'd returned. "Dean?" He asked.

"He went out for a little while." Kelly said. She looked away and out through the small window. Her eyes on the dead brambles that blocked the light from coming into the room, she seemed to want her gaze anywhere but on him. Kelly ground her teeth together and glanced back at Sam. "But he'll be back soon."

Again, Sam nodded. He wondered if she was being purposefully vague. _Stepped out as in went to a local diner? Went to get medical supplies?_ "Right." He said. The words came out slowly and he pursed his lips. He felt something between himself and Kelly, a bond that hadn't been there before. _Like… I don't know…_ Like something was flowing between the two of them. "What happened, Kelly?" He asked. "How did you…"

"Get here?" Kelly asked. Sam nodded, and Kelly looked back down at the muddy toes of her boots. She hadn't changed for months and suddenly felt self-conscious being covered with bloodstains and dirt. She flicked her brown gold eyes up at him. "I never stepped outside the bounds of my arrangement with the Yellow-Eyed Demon." She looked down at the concrete floor. "But he did." She bit her lip and looked up at him, a strange smile on her lips. "So, here I am."


	62. Chapter 62: Marionette Men

Chapter 62: Marionette Men

Sam sat up with a sharp gasp. "Easy, Sam." Kelly said. Sam felt her cold hands on his shoulders as she pushed him back down. "Take it slow."

Sam looked around the small room, unsure of where he was. He remembered. He remembered the white world, he remembered being stabbed by Jake, he remembered Kelly lying in the dirt. She'd been bleeding out. "Kelly?" He asked. His chocolate brown eyes met hers as he swallowed heavily. The lump was growing in his throat as he looked at her. "How?" His eyes went to her throat, where he remembered seeing the silver collar. The collar was gone. In the gloom, he could see the shiny white skin of a scar around her neck. It peeked out at him from underneath the collar of her jacket.

Kelly's smile tightened. "My contract's broken." She said.

Sam nodded. He'd wondered if that was the reason why she'd returned. "Dean?" He asked.

"He went out for a little while." Kelly said. She looked away and out through the small window. Her eyes on the dead brambles that blocked the light from coming into the room, she seemed to want her gaze anywhere but on him. Kelly ground her teeth together and glanced back at Sam. "But he'll be back soon."

Again, Sam nodded. He wondered if she was being purposefully vague. _Stepped out as in went to a local diner? Went to get medical supplies?_ "Right." He said. The words came out slowly and he pursed his lips. He felt something between himself and Kelly, a bond that hadn't been there before. _Like… I don't know…_ Like something was flowing between the two of them. "What happened, Kelly?" He asked. "How did you…?"

"Get here?" Kelly asked. Sam nodded, and Kelly looked back down at the muddy toes of her boots. She hadn't changed for months and suddenly felt self-conscious being covered with bloodstains and dirt. She flicked her brown gold eyes up at him. "I never stepped outside the bounds of my arrangement with the Yellow-Eyed Demon." She looked down at the concrete floor. "But he did." She bit her lip and looked up at him, a strange smile on her lips. "So, here I am."

"How?" Sam asked. He moved to seize her by the shoulders. It felt good to hold her again. Really good. His mind went back to their conversation on the muddy streets of Cold Oak and their exchange. _"And I should care?"_ Kelly's eyes had been so cold when she looked at him. _"What does the plight of those kids have to do with me, Sam?"_ She'd held his gaze as Sam's breath had quickened in his throat. He'd told her it was her obligation and she'd laughed at him. _"Obligation?" She chuckled. "My only obligation is to do what you tell me."_

"You told me to protect you." She said. Her smile turning wry as she tucked a stray strand of dark brown hair behind her ear, in the shady light the scar on her right cheek glittered.

"I know." Sam said. "But how?" None of this made any sense. _How did the Yellow-Eyed demon break their deal?_

"How could I jump in front of the knife?" Kelly asked. She tilted her head to the side as Sam's fingers tightened around her upper arms. "Or how did Azazel break our deal?"

"Both." He snapped. His growing relief was now bordering on frustration as he stared down at her. Slowly, Sam swung his legs over the edge of the stone bench and sat up. Kelly laughed. It was a dry laugh, harsh in Sam's ears and she looked up into his eyes. Sam's own gaze fell to the scar on her neck and he swallowed again. He knew she had matching ones on her wrists, she'd shown them to him that night in Cold Oak. _When she told me it had been a choice between life and death._ He swallowed.

"_Immortals fear death more than anyone else, Sam." Kelly shook her head. "That's all it was. I can't say I had more noble intentions for taking the deal." She looked down at her hand. The tight skin shone as beams of moonlight glanced off her wrist. "I wanted to live." Kelly's eyes snapped up to his. "That's all."_

Kelly sighed. "My deal with Azazel was simple." She said. "In exchange for my life, for letting me out of that stone cellar, I would give him my services." She shook her head as her lips curled into a cold smirk at the memory. "Until the day he harmed Dean."

Sam let go of her arms and sank back. "And he hurt Dean when Jake…."

"Bingo." Kelly said. She looked away from him. "That's the general gist anyway. The pact itself was far more complicated than that." Self-consciously, she tugged at the long sleeves of her jacket over her wrists. Again, she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Sam wondered if she was hiding something from him. _Or is she just feeling embarrassed?_ He wasn't sure. A lot of things still felt muddled in his head. He wasn't sure what had happened. He knew that there was something she wasn't telling him. He could feel it in the bond that was thrumming between them. It was in the static he felt when he reached for her, like electricity this connection jumped back and forth between them. "And you jumped in front of the knife because I told you to protect me?"

"Yeah." Kelly said. "I couldn't harm Jake unless specifically directed to by you." Her leg muscles beginning to cramp, she stood up and walked away from him, to the other side of the room. "But because you told me to protect you."

"You chose to jump in front of the knife." Sam said. It was slowly beginning to dawn on him. _The way this works._

"Not so much chose as was obligated to." Her voice was flat and the lie came out easily from between her teeth. She didn't want Sam to think more of this than he should. The bond was already between them, a soul link that froze him in his current age, gifting him with seeming immortality, and served as her fetter to reality.

"Yeah… Right." Sam muttered. They were both silent for a few minutes. The awkward pause hung in the air between them as Sam searched for something to say. Kelly was examining her nails; they'd changed color again. The pink flesh beneath her nails had taken on a darker shade, the color of peach, while the white segment had darkened into a very light gray. Sam shrugged after a few minutes. "Did my getting hurt really break your deal?"

"Yeah." Kelly said. She was quite for another few minutes and then she looked up at him. Turning, she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced up at the window again. She bit her lip and chewed on it for a few seconds. Then she crossed the distance between them and knelt back down. Sitting on the balls of her feet as she tentatively reached out and put her hand on his knee. "Honestly Sam," she paused. "It's that kind of simplistic loophole that should never have made it into the bargain." She leaned back on her heels as she looked away from him. Her dark hair fell across her eyes, hiding her troubled expression from view.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Sam leaned forward. He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her continue to chew on her lower lip.

"It was child's play, Sam." She said. Her voice quavered a little bit as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Any demon worth his salt would know what that meant." She shook her head and her dark brown bangs fell back across her face, into her eyes. She blinked rapidly as her arms tightened around her shoulders. She was a far cry from the cold persona she'd presented at Cold Oak. Sam hadn't seen her look so vulnerable since… _That first mission with the serial killer ghost in Philadelphia._ The lonely and worried expression in her eyes made him want to kneel down and pull her into a hug. _I don't know if I can trust her._ "The only thing I can think is…" She trailed off.

"What?" He asked. He reached out with his right hand, his fingers closing around her shoulder and he felt a shock run up his fingers. It wasn't sexual. It was just… _Strange._

"Is that he was drunk off his ass." She finished. Her eyes snapped up to his as Sam snorted.

"Drunk?" He asked. The whole idea seemed ludicrous. How did a demon get drunk? _Unless he got his mortal body inebriated, but even then… would that really work?_ Could corpses have a high alcohol content? They didn't have much of a blood flow. "Kelly, that's crazy."

"And stupid." Kelly agreed. "But I can't imagine what else it might have been." She shook her head. "He's too practiced at getting what he wants, he'd never have let me throw in that moronically obvious clause unless…" She trailed off again. Lifting her finger, she tapped her lips.

"Yeah?" Sam asked. His fingers tightened around her shoulder, sinking into her flesh. Another sizzle of electricity passed up his arm, leaving it numb. He felt kind of funny.

"He was banking on you as the winner." She said. Her voice came out slowly as she puzzled over the concept. "And he figured that even if he killed Dean, I wouldn't leave you." She looked up at him. "Though I would no longer be obligated to stay." Her mouth tightened into a firm line and she stood up, spinning around she stalked across the room. "Damn it!" She snarled. Raising her fist, she hammered her hand into the wall. The bones of her fingers groaned plaintively as she pulled them back. Small cuts appeared on her knuckles and Sam felt a tingling in his own. Falling forward, Kelly let her head rest against the cool damp surface of the wall. "Damn it." She whispered. Her voice much softer, Sam stood up and trained his ears towards her. He didn't want to miss what she was berating herself about. "I played right into their hands." She squeezed her eyes shut as her mouth tightened into an even thinner line.

"Kelly." Sam walked forwards. Finally, he reached out and put his hands on her back. Her response had left him feeling more confused. _Just when I thought I had it figured out._ She went and threw something else into the mix. It left him feeling topsy-turvy. "Played into whose hands?" _I need her to be honest with me._ If there was anything that Sam had learned about Kelly in the past forty eight hours, it was the fact that she lied. A lot. _Or she just refrains from spilling her guts._ Some of what the Yellow-Eyed Demon, _Azazel,_ had revealed that she'd been lying to both brothers about her contact with it for months. _Maybe we could have stopped it if she'd just told us the truth._ "Kelly." His hands pressed down harder on her back. "Whose hands?" He repeated.

"The Crone's." Kelly whispered. "Azazel's." She turned around to face him. "They wanted this." She shook her head and motioned between them. "Us."

"Us?" Sam asked. Then he stopped. "Kelly? Is Azazel working with a partner?"

Kelly snorted. "Not in so many words, no." She bit her lip and crossed her arms, stepping back away from Sam. "More like he's being manipulated."

"Manipulated?" Sam had thought that Azazel was the great chess master of this opera. _Now there's someone else standing in the shadows._ What more would he find? _This whole thing is just part of someone else's…_ Plan? No, that wasn't the right word. _Plot?_ That wasn't right either. "All of this, everything that's happened, this is someone else's strategy?"

"No." The girl's lips quirked as she thought about the Crone and the boon she'd been given. "It's more opportunistic than that." Her expression became grim as Kelly looked at him. _Did she want Dean in the beginning? And then decide that Sam was much more fun to play with?_ Even if Sam couldn't comprehend it yet, Kelly could. _Pieces on a chess board_. But it was unclear just how many masters were maneuvering the pieces. "It's not a manipulation of the entire game Sam, it's just you and me." She swallowed. "We're someone else's pieces co-opted onto the board."

"A game?" Sam asked. His voice rising to a pitch beneath the stress and incredulity of what she was telling him. "Everything that happened in Cold Oak, everything that happened to you over those past five months…" He trailed off. "That was all a game?" It all felt so ridiculous that Sam didn't even want to waste brainpower considering this take on the situation. He stared down at Kelly, his hands tightening as he moved them back up to her shoulders.

"It's different games." Kelly said. Her voice was patient and Sam hated the way that she suddenly made him feel like he was five years old. "All played simultaneously." She paused as she examined the confusion on his face and then shrugged. "Like 3 dimensional chess."

"Three-D Chess?" Sam asked. That explanation left him feeling even more confused.

"Yeah." Kelly said. "Except adding an extra dimension and six more players." She paused and frowned, considering her own explanation. She swallowed and sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Maybe that's not the best example."

"Maybe not." Sam agreed. _She talks about it like it's obvious._ And he didn't understand. Not yet. He would though. Sam vowed that he'd figure this whole thing out. "What do you mean? What's so important about you and me?" The words came out slowly. He decided to let the different games statement lie on the side. _What happened to me?_ What had happened after Jake stabbed him? "What happened after Jake stabbed me in Cold Oak, Kelly?"

"Sam." Kelly sighed. "You remember the White World, right?" She looked up into his eyes. "Meeting your mother?" Slowly, Sam nodded. Feeling that it would be best for Dean to inform his brother of his own deal, Kelly decided to leave out the part where Sam had actually died. "You were having a near death experience." She said. Sam stiffened and Kelly reached out to tentatively put a hand on his shoulder. "Your soul left your body and went to the place where all the Wild Hunt Hunters go after they die." She swallowed. The memory of being in the White World was unsettling. But then, so were the memories of her encounter with the Crone, Mallt-y-Nos.

"You gave me a frog." Sam nodded.

"Yeah. Well, while Dean went out to find some help, I…" She trailed off. _How do you tell someone that they're immortal?_ That they're whole life was suddenly and irrevocably changed.

"You gave me a frog." Sam repeated. Everything was starting to become clear now. "You're saying Dean and I…" He paused. "We're like Samuel Colt?" The words sounded strange coming out of his mouth.

"No." Kelly said. "Samuel Colt's the first of his bloodline, his deal was his first. You and Dean," she paused. "Like your mother, you're bound to a pact made by one of your ancestors." She shrugged. "I don't know how long ago." She let her hand fall away from his arm as Sam stiffened.

"So you…" Sam paused. "You called me?" Slowly, Kelly nodded. "To the service?" He added. His heartbeat began thudding faster in his chest. The palpitations of the muscle shivered his ribcage and he suddenly felt short of breath. He waited for another minute before she nodded. "You made me immortal?" He asked.

"Yes." Kelly said. "At least. I made you as immortal as a mortal can get."

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"You'll live until you die." Kelly said. She shrugged. "That's the best way I can explain it."

"What?"

Kelly sighed again. She pursed her lips and looked at him sadly. "Basically, Sam." She said. Her voice at it's most patient, and Sam began to feel like an idiot again. "You'll exist frozen at the same age for eternity or however long this earth exists, until the day our contract or your contract with the Crone is broken." Her lips twisted caustically as she added. "Or if you get killed in the line of duty."

"Duty being?"

"Hunting." Came the prompt reply. She tapped him on the chest with a long and pointed nail. "You and I are now going to do exactly what we did before." Her eyebrows narrowed over her brown-gold eyes. "Forever."

"So you and I…" He trailed off. "We're…"

"Linked." Kelly said. Her voice was soft in the surrounding gloom as she tapped her chest for emphasis. "We're partners, friends, confidants, master and apprentice, man and hound." She tilted her head to the side. "By law and tradition I am now your new best friend."

"Why?" He demanded. He seized her by the shoulders and began to shake her vigorously. Kelly accepted this silently as he shook her. "Why? Why did you do this to me?" His voice rose angrily in the small room. The tones rebounded around the walls, echoing back at her, accusing.

Kelly looked up at him, her eyes were sad. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "It was my mistake." All humor had fled from her voice as she looked down. _I needed to make Dean's sacrifice mean something._ That's what she'd believed at the time. "I thought…" Her voice trailed off in the empty room. "I thought it was the only way to save you." _And instead I ended up walking into a trap._ She'd given Azazel and her master exactly what they wanted. _What about Dean?_ Her pact with Mallt-y-Nos didn't stop her from trying to get him out of his deal. _But if she wants him in hell…_ Was there really any way to outmaneuver her? Kelly's mouth hardened. She'd find a way. _I might be sharing my immortality with Sam._ But that didn't stop her from loving Dean. _And it doesn't stop me from doing everything I can to save him from the Pit._ "I'm sorry." She repeated.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"You were…" Kelly trailed off. "On the edge of death." _You were dead, Sam._ "There was no time for surgery. You were dying and she…" Kelly's voice dwindled and then she straightened. "The Crone, she had the power to save you." The tone of her voice softened a little as she looked up at Sam. "But you don't get a miracle like that for free." Kelly swallowed. "So, I asked for a boon and she…"

"She gave you a deal." Sam could see where this was going. _Mallt-y-Nos, she's the fey out of Samuel Colt's story._ The one who had started the practice of expanding the Wild Hunt and sending out her Hounds to make pacts with humans. _Kelly's got a connection with her._ Sam could feel it when he looked at her. _A deep one._ He swallowed. _And I do too._

"A life for a life." Kelly said. "Mine and my freedom to bring you back." _The truth is that she must feel you're too valuable an asset to waste. It was possible for her to bring you back all by herself without any red tape._ But where was the fun in that? _Not when she can make you, me, and Dean suffer._ Kelly felt trapped, like a hamster on it's wheel. The wheel kept spinning and she kept running as hard as she could. _And still, I'm going nowhere._ Mallt-y-Nos hadn't been the one who brought Sam back though. She'd merely lain out the pieces to make it possible. _Two lives in trade and she got the partnership she wanted out of the deal._ Kelly didn't know why it was so important for her partner to be Sam. "And as a member of the bloodline bound to Mallt-y-Nos, you got called to serve." She tilted her head to the side. "You are now bound by the laws and strictures of the Wild Hunt." A small smile found its way back onto her lips.

"Why?"

"It's a rare privilege to be considered worthy enough to join the Hunters ranks." She added, her tone joking as her lips trembled with the effort to hold a casual grin, her bangs falling across her eyes as she stared at him, her eyes filled with a mix of sarcasm and regret. "Congrats."

"No." Sam said. "I mean why me?" He stared at her. "Why was I chosen?"

"I'm bound to serve the will of my master, Sam." Kelly said. "I don't ask questions." She looked down at her muddy booted toes. Her eyebrows bending together in deep concentration as she tried to keep the moisture in her eyes. Sam was saved, but she'd ruined their lives. _Because I was stupid._ She'd let herself get played. "I'm just a soldier."

"Right." Sam said. He turned away from her. His stomach was knotting tightly and he felt cold. Brushing a bit of dirt off of his collar, he looked around the small room. He guessed that they were in the cellar of an abandoned house. "A soldier."

"I'm a grunt, Sam." Kelly said. She shook her head. "Look, I'm still trying to piece together the clues. I don't know why the Crone agreed to help you. The most likely reason is that it benefits her more to have us working as a pair." She bit her lower lip as she crossed her arms over her chest. Sam's hands tightened on her shoulders as she added. "Me? I'm a nothing to her." The words came out strange in her ears, but they were the truth. "Just another pawn on the board, one used to further her ends." She lifted her eyes to Sam's and said. "You know what happened before I came here."

Sam stiffened. He remembered their conversation in Cold Oak. How he'd forced her to remember what had happened the night she'd fallen onto Dean. "They killed you." Someone, something, probably a member of C'wn Mamau had forced Kelly to lose control of her car and sent it through the railing, off a tall cliff. She'd died on impact and her soul had been able to create a new glamour. Then, she'd come to them. "It was all planned." He said. "You coming to us. The Yellow-Eyed Demon. You being kidnapped." The realization hit him like a load of bricks and he stared into Kelly's brown gold eyes.

She shrugged. "Can't fight fate." The words hung heavy between them in the silence of the room.

"So, right from the start, everything…"

"Was all one big experiment." Kelly nodded.

"And this is the conclusion?" He was beginning to get a sense of how the fey worked, but the concept still made his head spin. _How will Dean ever be able to understand?_ Sam felt like he'd stolen his brother's girl. _Like I cheated him out of his destiny._ Dean was the superior hunter, it was he who should be spending an eternity frozen at the age of twenty-nine and hunting monsters. _Not me._

Kelly laughed. Voice dry, she shook her head as her expression sympathetic. She glanced back at the window and the low light bleeding into the room. "You think there's ever an endgame, Sam?" She asked. "This," she waved her hands around the room. "Seeing your mother," she paused. "That should have been the sign told you this never ends."

"But she's dead." Sam said.

Kelly's lips quirked into a caustic smirk as she lifted her chin and asked. "For how long?" Sam stared at her for several long moments, his jaw working silently as he tried to find an answer. What did she mean? Was she talking about reincarnation? Was reincarnation even possible? "How long until the Crone takes an interest and puts her out on the board again?" She shook her head. "She may have sacrificed a pawn for a rook." Kelly said. "But this isn't like a normal chess game." She stared up at Sam's face. "The rules have been changed. The human players always come back." Her eyes narrowed. "Over and over again."

"And you don't?"

"You, of all people, should know the answer to that question, Sam." Kelly said.

"Samuel Colt said that when you die, you fade and cease to exist." The words came tripping out of Sam's mouth. "The fey don't have an afterlife."

"Why do you think we're so afraid of death?" Kelly asked. "Why do you think I made that deal with Azazel in the first place?"

"Because he was killing you." Sam said. His eyes widened as Kelly nodded. He thought he'd gotten a handle on it. _She could have been gone for good if she refused him._ Sam paused, the fact that the Yellow-Eyed Demon had been so cavalier about Kelly's fate left him to assume one thing. _That she really isn't that important a piece._ Who knew how many other games were being played in the wide world around them. How many other pieces were on the table, how many other masters were manipulating the game. _I was too angry to see it in Cold Oak._ What she'd been trying to tell him when she'd shown him the scars on her wrists. _I missed it when the Yellow-Eyed Demon mentioned putting her back in shackles._ The demon had to have been talking about iron cuffs. He thought about the silver collar around her neck and the runes that shone red. He hadn't been able to read them and at the time he'd been more focused on getting out alive than he was in solving the puzzle. "He couldn't serve as a perfect…" Sam searched for the right word.

"Fetter?" Kelly provided.

"Fetter." Sam agreed. "Could he?" Sam looked down at her, his moth pressed in a hard line. He thought over the deal that Kelly had made with the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _She agreed to serve him and in return he would keep her tied to this reality. And he couldn't harm or hurt Dean._

"No." Kelly admitted. "Demons themselves have to hitch a ride in a mortal body to remain tied here."

"So he used that collar to keep you grounded?" Sam asked. "The steel one with the runes?"

"And blood." Kelly nodded. "The collar itself wasn't enough. I needed the blood of his host." She looked away. "I don't need to tell you that the blood arts is one of the most powerful incarnations of magic. " She said. Sam nodded. He knew that from his studies with his father. "His blood ensured that I would obey him." She smiled wryly up at Sam. "He didn't trust me much."

"But you were bound to obey him anyway right?" Sam asked. "Because of your pact?"

"To the letter of his instructions, yes." Kelly said. "But some of my kind are very flexible, Sam. They break deals as easily as they make them."

"The Unseelie." Sam muttered. He'd spent a lot of time researching the fey in the months that Kelly had been gone. Trying to find any obscure legends that would hint at the story that Samuel Colt had told them. He'd believed that the way to understand what was happening and why Kelly had disappeared was in those legends. But in two months of searching, Sam hadn't been able to discover anything useful. All the stories seemed extremely vague. He knew that some of the fey were categorized into two groups. _Courts._ The Seelie and the Unseelie. The good fey and the bad. _One that keeps it's word and the other that doesn't._ Still, after experiencing time with Kelly, Sam now doubted that these creatures could ever be thought of in such simple terms.

Kelly nodded. "The deal breakers. They meddle for the sake of meddling and any pact made with them will always turn out for the worse."

"Like this one?" Sam asked. He was referring to the bond that now held the two of them.

Kelly smiled sadly. "All deals with humans turn out badly, Sam." Kelly said. "That's the way of my people. The legends and lore surrounding us should be some indication that you should never trust a fey."

"Not even you?" Sam asked.

She shook her head. "I wish I could say no." Kelly said. "But unfortunately, I'm bound by the laws and strictures of my kind. By our ways and our habits." She paused for several long seconds, staring down at her hands and the dirt and grime that covered them. "While I've been changed by my time spent among humans…" She trailed off and shut her eyes. Biting her lip, she said. "Even I shouldn't be trusted."

"That's crazy!" Sam snapped.

"Is it?" Kelly asked. "Sam, your current predicament is because a fey decided to maneuver your mother so that her path would cross with a demon's. A fey, who, probably knew that your mother wanted out of this cursed lifestyle, and gleefully played on this wish to create you."

"How do you know that?" Sam demanded.

"Sam," Kelly said, her voice extraordinarily patient. "If your descended from a hunter bloodline, what would that make your mother and your grandparents?"

"Hunters." Sam said.

Kelly nodded. "The ones who were raised in the culture." Sam opened his mouth to protest that he too had been raised in the hunting culture, but Kelly held up her hand and cut him off. "Not the way your father or Bobby got into hunting, Sam." Kelly said. "And while I'm sure your situation was very similar to most of the kids whose parents had parents who had grandparents who hunted with the C'wn Mamau. Your education has been severely lacking."

"And what, you're suddenly an expert on hunting?" Sam asked. His voice was rough with emotion, he didn't know whether he should believe her or not. _After all, she already admitted that she can't be trusted._ But the stuff about his family, his mother and his grandparents. It seemed so out there. _Why is she even bothering to tell me all this?_ Did she want him to understand? _Is she trying to prepare me?_ Or was this all just junk that the Yellow-Eyed Demon had stuffed into her ears during her five month long sojourn in his company.

"No." Kelly admitted. "While some of my memories have begun to return, I'm far from being an expert on anything." She swallowed. "You don't have to believe me, Sam." She said. "I've already given you every reason not to." She paused and swallowed again. Her throat suddenly very dry, she cleared it. Trying to use her vocal chords to scrape the dust and grime out of her lungs. "But I need you to be ready for what's coming."

"And what's coming?" Sam asked. They still had Jake Talley and the Yellow-Eyed Demon to deal with. "Besides Yellow-Eyes and his plans."

"If we survive that?" Kelly smiled. She crossed her arms defensively across her chest and tipped her head casually to the side. "A brave new world."

Above them, they heard the sound of a door lock clicking open. Kelly lifted her head and sucked in a deep breath. "Dean's back." She said. Her voice incredibly soft as she looked from Sam to the stairs, she swallowed. Sam glanced at her in surprise. Somehow, he knew that she was right. Stiffly, he headed for the stairs and climbed them. The wound in his back still hurt, but it was no longer bleeding out. It had been healed, Sam just had to wait until the muscles knitted them back together. He'd be taking painkillers until then. After waiting a few moments Kelly followed.

Sam hurried up the stairs and came around the corner just as Dean opened the creaky door and walked into the abandoned run down house. Dean stared at his brother, his expression pained and his mouth open. The corners of his eyes tightened with withheld tears and he came to dead stop in the center of the hallway. "Sammy?" He breathed. "Thank god."

Sam smiled at his brother, his eyes wide with surprise. Even after his long conversation with Kelly, Sam hadn't been fully prepared for his brother's return. The last thing he remembered was seeing Dean running towards him as the knife went into his back. Sam took a deep breath. He wanted to look around to see if Kelly had joined them, but he couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from his brother. There would be time enough to tell Dean what had occurred while he was gone. _I don't want to hurt him any sooner than I have to._ He thought. Staring at his brother's wounded expression and the hopeful surprise in his eyes. Sam knew that he really couldn't tell Dean. "Hey." Sam said.

Behind Dean, Kelly moved around to lean against the corner of the paisley papered wall. Her expression sad as she watched Dean close the distance between himself and his brother, Dean pulled Sam into a bone-crushing hug. Sealing his brother's body against his own. "Thank god." Kelly whispered. She covered her mouth with her hand. Seeing Dean again, it made her heart lurch in her chest. A lump formed in her throat, so thick that Kelly could barely breathe. _Dean._ Her mind whispered. _Dean, Dean, Dean._ He was alive. He was safe. _He'll never forgive me._ She thought. _He gave up his life for his brother's only to have me steal Sam._ Dean couldn't bear to be alone, Kelly knew she could never take Sam and leave him. No matter what tradition stated. _Maybe it's time for a new tradition._ She swallowed. Would Sam be able to watch his brother grow old? _Assuming that the demon gave Dean the option of getting old._ She swallowed. _Dean._ She squeezed her eyes shut. Five months she'd spent away from him. Five long months away from his arms, his scent, his comforting embrace, seeing him now made her knees weak. _I wanted to see you._ She watched the brothers in their long hug, not wanting to intrude on this private moment between them.

"Ow!" Sam exclaimed after a few moments. "Dean!" His brother's hold was aggravating the wound in Sam's back. It hurt.

Kelly sucked in a heady breath as Dean released him. She wasn't sure if she could face her boyfriend. _What can I say to him?_ The idea of making Dean feel any more anguish left an angry feeling knotting her gut. It made her want to run far away, so that she could spare him from having to learn the truth. _That the exchange of his soul wasn't quite enough._ A demon's deal couldn't break one that came before it, the demon could only work around the edges of what had already been established. _There are always rules._ Red tape. _The demon couldn't have done anything without Mallt-y-Nos's permission._ And that had required another sacrifice. _Mine._

"Sorry." Dean said. "I'm sorry, man." He said. "I'm just…" He trailed off. "I'm just happy to see you up and around that's all."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, well." He winced. "It's all thanks to an old friend."

Dean's brow furrowed in confusion as he stared at his brother, finally he asked. "What are you talking about Sammy?" Who else knew about Sam's death? Who else would claim that they'd been the one to bring him back? _I don't know._ But Dean wanted to punch the lights out of whoever had done. He watched as Sam motioned to the wall behind Dean with a lurch of his hand. Dean turned around. His mouth fell open as another surprise smacked him clear across the face.

"Kelly?" He whispered. He watched as a warm smile spread across her grimy face, her eyes glowed as she stared at him and Dean felt his breath catch in his throat. He'd forgotten how compelling she was. _Kelly._ Five months gone and she still sent his heart racing like a school boy's. A lump grew in his throat as he swallowed. He was so happy to see her.

"Hey Dean." She said. The two stared at each other as Sam watched, a sad smile worming it's way onto his lips. The silence hung between them like a breath of anticipation and Kelly wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to run across the room and pull him into a hug the way he had with Sam, but there was something in his expression that told her not to. _Dean…_ He really wasn't going to forgive her. _And why should he?_ She asked herself. _You ran away from him to go with Sam, then you got yourself captured by the Yellow-Eyed demon. You were gone for five months, it's perfectly logical for him to believe that you don't care anymore._ The last time he'd seen her, she'd had a knife wound in the side of her belly and she'd been lying in the mud. Dying. She'd lain there, and passed out from blood loss. _I couldn't face him then._ Not after she'd failed to protect Sam. _I made that only mission after Sam ordered me to help him and I failed._ She was the reason why they were all in this predicament. It was her fault. _I love you. I'm sorry._ The words were on the tip of her tongue, but they refused to fall.

"Hey." He repeated. He wanted to cross the room and pull her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her deeply and run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to whisper 'I love you' over and over in her ear. He wanted to convince her to never leave him again. He took a step forward and stopped. The words of the crossroads demon echoed emptily through his mind. [I.] "_What I want, Dean, is, for you to break up with her during the duration your one year sentence. I want you to stay close to her, unable to make love to her, kiss her, even hug her tightly. You won't leave her side of your own volition, so make sure you're never a city sized length away from her at anytime."_ Dean could still feel her hot breath on his neck. _"Sam crumbles into dust on the wind and Kelly's gone forever as a shade wandering the corners of this reality."_ He remembered the harshness of her soft lips as they pressed against his in a bruising kiss. "_So? Do we have a deal?"_ He swallowed and swiftly turned away from her. "Come on." He said to Sam. "Sit down."

Kelly's eyes fell. So, he wasn't going to forgive her after all. _I've done too much._ Why would he forgive her? _I don't deserve to be._ She shook her head. Dean could do what he wanted. She wasn't going to let it get her down. She swallowed and leaned against the wall, watching his back as he pulled out a chair for Sam. Once again, she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. His rejection still hurt. "Okay." She mumbled.

Sam glanced from Kelly to Dean. This wasn't the behavior he expected from his brother. _Who snubbed me for months because I let her go alone with Ava? Now, he's giving her the cold shoulder?_ What was up with that? _Dean, don't tell me you've changed your mind about her._ He groaned as he took a seat in the free chair that Dean pulled out for him. "Thanks." He mumbled. Sitting down, he motioned for Kelly to come further into the room. But she just shook her head. He looked back at his brother as Dean took a seat across from him. "Dean, what happened?"

His brother stiffened and glanced back over his shoulder at Kelly. He raised an eyebrow at her. _Did she know where I went?_ Was the whole story about her saving Sam a cover for him? Should he pretend like he didn't know anything about it? Or should he play along? "I thought Kelly told you the whole story." He said. His words coming out short and hard as he looked down at the table.

"She told me about the demon." Dean's back straightened a little and his expression tightened at the mention of the word demon. "And how I was on the edge of death." Sam looked at his brother. "She said you went to get medical supplies? For my wound?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "That's where I was." He shrugged and glanced back at Kelly. "Sorry." He said. "I couldn't find any gauze."

"No problem." Kelly shrugged. _He's going to go along with my story._ She paused and swallowed. _He must really not want Sam to know about his deal with the demon._ She'd have to convince him to tell Sam. _Sam deserves to know._ And Kelly could use all the help she could get in getting Dean out of this deal. "I figured it out."

Sam didn't like it. His brother was being evasive. _And the way he talks to Kelly._ It was wooden. Dean had been surprised to see her. _Now he's acting like he knew she was here all along._ What was going on? _Did Kelly lie to me?_ At this point, he wouldn't have found it surprising. _But if she did, then what's she hiding._ Either way he couldn't tell Dean about his immortality or the deal that Kelly had made. _Dean wouldn't understand._ "I was holding Kelly and the last thing I saw was you and Bobby, then I felt this…" He paused. "This pain in my back. White hot, y'know." He looked at his brother. "Then you started running at me, and that's about it." Sam wasn't going to mention the dream he had about his mother or the White Room or Kelly. _I'm not going to tell him that I took the frog._

"Sammy, that kid stabbed you in the back." Dean said. Telling Sam this much of the truth wouldn't hurt anything. It wouldn't make it any worse. "You were bleeding out, lost a lot of blood, Bobby managed to patch you and Kelly up. We brought you back here to rest." Dean glanced at Kelly. "Guess it didn't take."

"It didn't." She said. Her voice flat, she refused to meet Dean's eyes.

"Then, I really was on the edge of death." Sam muttered. He looked down, and then up at Kelly. "You saved me?"

"Last I checked, Kelly didn't have magical healing powers, Sammy." Dean snapped. Then he caught himself. _I don't want Sam to know about the demon deal._ So he'd have to stomach someone else taking credit for it. "She must have." He shrugged.

Kelly sighed. "Please stop talking about me in the third person."

"Sorry." Sam said. "You said you made a deal with a member of the fey to heal me." Dean's eyes snapped over to Kelly.

_She what?_ "You what?" That sounded all too familiar to what had happened with him at the crossroads. He'd never believed Samuel Colt when the old man had said that the fey could cut deals too. _I guess they don't just do it among us mortals._ He thought. _They do it with each other too._ He shook his head. That was assuming that Kelly's story was real. _Last I saw of her she was in a coma._ It would make sense that she'd only woken up after he'd left. _Fits our karma._

"I cut a deal with one of the elders." Kelly said. "To heal Sam." _Truthfully, I made a deal so that she'd let his soul go._ Without the Crone's assent, Sam couldn't have been brought back to life. _But that wouldn't stop the demon from bringing back something else to take his place._ But she couldn't say that, not until Dean divulged that he'd made a deal with a demon for Sam. _Meaning that he first has to admit to Sam that he died._

"And what did you trade?" Dean asked. He was honestly curious to see where this was going.

"My freedom." Kelly shrugged. "And my life."

"She made me like Samuel Colt." Sam said.

"Immortal?" Dean asked. "Come on Sammy, you don't really believe that." Sam was silent. "It was just some story that old codger made up." He swallowed. "You can't give someone immortality."

"You pretty much can." Kelly replied. She understood the source of Dean's disbelief but it still irked her. _It just never turns out well._

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but Sam cut him off. He was inclined to side with Kelly on this one. _After all there was Mom and the White Room, and that electric current that's connecting me to Kelly._ But most of all, despite his aches and pains Sam felt strong. He felt good. Like something was fueling his healing process and making him stronger. "What about Jake?" He asked. "Did you get him?"

"No." Dean said. "He disappeared into the woods."

"We gotta find him, Dean." Sam pushed out the back of his chair and straightened up. "And I swear I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart." Wincing, he stood. Seeing Sam's stiff motions, Kelly hurried forward as Dean stood with his brother, catching him by the shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Dean said. "Easy." Kelly came around Sam's side, and Dean watched as she supported his brother. Her gentle fingers catching him under the arm as Dean swallowed his jealousy. "Take it easy there, Sam."

"You're brother's right." Kelly said. "You need to rest."

"Yeah, let's get you somethin' to eat, huh?" Dean looked at his brother. "You want somethin' to eat?"

"Kelly, you out of everyone here knows how important it is that we catch Jake." Sam said.

Kelly shook her head. "It can wait for a little while." She said. "You need something in your stomach." She fixed Sam with a firm glare. "If you want to fight me, then fight me, but I think in this condition I can take you."

"I'd do what she says." Dean laughed. It was starting to feel like old times. "She looks serious, Sammy." Kelly smiled up at Dean and the older Winchester felt his stomach fizz with warmth. Even buried beneath several coats of dirt and blood, she still made his heart skip. "Okay, I'm starving." He said. "I'm gonna call for pizza." Then leaving Sam in Kelly's hands, he hurried out of the room.

"What's up with him?" Sam asked. He glanced at Kelly, but she just shook her head.

"I wish I knew."

Fifteen minutes later, they were gathered around two boxes of pizza as Sam recounted what had happened to him in Cold Oak. Kelly sat quietly beside them, munching on her pizza. She didn't chime in except when Sam asked her questions and those were few. Dean had seen Kelly clam up before, but he felt that this was different. While he was curious to know what had happened during the five months she'd been missing, and felt revulsion when she'd mentioned entering into a pact with the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Sam finished recounting the part where Kelly jumped in front of the knife and he'd beaten Jake.

" And that's when you guys showed up." He said.

"That's awful." Dean said as he took another huge bite of pizza. "Poor Andy." Dean glanced over at Kelly. The girl was chowing down on the pizza with renewed vigor. "Poor you." He added. Kelly looked up at him. "You were there for five months."

"Two." Kelly corrected him. "And I wasn't part of the floor show."

"Yeah, but…" Dean's eyes reevaluated Kelly's shirt, jeans, and jacket. He'd noticed the scar around her neck before, but he was surprised to find the large scars on her wrists. They all looked like burn marks that had healed over. Her brown shirt was messy, covered in dust and mud. He thought he saw darker stains, like blood spattered down her front. She looked like she hadn't changed her clothes for at least a few weeks. _If not more._

"I don't want to talk about it." Kelly said. She looked down at her pizza, losing her appetite for a moment. Her tone signaled that this was the end of the tangent.

Sam nodded and continued with his story. "Demon said he only wanted one of us to walk out alive."

Dean's eyes swung back to Sam. "He told you that?"

"Yup." Sam said. His voice soft as he looked from Kelly to his brother. "Appeared in a dream."

"Did he tell you anything else?" Dean asked.

"No." Sam said. He chewed on his pepperoni slice. "No, that was it."

"What about you?" Dean looked over at Kelly. "Out of all of us, you spent the most time with him. He ever give you any hints about his plans."

Kelly didn't look up from her pizza. Her teeth ground together as she tried to fight the memories out of her mind. She'd interrogated and tortured. But all her missions had been separate from one another with no real connection between them. _Even the information he wanted made no sense._ Even when she'd put it all together. Finally, she spoke.

"Sorry." Kelly said. "I was a tool, not an ally."

"But you were there." Dean said.

"As a grave digger, a security system, and a test." Kelly replied. "I wasn't exactly in a position to get the best insight into the demon's mind." She took another bite of pizza. "Our relationship consisted of him telling me what to do and where to go, other than that…" She shrugged.

"What did he make you do?" Dean asked.

"Dean." Sam snapped. He was staring at Kelly's face. The knuckles ungloved hand, her left, had turned pure white and she was staring down at the piece of pizza with empty eyes. In the low light, Sam could see a tear gathering in the corner of her eye.

Dean followed his brother's gaze. "Sorry." He said.

"You know what I don't get, Dean." Sam said. "If the demon only wanted one of us, then how did Jake and I both get away?"

Dean's eyes met Kelly's over Sam's head. She looked back down at her pizza and continued chewing. Dean sighed. This round was left up to him. _So she's done helping._ "Well, he probably left you for dead." Dean said. He straightened up off the table and moved a few steps away. "I'm sure they thought it was over." Dean took another hearty bite of pizza. "So now that Yellow-Eyes has Jake what's he going to do with him?" Dean left the question open ended and didn't direct it at either Kelly or Sam.

"I don't know." Sam said.

"It's bad news, Dean." Kelly said. "I don't know what, but every demon I came across was eager for it. Even if they wouldn't tell me what it was."

"And you couldn't get it out of them?"

Kelly stared down at her gloved hand as the memories of her interrogations filtered through her mind. They were a jumbled mess of blood and screaming. "I tried my very best." She said. Her normally caustic voice was soft and then she shook her head. Her eyes flicked back up to meet Dean's. "Trust me." She said.

"Whatever it is we gotta stop it." Sam said. He put down his pizza and started trying to stand up.

"Hold on." Dean said. "You need your rest." He glanced at Kelly. "Both of you. We got time."

"No." Kelly said at the same time as Sam said. "No, we don't."

"Sam, Kelly," Dean snapped. "Oceans aren't boiling, frogs aren't rainin' from the skies. Let's get you your strength back first."

Sam sighed. "At the very least, won't you call the Roadhouse?" He asked. "See if they know anything?"

"Yeah."

Dean looked down and Kelly got to her feet. Fear flickered over her face as she stared at his expression. "Dean?" She asked. "What happened?"

Dean moved to take a seat again in front of Sam, but his eyes were on Kelly as he spoke. "The Roadhouse burned, took Ellen, a lot of other hunters too." He took a deep draft of pepsi and seeing the horrified expression on Kelly's face he said. "I'm sorry." Kelly swallowed and nodded.

"Demons?" Sam asked. He fought back the tears. _Ash, Ellen._ They'd been good friends.

"Yeah, we think so." Dean said. He set the cola bottle back down on the table. "We think because Ash found something."

"What did he find?" Kelly asked.

Dean shook his head. "Well, Bobby's workin' on that right now."

Sam nodded and started to stand up. "Well, come on then." He said. "Bobby's only a few hours away." Kelly followed his lead and moved around the side of the table and helped him stand. "Besides." Sam said. He looked down at her. "He'll probably wanna know that you're alive and well."

"Yeah." Kelly nodded.

"Whoa, whoa, Sam!" Dean got up and blocked them. "Stop! Stop!" He stared at both of them. His only recently revived brother and his now ex, even if she didn't know it yet, girlfriend were both staring at him with annoyed expressions. He didn't want to see either of them jumping into battle just yet. "You almost died in there!" Dean said. His eyes were on Sam. "I mean, what would I have…" He trailed off, feeling Kelly's eyes burning into his forehead. "Can't you take of yourself for a little bit, huh?" He asked. "Just for a little bit?"

Sam stared at his brother for several long minutes, then he shook his head. "I'm sorry." He said. "No."

"I'm with Sam." Kelly said. She stared up into Dean's eyes. "You can either come with us or stay here." She shook her head. "Either way…"

"There's no stopping you." Dean couldn't help it, a tiny smile made it's way onto his lips. He stared at her with worried eyes. She looked fine. _But it wasn't more than ten hours ago that she had a knife stuffed in her gut._ He knew that Kelly had incredible regenerative powers. _But she's got to be feeling it._ "Fine."

After they pushed past Dean towards the exit of the house, Sam looked down at Kelly and mumbled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She said. Her voice calm as she helped him towards the door, Sam sighed.

"I can make it on my own." He said.

"Nonsense." Kelly replied.

"Kelly." Sam said. They stopped and she glanced up at him. "You need to talk with him. He may not act like it, but he was worried sick." He watched as she swallowed. "Can't you at least try to patch it up?"

"I don't know if I can, Sam." She said.

"Just try."

When Dean finally came to the front porch, he found Kelly Jones waiting for him. She was leaning against the doorframe, her hands stuffed deep in her pockets. Dean felt his heart stop as she met his hazel eyes with her dark golden browns. She looked serious, like she wanted to talk. He swallowed but couldn't force down the ever present lump in his throat as he stared at her. His deal with the Crossroad's Demon weighed heavily on his mind as he straightened up a little taller and sucked in a deep breath. Ever time he was near her, the urge to hug her and hold her was overwhelming. But Dean couldn't take the chance. He swallowed again. "So, it's time?" He asked. He knew the day was coming when she'd corner him, but he hadn't thought it would be now.

"Yup." Kelly said. "We're going Mano a mano. Man to man." She lifted her fists playfully around her cheeks and Dean couldn't help but smile. That was what he'd always appreciated about Kelly. No matter how serious the situation, she could always make him laugh.

Chuckling Dean made his way to the doorframe and stared out at the rolling landscape that lay before them. They were still deep in South Dakota and the tall grass and plains could only be the Southwest. Finally, Dean opened his mouth and said the only thing he could think of. "Thanks for making up that cock and bull story." He watched Sam climb into the car. "You really covered my ass." When she didn't answer, he paused and added. "But I'm a little worried about the immortality stuff." He said. "I don't want Sammy jumping in front of bullets 'cause he thinks he can't die."

From her position on the doorframe, Kelly glanced over her shoulder at him. He was so close that his smell overwhelmed her, filled her. It made her senses dance and spark as if they were on fire. Heat flooded her loins and she grew stiff, pulling away from him. "It wasn't." She said. Her eyes followed Sam as he pulled open the door of the midnight black 1967 Chevy Impala.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Bogus." She said. The creases around her eyes loosened as they melted into a sad expression. "The whole thing was real." She didn't look back at Dean as she said. "I know about your deal Dean." She swallowed as he opened his mouth to deny it. "I don't know how long they gave you and I don't want to until your ready to tell me." She blinked, tears were collecting in the edges of her eyes. It hurt to talk to him. _To not know._ And she couldn't find the courage to ask. "But one deal wasn't enough." The words came out of her mouth and fell like lead on Dean's ears. "Not when your soul and Sam's already belonged to someone else."

"I don't understand." Dean said. "Dad… when he brought me back..."

"Two lives were sacrificed." Kelly said. Her eyes were on Sam's face, but the memory of her car skidding towards the cliff, out of control on the rain slicked pavement as her tires squealed and she went over the edge, listening to her own screams. "One was given to pay for your revival, and the other was to appease the Crone."

"Who else? Other than Dad?" He asked. His voice broke a bit as the words came out of his mouth. He stared at the back of her head, willing her to look back at him. But she didn't.

"Mine." She said. Kelly lowered her head and shut her eyes. "That's why I came to you, Dean."

"Because you knew I was responsible for your being here?"

"No." She sighed. Shaking her head, she continued to watch Sam as he strapped himself into the seat and began toying with the radio. He was purposefully trying to keep from looking at them. She appreciated his attempt at giving them privacy. "Because you were chosen." She swallowed. "But I'd been…" She trailed off. "Damaged by the fall and my time spent in a mortal body. I didn't remember what I was supposed to do." She gritted her teeth as her features tightened. "And instead of making the offer I should have, I fell in love with you."

So, she still loved him after all. Suddenly, Dean felt the true weight of his deal hanging like an albatross around his shoulders. "You had to die for me to resurrect Sammy?" Dean asked. His heart thudded in his chest. Fear already told him the answer, but he needed to hear it from her.

"In it's own way, I did." Kelly laughed. She shook her head. "I know; it's not possible." Finally, she turned and looked up into Dean's clear hazel eyes. She swallowed. "But this time Mallt-y-Nos didn't want my death." Kelly looked away and out across the rolling landscape and the gray horizon. "She wanted my life." Kelly swallowed again. "And she wanted Sam's."

"So Sammy really gets immortality?"

"Such as it is." Kelly replied.

_He gets to live forever with you._ The idea left a bitter taste in Dean's mouth. _I'm going to die in one fucking year and Sammy is going to live for eternity._ This had to be some kind of cosmic joke. He looked around, ready for the clowns and confetti to start spraying. _You're on candid camera._ "You can't be friggin' serious!" He exclaimed. Kelly didn't answer, but her silence was all the answer that Dean needed. _Traded my life, I traded you so that Sammy could live._ And it all felt like it had been for nothing. _Some big fey comes along and bam, my sacrifice means jack shit._ He felt empty.

"We better get going." Kelly said as Sam honked the horn.

Dean looked down at her and swallowed. "Yeah." He said. It was all he could manage.

AN: I know I promised this sooner, but it's the week before finals and I've been swamped. But fear not! I am working on the next chapter as you read, so hopefully it'll be up by at Friday at the very least. Hopefully. Either way, we are very close to the end, so yay! ^_^ Anyway, I'm really tired, so I don't have it in me for a long AN.

Just a thank you to all my dedicated readers. Your reviews, as always, keep me going and keep my mind filled with DTRH.

As a follow up, remember to review please! The more feedback I get, the more excited I am to write the next chapter. Feed my muse and she will feed you. ; )

AND here's your preview of the as of yet untitled Chapter 63:

The group traveled the roads in silence. It was not total silence, however. True to form, Dean Winchester stuck his favorite cassette into the Impala's stereo and blasted Led Zeppelin out of the speakers. It was his way of killing the awkward silence. It killed his thoughts. Kept him from focusing on the realization that Sam's fate to be Kelly's partner was supposed to have been his. It kept him from bashing his head into the wheel over the horrible realization that came with the reality of his deal. He didn't want to think about what Kelly had given for Sam, he wanted to ignore the strange bond that was growing between the two of them. He didn't want to think that it was Sammy who'd turned into her soulmate. _Soulmate?_ What had she meant by that? He couldn't believe that she'd meant it in the conventional sense. _Sammy immortal?_ You couldn't give someone immortality. That was impossible. Completely and utterly impossible. Dean refused to believe it. Silently, he checked his mirror. Kelly was staring out the window, a quiet and sad look in her eyes. She hadn't talked much since their conversation on the porch of that abandoned house. _When she told me that she knew about my deal._ She just didn't know what was in it. _Good I guess._ He was confused by her deal. _So who brought Sam back?_ Did she or had he? _And does that still make my deal valid?_ The world sucked enough that it probably still did. She'd told him that two lives had been sacrificed. That made sense to him. _After all, I discovered that a soul isn't the only thing worth bargaining._ Why did the world have to have become so confusing? He looked back at the road. It wouldn't be long until they got to Bobby's. Dean was nervous enough about having to explain Sam being back. _Bobby'll know._ He had to. Bobby always knew. One couldn't pull one over on the old hunter. He'd see Sam and know exactly what had happened. Dean's fingers tightened over the steering wheel. Oh well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. _Not before._ No. Not before.


	63. Chapter 63: Pallor

Chapter 63: Pallor

The group traveled the roads in silence. It was not total silence, however. True to form, Dean Winchester stuck his favorite cassette into the Impala's stereo and blasted Led Zeppelin out of the speakers. It was his way of killing the awkward silence. It killed his thoughts. Kept him from focusing on the realization that Sam's fate to be Kelly's partner was supposed to have been his. It kept him from bashing his head into the wheel over the horrible realization that came with the reality of his deal. He didn't want to think about what Kelly had given for Sam, he wanted to ignore the strange bond that was growing between the two of them. He didn't want to think that it was Sammy who'd turned into her soulmate. _Soulmate?_ What had she meant by that? He couldn't believe that she'd meant it in the conventional sense. _Sammy immortal?_ You couldn't give someone immortality. That was impossible, completely and utterly impossible. Dean refused to believe it. Silently, he checked his mirror. Kelly was staring out the window, a quiet and sad look in her eyes. She hadn't talked much since their conversation on the porch of that abandoned house. _When she told me that she knew about my deal._ She just didn't know what was in it. _Good I guess._ He was confused by her deal. _So who brought Sam back?_ Did she or had he? _And does that still make my deal valid?_ The world sucked enough that it probably still did. She'd told him that two lives had been sacrificed. That made sense to him. _After all, I discovered that a soul isn't the only thing worth bargaining._ Why did the world have to have become so confusing? He looked back at the road. It wouldn't be long until they got to Bobby's. Dean was nervous enough about having to explain Sam being back. _Bobby'll know._ He had to. Bobby always knew. One couldn't pull one over on the old hunter. He'd see Sam and know exactly what had happened. Dean's fingers tightened over the steering wheel. Oh well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. _Not before._ No. Not before.

Kelly rested her head against the glass as she felt the car rumble along. The vibration of the window tickled the skin of her forehead, making it itchy. She stared out at the grayed and yellow landscape. The sky was dark overhead, still filled with storm clouds and threatening spring. Still, patches of snow remained along the side of the road as winter slowly melted away. She watched it pass by in silence. She had said all she could to Dean, but his dismissal of her, the way he closed himself off when she talked to him. _He can't wait to get away from me._ She swallowed. _I knew that things wouldn't be the same between us._ But now… Now, she had a sneaking suspicion that he was only tolerating her presence. _Because I'm useful._ And because she and Sam were now a package deal. She wondered if he thought that she liked Sam better. _It doesn't matter anyway._ Not when Azazel was now so close to bringing his plan to fruition.

No one said anything until they reached Bobby Singer's house. Sam, Dean, and Kelly climbed the stairs together and Sam who reached the door first, knocked. Behind him, Kelly listened as Dean sucked in a sharp breath. _Bobby doesn't know about the deal._ She realized and glanced at Dean with narrowed and calculating eyes. _You are in such big trouble._ Kelly thought, but she didn't say anything.

Dean felt her eyes swing to him but he kept his gaze firmly fixed on the door. He'd decided to steer clear of her since their conversation on the porch outside the old rundown house. When Kelly had reminded him that everything she'd told Sam was true, that the partnership had originally been meant for him. But most importantly, she'd implied that his deal still stood. _So much for a get out of jail free card._[/I[ He thought. No, a year from now he'd be dead. _Sold for what?_ To save Sammy? _Maybe I should have waited around for Kelly to wake up._ Gotten her thoughts on the situation. His right hand twitched impatiently as he listened inside, waiting for Bobby to come to the door. The old man was going to give him hell once he saw Sammy; there wasn't a doubt in Dean's mind over that outcome. _"And instead of making the offer I should have, I fell in love with you."_ The words rang through his mind, wholesome and sincere. Dean blinked. _As sincere as she's ever been_. Or ever would be. His mouth remained firm in a thin line as he stared at the door, Kelly's gaze hadn't left him yet; she was waiting patiently for him to look at her. Well, he wouldn't. He'd rather take Bobby's scolding than have to share another conversation with her again. _I just can't do it right now._[/I[ If he did, there was a definite chance he would confess. _And then both she and Sam will die._ However it was the follow up line that made his mouth tightened. _Besides how would she feel knowing I sold our relationship to save Sammy?_ Girls never wanted to know that family was more important and Dean didn't want to face that kind of painful conversation. _If I did the relationship would be over anyway._ So what was the point of even telling her? _Sorry honey, a demon said we can't be together, oh and that we can't be apart, or else you die. And I can't tell you. Which means that, oops, you're already dead. Forgive me babe?_ He'd put a death sentence on her head to raise his brother from the grave. _She'll kill me if she finds out._ Or worse. _I'll send her running to Sam._ After all, the two were already close. _And their experiences in Cold Oak just brought them closer._ He swallowed his jealousy. _I gave up my right to think about her like that._ Of course, that didn't mean he'd stopped. _I'm fucked._

A loud creak filled the air, screaming like nails on a chalkboard as the joints of the door swung back to reveal a haggard looking Bobby Singer. His eyes moved first to the back to Dean and then with relief to Kelly, finally they paused on Sam. His eyes widened with shock and he nearly took a step backwards, his fingers tightening around the doorknob as blood drained from his knuckles. Sam's mouth, after seeing Bobby's stunned expression, twitched. His lips starting to pull back into an embarrassed smile knowing that the older hunter had never expected him to recover so quickly. Bobby's eyes moved back, this time accusingly, to Dean. He didn't need an explanation to put two and two together. Kelly stuck her hands deep in her pockets and cast her eyes to the uneven planks on the porch. It was Dean who spoke first.

"Hey Bobby." He said. Suddenly unable to meet the other man's eyes, he copied Kelly in examining the grains in the wooden planks beneath their feet.

"Hey Bobby." Sam said. The words came out in a sigh as his shoulders relaxed the worry he'd been carrying since they'd left. His voice a mix of relief and thankfulness at finding the older man in one piece. Sam didn't need to look over his shoulder to know what Kelly's follow up would be.

"Obviously, they're happy to see you." She said. Her hands were hidden deep in her pockets, after getting out of the car she'd subconsciously buttoned up the front of her leather duster and cuffed the lapel around her throat. It hid most of her scar from view as her irises glinted in the sunlight. "As am I. So, I'll hand wave their lackluster replies—"

"Lackluster?" Dean snapped. His eyes shot up off the planks as he turned to glare at her. "That was hardly lackluster!"

But Kelly ignored him. "And give a repeat performance." Her lips pulled back into a warm smile as she revealed her sharp canines. "Hey." She said. "Long time no communicado."

"Maybe for you." Bobby replied. His shock over Sam's condition wasn't enough to keep a warm fuzz from bubbling up in his stomach. "But I saw ya a few hours ago." He leveled his blue-gray gaze at her. "You were comatose."

"I got better." She replied.

"So I see." Bobby nodded. "Good for you." He glanced at Sam. "And you." He said. "It's good to see you up and around." The words came out low and gravelly, Bobby restrained himself from sending a pointed glance in Dean's direction. If the boy didn't want to tell his brother, now wasn't the time for Bobby to interfere. He'd play along until he gave Dean a good solid talking too. _And after I make sure Kelly had nothin' to do with this insanity._

"Well," Sam shrugged. Pulling a hand out of his pocket he rested it on the other man's shoulder. "Thanks for patching me up." He squeezed Bobby's upper arm gently then walked past him into the open living room.

"Don't mention it." The old man said. The words came out low and deep, just above a mumble or a whisper as he watched Sam go by. Still, Bobby hadn't missed the way both Dean and Kelly glanced at one another as Sam spoke. _Yeah, somethin's goin' on between those two._ And Sam obviously wasn't in the loop. _They're keepin' it a secret that he got brought back._ But the question was… _Did Dean tell Kelly or did she already know?_

Silently, Bobby's eyes followed an ashamed Dean as he slid past him. Dean stopped in front of Bobby. "Well," He said. "Sam's better and we're back in it now, so..." Their eyes met and held for a few moments before Dean dropped his gaze. Without finishing his sentence, he turned away from Bobby and followed after Sam with purposeful steps. Bobby's gaze burned into his back as he walked across the living room and vanished down one of the hallways heading towards the kitchen.

"He looks a little ashamed." Kelly said. Bobby started; he hadn't expected her to stay next to him. Distracted by Dean, he'd thought she'd already gone after Sam. "Slinking away with his tail between his legs." She lifted her chin. "Like a dog who's just been berated for peeing on the rug."

"Well," Bobby said. Regaining his footing and slowing his heart rate, he turned to face her. "I suppose that's somethin' you'd be all familiar with."

As Sam and Dean disappeared into the living room, Bobby listened as Kelly began to laugh. It was different from the one he remembered during the three months she'd spent with him. It had been softer then with less of an edge. "Yeah," Kelly chuckled. "I am." She swallowed and shook her head, her brown hair falling around her face. Quietly, she tucked it back behind her ear. "Indeed I am." She glanced at him and Bobby watched as her hands shifted in her pockets. A warm expression softened her features as her eyes moved over his face, the worried and sad corners of her eyes relaxed as her lips formed a small smile. A wave of nostalgia washed over Bobby and he was suddenly reminded of the girl who'd jabbered at him the whole ride from Philadelphia to South Dakota. Bobby realized that no matter how strange or hardened she got, he'd always see that naïve young woman gazing back at him. Annoying as she was. "It's been a long time, Bobby." Kelly said. Her head tilting to the side as she gazed at him with wistful eyes, there was a touch of nostalgia behind them as her smile widened a little.

"Too long." He said. "You sure took your sweet time, kiddo."

"I know." She sighed. Suddenly it was like they'd stepped seven months back and she was being scolded for botching up her part of a job. _Not properly reassembling a gun._ Her lips twitched. "I barely call and I never write." _Shooting a hole in Bobby's ceiling._ Accidentally falling down three flights of stairs during a Mississippi haunting. Hitting everything except the bottles during shooting practice. _Breaking sixty-four scrap heap windows_. The cars had been slated for demolition anyway. _No matter how good I get, I'll always be that little screw up._ "And you're still getting pulled into all my messes."

"Can't be helped when you're runnin' around with the Winchesters." Bobby couldn't help but smile as her expression began to melt. _She really is that kid again._

"They're always trouble." Kelly said. A funny smirk lighted on her lips as her hands twitched in her pockets and she tilted her head to the side. "Just like me."

"Yeah, disappearing for five months was a neat trick."

Kelly flinched at the hard note that filtered down into Bobby's voice. She looked up at him with an apologetic smile. "I'm skilled that way."

Bobby snorted with disbelief and shook his head. "Near gave me a heart attack." He fixed her with a hard stare. "Me, Dean, more than a couple of people."

"Sorry."

Bobby nodded slowly, accepting her apology. His smile remained hidden beneath his bushy brown beard as his lips twitched. "Still, it's good to see you in one piece."

"Yeah." She nodded. Her eyes never left his face as her lips twitched with recognition and nostalgia. "Been way too long."

Bobby's eyes moved down to where she was hiding her hands. "You don't need to hide those." He said. His voice a low rumble in the back of his throat as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. _I shoulda waited for her to wake up._ "I've already seen 'em." He chuckled. "So, c'mere and give an old man a hug."

Kelly gazed at Bobby for a long moment as moisture fogged her vision. Slowly, she pulled her right hand from her pocket and pulled the older man into a rough one armed hug. For a moment, her memories overtook her and she felt like a little girl again, like the person she used to be. Burying her head in his shoulder, she pressed her nose against his chest, inhaling his scent. _Safe._ Just for the moment, she felt safe. _Like none of the bad stuff ever happened._

Silently, Bobby stroked her hair. "You've had a rough time, haven't ya?" He murmured into the top of her head. He knew that she could break down for him the way she wouldn't for Sam or even, it appeared, for Dean. _What happened between you two?_ He wondered. He'd expected them to be far more touchy. _Didn't think Dean would leave her side._ Now it looked like all the boy wanted to do was get away. He listened as Kelly sniffled an affirmative into his jacket. It didn't take much of a guess why she was letting her shell melt for him. _Must be the closest thing she's got to a father._ Like Dean, he'd taken up that surrogate role in her life. _Kid trusts me._ Maybe more than she trusted anybody else. "Everythin'll be okay now." He said, patting her head as she sneezed.

Kelly pulled away. Stepping back, she wiped her cheeks and Bobby watched as the tightened and bumpy skin around her wrist flashed in the gloomy light. "No." She said. Her fingers flicking away leftover teardrops as she rubbed the back of her hands against her cheeks, they grew ruddy from the friction of skin on skin. "No, it's not." She shook her head. Slowly, she lifted her head as her mask melted and stared at him with sad brown-gold eyes. "It'll never be the okay again."

Bobby's eyes narrowed and he wondered whether she was talking about what happened to her or about what had happened with Sam. He quite honestly couldn't tell. "What do you mean, Kelly?" He asked. At the same time, Sam's voice rang out from the direction of the kitchen.

"Kelly!" Sam called. "Bobby! Stop wasting time and get over here!"

Bobby watched as Kelly's eyes snap in the direction of Sam's voice, then his lips pressed in a firm line as her cheerful and sarcastic mask slid back over her face. "What Sam?" She called. "Can't you be away from me for five minutes?" The laughter had returned to her voice and it sounded genuine, but there was an underlying note trembling in the tenor of her tone that told Bobby it was forced. "God! You are so needy!" Following laughter came from the kitchen.

"Oh yeah?" Came Sam's reply. "If I'm needy then what are you?"

"Confident." Kelly's pert response only made the other man laugh louder and Bobby noticed that Dean wasn't laughing at all. She glanced at the old hunter with a look of consternation in her eyes. "Guess they can't save the world without us." She said. Her voice was light, but Bobby could feel the dark current running beneath it. Again, he was forced to wonder what exactly had happened between her and the Winchester brothers.

_And what happened during those five months she was missing._ He expected someone to fill him in on that eventually. "Guess not." Bobby nodded. He watched as she walked off, the edges of her long coat tight around her legs. She still hadn't gotten a chance to change her clothes and the more Bobby stared at the bottom of those jeans, the more splotches of dried blood he found mixed in with the mud and the dirt. Slowly, he followed her into the kitchen

"So." Dean said. His eyes were on them the minute they entered. Dean's fingers were grinding into the wooden backing of one of the kitchen table's chairs and from where he stood next to the window, he looked uncomfortable. Or, Kelly observed, somewhere close to constipated. "What do you know?"

She paused in the entrance, her eyes moving from Dean to where Sam stood next to the map lying open on the table. Her lips tightened into a smirk and she clapped Bobby on the back. "It's your floor show now, old man." She said. Taking a step back, she moved over to stand by Sam. Which Bobby found surprising.

Slowly, he walked over to the table. "I found somethin'." He said. Bobby glanced over at Sam for a moment, then he dropped his gaze. "But," he paused and glanced at Sam again. "But I'm not sure what the hell it means."

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Demonic omens." Bobby said.

"Really?" Kelly's eyebrows rose as she glanced at Sam. "You sure they were all omens of the demon variety?"

"Darn near sure." He said. Bobby's gaze moved off of Dean and to Kelly. "Unless your people started making a big stink in recent months."

He watched as Kelly's lips twitched into a dry smile. "If they have, no one's seen fit to mention it to me." She admitted.

"Then for now we'll go with them being purely demonic." Bobby said. "Besides," his gaze moved to Dean. "I never heard of the fey bein' responsible for cattle deaths or lightning storms."

"You'd be surprised." Kelly offered. Sam cast a surprised glance in direction and she shrugged. "What?" She stared around the room. "You would."

"Go on, Bobby." Sam said.

"Yeah, well, these've sky rocketed out of nowhere. Here," Bobby leaned forward and showed them the map he'd spread out over the table. It was one of the US, folded out to expose the Mid-western states. Bobby's finger rotated around the square blob that was Wyoming. "All around here." The three others in the room stiffened as they bent forward in concentration. "Except for one place," Bobby's finger came to a stop over a small portion in the lower regions of the state. "Southern Wyoming."

"Wyoming?" Dean asked. His voice was low like gravel as Bobby glanced up from the map to stare at him with darkened eyes. He hadn't missed the hiccup in Dean's tone or the surprise in the other man's voice.

"Yeah." Bobby glanced from Dean to Sam and then at Kelly. "That one area's totally clean."

"Totally?" Kelly asked.

"Not a peep." Bobby said. "It's spotless." Both Sam and Dean glanced over at Kelly with expectant eyes. "What?" Bobby asked. "You know somethin' kiddo?"

"No!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Really?" Dean asked. His voice was sarcastic and filled with doubt as he leaned forward, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the chair. "Five months with the demon and you never heard him mention anything about Wyoming?"

"Five months with the demon?" Bobby's gaze snapped to the slightly exposed scar around Kelly's throat. Feeling his gaze on it, Kelly's hands fled protectively to the collar of her jacket, tugging the lapels higher around her neck as she shook her head.

"It was three." She snapped. "Three hard months and I didn't spend much of it being tugged along behind him."

"Oh yeah?" Dean sneered. "But I bet you eagerly leapt to his side whenever he whistled." His eyes were on her face. "I dunno Kelly, don't you know where he is?"

"I don't know." Kelly said. Her voice was flat as she refused to back down under the sudden heat of Dean's accusations. His words stung her pride as her back straightened.

"Yeah, maybe you're more loyal to him now than us." Dean said.

"Dean!" Sam snapped.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know." Kelly repeated.

Dean threw the chair to the side and took a step towards her. There was a loud crash as the wooden legs hit the wall and a sickening crack as one of them broke. Sam and Bobby both glanced at Dean, their eyes wide with surprise. They hadn't expected this kind of reaction out of him. "What is happening in Wyoming?" He demanded.

"I don't know."

He lifted an accusatory finger at her. "Damn it Kelly!" Dean yelled. "Where's your master?"

"He's right here!" Kelly screamed. Her hand flung in Sam's direction and Bobby nearly stepped backwards in surprise. "The only connection I have to Azazel now is this taint that's running through my veins!" She lifted her wrist and, in frustrated exasperation, yanked back her sleeve showing all of them the entirety of the scar. Sam watched his brother wince. "And these!" She shoved her hand towards Dean. "These!" Her eyes never left Dean as the words flew from her mouth. "If I knew where he was," she said. "I would tell you." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Oh god, would I tell you." She sucked in another deep breath and looked up at him again, wet tears transforming into condensation on her lashes. "But I don't." Her voice trembled a little as she spoke. "If I were still linked to that demon, Dean," Kelly's eyes held his gaze and refused to let go. "I guarantee you, I wouldn't be here." Her hands moved to grip her upper arms, suddenly she seemed very small and fragile. Sam winced as new emotions came rushing through him and suddenly he was aware of the toll her time with the Yellow-Eyed Demon had taken. He could feel them, the fractures inside her, they were everywhere and they were painful. "I'd probably be swearing my eternal allegiance to Jake and sharing my gifts," she glanced at Sam as she spoke. "With him, and getting ready to defend whatever endgame the demon has in mind." Her mouth pressed into a hard line and she moved her gaze away from the youngest Winchester. "But I'm here, with my master." She lifted her chin. "With you. Trying to figure out how to stop him."

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Believe me." Kelly said. "No one wants him dead more than me." Her gaze moved from Sam to Dean, the older Winchester stiffened, and with an apologetic sigh, Kelly inclined her head and added. "Except for maybe the two of you."

"Dean." Sam said. His voice was soft as he let his shoulders relax, Dean glanced at his brother for several long seconds. It felt like eternity to everyone standing in the room.

"Yeah, okay." Dean said.

"Well," Bobby said. "If you're little hissy fit is over, let me finish what I was gonna say."

"Go on, Bobby." Sam said. He wasn't sure what else to do, he couldn't comfort Kelly, not in front of his brother. _And I'm not sure if she even wants me to._ "What do you think is going on?"

"It's almost as if the demons are surrounding that spot." Bobby glanced from one brother to the other, making a mental note to talk to both Dean and Sam. _And get the lowdown on Kelly._ What had the girl meant by taint? And was it dangerous? _And she's calling Sam her master, so somethin' big must've happened after I left._ Probably something more that just Dean's demon deal. _Not if Kelly contracted herself to Sam._ After getting the scoop on her from Sam about a month ago, he'd expected a different result. _If she was gonna choose anybody for that sort of thing, I'd see her picking Dean._

"But you don't know why?" Dean asked.

"Well, if Kelly don't know," Bobby winked at her. "Then I sure as hell don't have a guess." He shook his head and added. "And at this point my eyes are swimmin'." Bobby glanced over at the youngest Winchester. "Sam would you take a look at it?" He asked. "See if you can catch something I couldn't?"

Kelly glanced from one man to the other in confusion as she listened to Bobby. "Yeah." Sam said. "Sure, Bobby." She wasn't surprised when he turned to her. "Stick around with me?" He asked. "Maybe you'll remember something the demon said."

Kelly glanced over at Bobby questioningly; when he nodded she smiled at Sam and said. "Sure." She tried to widen her smile as she moved closer to him. "Sure, maybe there's something I forgot."

"Or something you're suppressing." Sam smiled. "Those kind of memories can't be all that pleasant."

"That," Kelly sighed. "Is the understatement of the year."

"Well, you two seem to have things in hand." Bobby's eyes moved to Dean, who was watching them with a mildly jealous expression. "Come on, Dean." He said. "I think I got some more books in the truck." Bobby's gaze never left the younger man's face as he reached out and grabbed his jacket off the back of a nearby chair. Pulling it on, he added. "Help me load 'em in." Then, he turned and walked past Sam, the sound of his footsteps vanishing down the hall.

Dean sucked in a deep breath, he knew what Bobby getting him alone meant. _It's clobbering time._ His eyes moved back to his brother and Kelly as they stared leaning over the map, their brown heads bent together. He half expected them to start giggling like a pair of junior high rejects. _Shit._ He thought. He hadn't meant to snap at her like that. _I thought I was over it._ And he'd discovered that her calling Sam her master hurt more than he'd thought it would. He wanted to apologize. But he couldn't. _I didn't mean to snap_. And now she wasn't even going to look at him. _Everything I do just makes it worse and worse._ Sam glanced up at him expectantly. "Yeah." Dean said. Quickly, he walked past Sam. A part of him longed to look back and see if Kelly had watched him go, but he forced himself not to. Forcing his feelings out of his mind, he followed Bobby outside into the junkyard. Together, they disappeared behind towering piles of rusted out cars. Whatever Bobby was going to say, well, it already hurt like hell. _So, it's not like he can make it worse._ But this was Bobby and Dean cared about what Bobby thought of him. _Who am I kidding?_ He wondered. _Of course it can get worse._

Back inside, Kelly and Sam poured over the map. But they didn't find anything and, after a few minutes, Sam looked over at her. She'd taken a seat beside him and was staring down at the state of Wyoming with very intense eyes. "See anything?" He asked.

She glanced up at him. "Called my bluff." She said, a wry smirk on her lips. She fell back against the chair and it groaned beneath her shifting weight. "I thought that maybe if I stared hard enough the answer would come."

"No luck though?" Sam laughed.

"None at all." Kelly shook her head woefully and stuck her hands back into the pocket of her coat. She glanced up at him, a hopeful expression on her face. "You?"

"Same." Sam sighed. He collapsed into the chair next to her and saw the worry in her eyes as he sat down. "Don't worry." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm not going to go off on you." Sam assured her. "I just…" He swallowed. "Well, I trust you." He reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him. Her hands being shoved deep into her pockets had forced her body to hunch over the table, making her seem even smaller. He understood that she was ashamed by the scars on her wrists. _They must be constant reminders for her._ And a part of him wondered what the rest of her body looked like beneath her jacket and worn out shirt. _How many more scars does she have?_ "Implicitly."

"You never listen to me." She said. Her head tilting playfully to the side as she lifted a single eyebrow and leaned forward, her eyes conspiratorial. "Do you, Sam?"

"Well, I have a secret." Sam said. He leaned forward over the table a sly grin on his lips.

"Really?" She smirked. "Must be real important."

"Lean close and I'll tell you." He said as she pulled her hands out of her pockets and rested her elbows curiously on the table. _Dean is totally going to kill me._ He thought. But after seeing his brother yell at Kelly, a sense of protectiveness had welled up in Sam. He watched her hair slid over her shoulder as she leaned towards him.

"Well?" She asked.

"You don't have to call me master." He whispered into her ear, a conspiratorial grin on his lips. "All you have to say is," he sucked in deep breath and said very quickly. "That I am the very model of a modern Major-General."

"Oh god." She sighed and looked up at him, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Don't tell me, you're very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical, you understand equations, both the simple and quadratical, about binomial theorem you're teeming with a lot o' news…"

"With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse." Sam raised his eyebrows. "How do you know 'I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General'?"

Kelly pursed her lips and slumped forwards, clamping her hands over her ears. "Once," she said. "And don't tell Dean." Her eyes snapped to Sam's face with a ferocious glare and she growled softly at the back of her throat.

"My lips are sealed." Sam grinned.

"Okay," she sighed. "Well I was given a job in Milwaukee," she paused and glanced up at him again. "Don't ask what." She said. Sam shook his head and Kelly's gaze returned to the table in front of her. "And I stole some old Ford sedan right?" Sam nodded. "It was pretty beat up, but it had to have been from the early 2000s and I wasn't really in any hurry, so I broke in and stole it."

"Done that myself." Sam said.

"Anyway, at the time I was in Indianapolis, so I take off with this old clunky thing on the highway and as I do, the CD player starts to go." She glanced up at Sam. "Pirates of Penzance." She shook her head. "Turns out whoever owned the car was big on operetta, it was the only set of music in the car." She shrugged. "That and some Shakespeare plays." Kelly shook her head again as if trying to clear it. "And I wasn't about to spend the drive listening to some old English guy drone on about Moors and stuff."

Sam chuckled. "How very anti-education of you."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Shakespeare's the one thing that I remember I didn't like." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Maybe if it had been something more contemporary I wouldn't be quoting 'I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General' back to you."

"What about the radio?" Sam asked.

"It was busted." She sighed.

"So it was just you and Penzance?" Sam asked. He couldn't help laughing at the look of dismay crossing her features as she slumped even further down. "The whole drive?"

"I can't drive in silence." She admitted. "Creeps me out."

"But you ride in it all the time." Sam laughed.

"That's ride." Kelly responded. "Not drive." She shook her head wistfully. "I've never driven the Impala."

"Fair point." Sam admitted. He watched as a slim strand of brown hair slipped down over her nose and resisted the urge to tuck it back behind her ear. She rested her chin on her forearms as her eyes moved back to the map in front of them. Sam listened to her sigh and watched her brow fold together in concentration. He was sorry things were going so badly between her and Dean. _Especially considering how badly Dean wanted to find her._ He thought. It didn't make any sense. _Why's he being so cold?_ But a part of him had been warmed when she'd called him her master. He liked the idea of her being loyal to him. _Bad thought Sammy._ He couldn't flirt with her, not when she and Dean were heading for what seemed like a break up. Sam reached out towards her, but she pulled away and set her hands on the map.

"So how do you know about it?" She asked. "Besides you being a Stanford educated man." She leaned forward as she circled the area Bobby had pointed to with a ball-point pen. "I didn't think they offered a degree in Operetta."

Sam dropped his hand as a pained expression crossed his face. He didn't look up at her. "Jess liked it." He said. In all this craziness he'd never forgotten his major motivation for revenge. _Mom and Jess._ But the Pirates quote had come to him without thinking. It was strange to find a part of her that had filtered into his habits, it was like re-examining the way he brushed his teeth. Still, it was more than a little comforting to realize that a part of her lived on in him.

"Oh." She looked up at him. "Sorry." They'd never really discussed Jess before. _Not like that's something that turns up in regular conversation._ Most of the time it felt like Dean did his best not to remind Sam of the girl he'd loved and lost. _The girl the Yellow-Eyed demon murdered._ Or so Bobby had told her, she was sure she'd seen it happen once. _Back when I was still human._ And Supernatural had been nothing but a show on the television. _Just a fantasy like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Singing in the Rain._ Or she supposed it had been, now it felt odd to think that Sam and Dean had never been real people to her. _Or that 20 years of human life was nothing but a stop gap._ She wondered if she should miss it.

"It's fine." Sam chuckled. "I…"

"You miss her." Kelly said. "I can feel it." Sam glanced at her as she tapped her chest, right over her heart. "Right here." Her lips twisted caustically. "Big ole mass of rage." She propped her head up with her right hand and eyed him with a knowing expression. "Bit of despair too."

Sam frowned. "That's invasive." He muttered.

"You're telling me." She sighed. "You think I want to be tapped into your emotions?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Feel your pain? Be in your head?" She rolled her cheek against her palm, adding. "The dulled and plodding experience that it is." Her lips quirked a little as she stared up at him. "You and me are linked brother." She waved between them with her free hand. "But don't worry," she smirked. "Eventually we'll learn how to keep secrets from each other." Sam couldn't help but smile at that comment.

"Well, that's something we're both good at it."

"The Winchesters in general." Kelly chuckled. "And you've got eternity to get better at it. But for the time being," she said. She lifted the pen and pointed it at him as she pursed her lips. "You should tell me about her."

"Jess?" Sam asked. "You want to know about Jess?"

"I'm the only one who doesn't know about Jess." Kelly paused. "Though I think I might have, once." Sam watched as she frowned and couldn't keep the corner of his mouth from spasming from held back laughter as he watched her eye twitch in concentration. "Maybe, I'm not sure." She tilted her head. "So tell me about her."

"I don't know if now's the right time." Sam looked down at the map, this conversation was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable and a little sad. "Besides Bobby doesn't really know about Jess."

"Fine." Kelly sighed. She patted Sam's shoulder. "Then just tell me about Pirates of Penzance." She looked at him with curious brown eyes. "What did she like about it?" Kelly propped both hands beneath her chin as she peered up at him, her eyes widening slightly and tilted her head comically to the side.

Sam nearly choked on his own laughter as he stared at her expression, somehow to pushed the pain of losing Jess a little further away from the memory. "You…" He chuckled. "You're…"

"Still adorable, I know." Kelly said. "The Yellow-Eyed demon couldn't rid me of all my virtues, you know."

"Incorrigible."

"But you're feeling better." She said. Sam couldn't help it, he reached out and ruffled her hair, it was a very Dean-like moment. Kelly stared at him for a few moments and Sam watched as her expression grew sad. She blinked several times and Sam saw her eyes begin to water. He knew who he'd reminded her of and he froze. Kelly turned away from him. "We should get back to work." She said. "There's gotta be a clue here somewhere." Her lips pursed together and she didn't look at him. Sam's hand dropped back to the table.

"Yeah." He said. Sam relaxed back into the chair and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at the map. "There must be something." It took fifteen minutes for Sam to get up the courage to look at her again.

Outside, between two towering piles of large rusted cars, their windows smashed in, bumpers dented, engines barely salvageable, Bobby Singer whirled around to face a very nervous Dean Winchester. He threw his arms up in the air as he turned, his face a mask of compassion, anger, and frustration as he exploded. "You stupid ass! What did you do?" When Dean only stared at him with hard hazel eyes and then looked away, Bobby seized him by the lapels of his black windbreaker, shaking him roughly. "What did you DO?" Dean waited until Bobby let him go to respond, but he couldn't find the words. He couldn't admit to Bobby how weak he'd been, It only took a few seconds of silence for Bobby to realize what had happened. "You made a deal!" He exclaimed. "For Sam, didn't you?"

Dean opened his mouth and looked at the ground, still he couldn't admit to it. He wanted to, he wanted to take responsibility for it, but the thought of letting Bobby down was hurt him so much that all he wanted was to sink down into the ground and evaporate. It was made worse by the fact that he couldn't tell the older man about the second part of his deal. But he was sure Bobby would figure it out. Bobby was smart, a hell of a lot smarter than Dean.

"How long did they give you?" Bobby asked. As usual he was right on the mark.

"Bobby." Dean muttered and looked away. He didn't want to talk about it, admit to it. Saying the number outloud made it feel like it was real. _I didn't tell Sam. I don't know how in god's name Kelly knows, but she does._ She just didn't know how much time he had. _Not that she cares with Sam making big goo-goo eyes at her._ She'd come down on Sam's side in the debate. _She called Sam her master, like out of some bad BDSM movie._ Dean swallowed. _Master!_ The voice in his head became high squeaky and girl-like. _Master, please! I've been so baaaad._ Dean shook his head again. _I'm not thinking about Sammy having sex._ He absolutely was not. It was fine to discuss it on a peripheral level but imagining his brother having sex, _with my girlfriend no less…_ Well, that was something akin to swallowing six pickled eggs whole with the following mandatory upchuck in requisite bathroom stall. It made him feel all dirty inside. He paused. _And NOT in a good way._

"How long?" Bobby demanded. His voice had descended to growling levels and moisture was fogging over his dark bluish green eyes. The words came out in a sharp and hard bark that made Dean look back at him.

His lips flattened into a firmer line as his muscles tightened, his brows bent together. He didn't want to have to say the number out loud. His clenched, then relaxed, then clenched again as he swallowed. _I gotta say it sometime._ The deal was real and there was no way he could take it back. "One year." He said. His voice was monotone and dry as he spoke, a hint of emotion trembling in an underlying chord behind his words.

Bobby's mouth worked for a few minutes as his mind tried to get it's neurons firing again. _Not long at all._ He thought. _That damn ain't near enough time._ Now, Bobby could understand why Dean had been snapping at Kelly. _It ain't really about her working for that demon._ Though that thought left Bobby with nearly a thousand questions starting from why and diving off into god-knows-who-died territory. _It's about the fact that he's gonna die on her in one year._ Finally Bobby spoke. "Damn it, Dean." He growled.

Dean Winchester leaned forward. "Which is why we've gotta find this Yellow-Eyed sonofabitch." He said. "Azazel, or whatever the hell Kelly called him." He paused, his eyes never leaving Bobby's stunned face as he added. "Which is why I'm gonna kill him myself." There was a finite note in Dean's voice a commitment that defied reason and logic, based purely on emotion. A driving hate that came out of desperation. Dean Winchester had found his purpose, now that he knew how and when he was going to die. He swallowed adding in the kicker of the argument. "I got nothing to lose now right?" _I gave up the girl I loved for Sammy, I gave up my life, and my soul._ What else could be taken from him now? _If I die at least I'll know I took that bastard with me._ Bobby however, seemed to disagree with his statement.

The old hunter seized Dean by the front of his jacket and shook him again. He dragged him forward until they were nose to nose. "I could throttle you!" He snarled.

"What?" Dean asked. His eyes held Bobby's angry ones, there was no emotion in them, just sadness. He felt hopeless and ready to give up. "And send me downstairs ahead of schedule?"

"And I bet that girl and brother you're leaving behind in there feel the same way." Bobby shook his head. "If they knew."

"Kelly knows." Dean said. His voice was small and he didn't look away from Bobby to look back up at the house, he was still standing on his tiptoes, held by Bobby's iron grip. "I don't know how the hell she figured it out, but she does."

"She's a smart girl, Dean." Bobby growled. "And she's fey, her kind are specialists and they deal nasty. She probably smelled it on you the minute you walked in the door." Bobby dropped Dean and shook his head. "She figured it out, but Sam don't know." He raised an eyebrow at Dean. "Does he?" Before Dean could answer, Bobby just shook his head. "What is it with you Winchester's huh?" He asked. "You? Your dad? You're both just itching to throw yourselves down the Pit." Bobby spat the words at Dean.

"That's my point!" Dean said. "Dad brought me back Bobby! I'm not even supposed to be here!" He shook his head, emotion flooding into his voice. "And now I find out that the deal came with even more strings attached!"

"What do you mean?" Bobby asked.

"Dad wasn't the only one who died for me, Bobby!" Dean yelled. His gaze moved past the older man and focused on the house. He sucked in a deep breath. "Now, now I find out that Kelly…" He shook his head. "That Kelly's here because of me. Because of that deal."

"What?" Bobby asked. He stared at Dean. "What does Kelly's falling here have to do with you?"

"I'm the one who killed her." Dean shook his head. "The fey… To bring me back…"

"A second sacrifice." Bobby said. He nodded slowly, he hadn't found any references to this except in the most obscure celtic texts and it had only been mentioned briefly, a footnote written down in passing by a bard. "To appease your god."

"Its not my god!" Dean snarled. "They're not gods!" He shook his head again. "But don't you see? It wasn't just Dad who gave his life, I'm responsible for ruining her life too!" His voice shook. "Everything that's happened to her, it's my fault Bobby!"

"No, it's your dad's for not properly prepping a goat." Bobby snapped. He grabbed Dean by the shoulders again. "But that ain't his fault either, John couldn't of known, Dean." Bobby said. "I'm sure that your mom never told him. So, the way I see it, what happened to Kelly was nobody's fault, not yours, and not your dad's."

She shook her head, leaning over the map; she stared down at Sam's fingers, a strange warmth growing in the center of her soul. They were bonded together now. _Even if it's weak.._. She knew that all it needed was time before it began to grow. _And it will grow._ Then she and Sam would see what was in store for them. _Of all the things I remember…_ She was at a loss over what to do, what the pact meant between them. _I don't know what's going to happen to him_. Or what would happen to her. _How will he change?_ Immortality was immortality, but she'd never stopped to question what that meant. Kelly looked up, moving her eyes off the coordinates that Sam had been looking over. She could feel the vibrations coming off of him and Kelly cocked her head. She wondered if a change in his scent would give her an indication of the changes he would begin to undergo. She sniffed the air. No, he smelled like Sam she'd always known. She pursed her lips in silence. _There's also more than our bond to consider_. She could feel that, it was a warmth in her soul, a tug, a link between them. She could his vibrations inside her mind and it made her feel dirty. "So?" She asked. "How about them broncos?" Her voice coming out slow and sounding curious as she looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, she smiled.

"Are you resorting to small talk?" Sam chuckled. Kelly had been vague about what had happened between them and what she'd done to save his life. _Not that I'm not grateful._ But his mother's warnings still chimed away in his mind. _Don't trust the Fey. They are fickle masters._ He refused to believe that they were his masters.

"Just want to know if you've found anything." Kelly replied. She looked him over carefully and tapped her lip. _There isn't anything different about his smell._ She paused. _I'll try again._ "You've been at it forever."

"It's only been fifteen minutes since our last break." Sam responded.

"See." Kelly grinned. "Forever."

"When'd you get so impatient?" Sam laughed.

"Since I bonded myself to you." _I don't trust demons._ Not anymore than she trusted her own people. _And both have a tendency to screw over those they're bargaining with._ She looked up at Sam. Had he come back exactly the way Dean wanted? She wasn't sure. He seemed normal. She sniffed again. He smelled normal. She paused. _But something's off._ The normal pallor had been restored to his skin. _But he still looks a little… cheesy… _ She shrugged. "What can I say Sam?" She chuckled. "I never guessed you'd be a bad influence."

"Me?" Sam asked. He raised his eyebrows. "Right."

"I was never this impatient when I was tied to a demon." Kelly said. Her eyes searched his face, his neck, his skin, there was something off. It had taken her forever to realize it. _But something is wrong._ She was sure of that. "In fact, I had nothing but time." Tapping her chin, she thought about sliding off her chair. _What is it with him?_ He'd been warm beneath her touch. His breathing came out steady, she nearly shrugged and let it go. _No._ There was something. _The Crone…_ Or the demon. _They had to have done something._ She didn't doubt that Dean had been given a crappy deal. _But that doesn't mean it can't get crappier._ Or be tossed with a twist. Kelly bit her lip.

Sam paused. "Okay," he sighed. He was feeling something funny coming from her, a kind of worry, one that he couldn't put his finger on. It was in the way she was looking at him. _Like she's examining me._ "What's wrong, Kelly?"

"Well," she said. "I'm very good at integral and differential calculus, I know the scientific names of beings animalculous…"

"Enough with Penzance." Sam sighed. "I'm being serious." He gazed at her. "You and Dean have been acting funny since you healed me." He shook his head. "It's like you're avoiding something. So?" He stared at her expectantly. "What is it?"

"You…" Kelly trailed off. _Damn._ It was getting harder to hide things from Sam. _Getting harder to lie too._ Not that she wanted to. _But…_ She just couldn't help it, honesty didn't come naturally to her. _And I don't want him freaking out._ Especially if something had gone wrong. "You just look a little flushed that's all." She finished lamely, brushing her hair back out of her eyes. "Like you're coming down with the flu."

"I feel fine." Sam said. "You brought back the picture of health."

"Yeah, I'm probably being silly." She admitted. "But I just want to check something okay?" Sam stared into her eyes and seeing the seriousness there, he nodded. Kelly stood and leaned across the side of the table, pressing her fingers against Sam's throat, feeling around for his pulse. She searched with her index and middle beneath his jaw. Sam had always had a strong heartbeat. She could feel the warmth of his blood underneath his tan skin, but there was no thump. _Damn._ No sign of a pulsating vein. _Weird._ This only meant one thing. Sam was the image of the walking talking dead. _What the hell did Dean ask for?_

Sam felt a twinge. "Something wrong?" He asked.

"No." Kelly said. The words bounced quickly off her tongue as she let her hand drop and sat back down. "No." She repeated, shaking her head. "Your heart rate's just a little accelerated." Kelly looked up at him, smoothing her features, her smile the picture of reassurance as she turned back to the map. _Dean and I are going to have a serious talk later._ She thought. Oh, were they ever.

"Well," Dean said. "At least something good can come out of it. At least my life can mean something."

"What?" Bobby's voice rose to a new decibel level as he stared at Dean, his eyes incredulous. "And it didn't before?" He asked. Dean shifted uncomfortably beneath the old man's hard gaze. "Have you got that low an opinion of yourself?" He grabbed Dean by his jacket again and dragged him forward, shaking him. "Are you that screwed in the head?"

_Maybe._ Dean thought. _After all, it took Kelly making a deal with a fey to even let me bring Sam back._ Or something like that. _I wasn't even good enough to do it by myself. My soul wasn't even worth enough that I had to give her up, and the minute I did she got linked to Sam._ Dean seriously believed that the universe hated him. _At least has it in for me._ The entire thing seemed designed to make his life a living hell. _But that's what I get for making deals with demons._ What were those for except to make life hell on earth? _I was desperate enough to give up my girlfriend, to make my remaining year a torture, all to save Sammy._ Not that he regretted bringing Sam back, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the demon intended to make him feel that way by the end. Well, he wouldn't. He did what he had to for Sammy and that was the way it was. _Bobby isn't helping._ There was a long period of silence as the two men stared at one another, a moment of understanding passing between them as finally, Dean said. "I couldn't let him die, Bobby." Bobby's face went slack at the despair shining out of Dean's eyes, the angry creases sagged into a sad expression, and his hold on Dean's jacket loosened. "I couldn't." Dean said. "He's my brother."

"How's your brother gonna feel when he finds out you're going to hell?" Bobby asked. His voice rose intently as his fingers tightened in Dean's jacket and he stared at Dean. "How'd you feel when you knew your dad went for you?"

Dean's eyes moved off Bobby's face, unable to take the older man's intense gaze. "You can't tell him." Dean said, his voice breaking and coming out hoarse as his vocal chords strained beneath the weight of withheld emotion. "You take a shot at me, whatever you gotta do but please don't tell him." He leaned forward against Bobby's grip, his eyes earnest. "Kelly already said she wouldn't say anything until I told Sam and she's covered for me once." His voice broke again as he spoke, moisture fogging on his lashes. "And she'll be here to take care of him." He said. "She'll be here Bobby." He shook his head slowly. "They've already got some kind of weird connection."

Bobby nodded, things were starting to make sense. _'Specially after what Dean said about Kelly dying to save his life._ "What'd she have to give?" He asked. _She's the only one here who'd even have a clue as to how the whole thing works._ Though Bobby doubted that she was clever enough to deal on even footing with her elders.

"Honest to god, Bobby," Dean said. "I didn't know she'd have to sacrifice anything. I thought it was just gonna be me." He swallowed. "If I'd known…" He trailed off.

"You'd have talked to her before you did it." Bobby said. He could see the guilt in Dean's eyes. _There's somethin' you ain't tellin' me, son._ And Bobby had no doubts that it had something to do with Kelly. _Demons gotta know she's one of your weaknesses._ Bobby wouldn't have been surprised if they'd used those feelings to hamstring him. "You'd have asked if she knew another way."

"Bobby." Dean said.

"What did she have to give, Dean?" Bobby demanded.

"You gotta ask her!"

"Well, I'm askin' you!" Bobby snapped. He didn't release Dean, instead he tugged him closer. "You'll give it to me straight, she'll lie her ass off before she gets around to telling me the truth." _And by the time she does, I'll probably have figured it out anyway._ "So, you've been elected middle man."

"Bobby, I'm not exactly clear…"

"Just tell me what she said." Bobby snapped. "She's a lot less likely to lie to you, Dean." Bobby shrugged. "I don't know why…" He paused. "Probably 'cause she loves you." Dean's heart thudded in his chest when Bobby said the words. Was it that obvious to everybody? "And she trusts you."

_Right._ Dean swallowed. _She trusts me._ Trusted him. _And what did I do?_ He'd made it impossible for them to continue their relationship. _I'm some kind of huge idiot._ He doubted she'd forgive him for it. "Fine." He said. His voice coming out stiff as he tried to recall what Kelly had said back at their abandoned hideout. "She said she gave her life." He said. "And Sam's."

Bobby frowned. _That's unusual._ And he couldn't help but wonder what Dean meant by life. _Given that both of them are still around, up walking and talking._ So life obviously had a different meaning to the fey. "Life huh?" He said.

"She said Sam's immortal now." Dean said. Choking on the lump in his throat as he spoke, Dean looked away from the older man. He couldn't meet his eyes. "Life's funny like that, Sammy's gonna live forever and I'm gonna die in a year." He chuckled. "Big cosmic joke."

Bobby's expression tightened as the weight of Dean's words hit him. "Ironic." Was all he could say, he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. _Means one thing._ Suddenly, Kelly calling Sam her master made a lot more sense. "Sam's got the same deal as Samuel Colt, doesn't he?" Bobby stared at Dean, the younger man stared down at the ground, his feet shuffling uncomfortably. "Doesn't he!" Bobby shook Dean again.

"Yeah." Dean said. "Yeah, he does."

Bobby sighed unhappily and put his hand on Dean's face. _You're a good kid._ Bobby loved Dean like a son, seeing a younger version of himself in the man. A man who was both lost and confused, but deep down a worthwhile and good human being. _He's just been screwed up and screwed over by family and circumstance._ Dean was a fine hunter and despite his rough outward appearance he genuinely cared about others. Bobby stared into Dean's eyes sadly. _I would have been proud to have a boy like you for a son_. He thought. In that moment Bobby vowed that he'd find a way to get Dean out of his deal. _Even if it kills me._ He knew that Kelly was probably thinking the same thing. _And she's a clever and resourceful gal._ Probably had only been made more so by her time spent with the demon. _What was that about?_ Now wasn't the time to ask. _And unlike with Sam…_ Bobby knew that was a conversation best to have at it's source. _Do my best to get Kelly girl to talk straight._ Or at least find his way through her evasive answers. She was a secretive person. _But that's not a virtue in a time like this._ He understood how Dean could be suspicious of her. A crunching sound broke Bobby's concentration as both he and Dean swung around, searching for what had made the noise. _Sounded like footsteps._ Heavy and tired footsteps. They looked at one another.

In a moment of decision, Bobby let go of Dean's jacket and the two moved off quickly in unision. Finding cover beside one fo the tall car piles, Dean glanced at Bobby as they knelt low. His ears were listening for any more sounds as his eyes searched the junkyard. _This is a hell of a bad place to take an attack._ He thought, lamenting the terrible visibility and the overabundance of cover. The more places there were to hide meant that it would be easier for the enemy to sneak up on them. _With all the demon attacks we've taken lately._ Dean wouldn't have been surprised to find himself taking one more. _Damn I wish we hadn't left Kelly inside._ They could have used her nose. _At this point, I'll take whatever advantage I can get._ A shadow appeared against the far side of a car, moving slowly into his line of vision. Dean and Bobby both ducked low and then, after taking a deep breath, hurried around the side of the car to seize the short and stout body of a woman.

"Ellen?" Dean said. His voice unable to hide his surprise as his hands closed around her upper arms. "Ellen?" He repeated in disbelief.

AN: Here I am being naughty and writing chapters when I should be doing homework and prepping for finals. Lucky you, eh? Hmm, I guess this story's too much fun to write, I just can't stay away. Next chapter our heroes prepare for the final battle, Kelly has a serious conversation with Dean about the nature of his demon deal, and Jake converses once again with the YED. Then, gasp, the final battle! Something more to look forward to, along with a few more surprises, though I make no promises on those, I'm still working out the kinks.

You may be going: "Huh?" to the revelation that Sam's body is dead, but I promise that I will make it all make sense. I haven't let you down before have I? Besides, it's my inherent nature to make everything that happens with either the demons or the fey to go screwy like nearing an event horizon. This does have a place in the next story and fits in with the Fey Hunters in general. I promise it will make sense okay? (Besides I couldn't get away from the mental image of Sam being tossed off tall buildings.) Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. As always, let me know what you think, I love reviews, they feed my muse and encourage me to write faster and pump out more chapters. So review! Haha.

Last but not least, and here for your enjoyment, the complete set of lyrics to the song "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General". Unfortunately this is substituted over the preview of the next chapter. Go listen to it.

ARTIST: Gilbert and Sullivan

TITLE: I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General

Lyrics

[Pirates of Penzance]

I am the very model of a modern Major-General

I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral

I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical

From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical

I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical

I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical

About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news

With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse

_With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse_

_With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse_

_With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotepotenuse_

I'm very good at integral and differential calculus

I know the scientific names of beings animalculous

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral

I am the very model of a modern Major-General

_In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral_

_He is the very model of a modern Major-General_

I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's

I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox

I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus

In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous

I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies

I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes

Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore

And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore

_And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore_

_And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore_

_And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinapinafore_

Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform

And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus's uniform

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral

I am the very model of a modern Major-General

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral

He is the very model of a modern Major-General

In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin"

When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin

When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at

And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat"

When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery

When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery

In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy

You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee

_You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee_

_You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a gee_

_You'll say a better Major-General had never sat a sat a gee_

For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury

Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century

But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral

I am the very model of a modern Major-General

But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral

He is the very model of a modern Major-General

Remember to review. ^_^ Feedback = love.


	64. Chapter 64: Old Aquaintances

Chapter 64: Old Aquaintances

Inside the house, Kelly stood by the window, her eyes far away and her thoughts sinking deep inside her mind. She chewed her lip worriedly, listening to the sound of trickling water as Bobby poured Ellen a cup of fresh holy water. The smell of it's blessing stung her nose and she found herself wondering if she could still drink it. If she was still welcome on holy ground. _What about Sam?_ She leaned into the wooden wall, her heart heavy in her chest. She listened as Bobby slid the glass across the wooden table.

"This really necessary, Bobby?" Ellen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just a belt of holy water." Bobby replied. His tone was flat and his eyes never left hers, there was a slight twist to the edges of his mouth. His eyebrows rose, challengingly. "Shouldn't hurt."

_Shouldn't hurt._ Kelly's mind repeated. _Right._ It wouldn't hurt normal people. _But will that trick work against people like me?_ She swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry. _Or Sam._ She blinked. Why did everything have to be such a huge mess? Why couldn't they have just stayed simple? _Instead of spiraling out of control._ Her fingers clenched tightly.

Ellen downed the shot with one smooth motion and then stared at it in satisfaction, then, she looked back up at Bobby, tauntingly, and slid the cup back to him. It made a rough gravelly sound as it moved across the dusty hardwood. "Whiskey now, if you don't mind."

Dean was doing his best to avoid looking at Kelly. So, he kept his eyes firmly focused on Ellen. Sam was sitting to his left, his face a mirror image of worry. Dean could feel his brother's head turn, occasionally, to the figure of the girl standing by the window. He knew Sam was watching the curve of her body, the way she put her hand against the glass, knew he was feeling…something. Dean Winchester didn't know exactly what, but it was making him uncomfortable. _Chill tiger._ He thought firmly. _You ain't got a claim on her anymore._ For her sake and Sammy's, he had to keep his bargain. _But Sam's driving me up a frickin' wall, the way he keeps staring at her._ The corners of Dean's eyes tightened. _And why shouldn't he?_ A more treacherous part of Dean's mind asked. _After all, he's the one she's tied to forever._ He was the one who could probably feel her every feeling in the back of his oversized brain. Where no one could see, Dean felt his fingers clench together into a tight fist. He stuffed it into his pocket, lifting his chin, he looked back up at Ellen.

"Ellen," he asked. "How'd you get out?"

"Maybe she was lucky." Every face in the room turned to stare at Kelly. But her eyes didn't leave the browned grass, dirt, and stacked cars that acted as Bobby's front yard. "That right, Ellen?"

"Yeah," Ellen swallowed. "Yeah, sweetie that's right."

Dean felt the stale air shift as his brother moved. It was a single fluid motion, nearly boneless, as he crossed the room to Kelly's side. Through the corner of his eye, he watched Sam's hand move comfortingly to Kelly's shoulder, he watched as she turned her normal brown gaze up to look at him, he watched as she shook her head, jealousy bit him. It was like a gnat crawling across his skin, pinpricks from the legs nipping the back of his neck, fury shook his innards, unbearably hot, until a cooling realization swept through him. It was the same one that always came and his intestines froze, Dean remained where he was, even as Sam bent down to whisper into her ear.

"I wasn't supposed to." Ellen continued. "I was supposed to be in there with everybody else." A tremor caught in her voice and Kelly looked away from Sam. She could smell the guilt lingering in the air around Ellen. It was traumatizing. "But we ran out of pretzels." Ellen shook her head, like even she couldn't believe her own luck. "Of all things." She added in a soft voice. "It was just dumb luck." She looked around the room to each of them, her gaze finally settling on the small girl by the window. She raised her own eyebrows. "You'd know about that." She added, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I would." Kelly agreed. There was an ironic twist to her lips as her fingers rose to touch the skin around her throat, still hidden by the collar of her black leather duster. Sam's hand immediately went to Kelly's shoulder, his fingers squeezing comfortingly. Her eyes moved to his face silently and she felt as a wave of concern moved through her. "I'm fine, Sam." She muttered, looking away. Embarassment tinged her sullen cheeks with a reddish hue and her fingertips pressed into the rough scarred tissue. The cuff of her sleeve slipped a little down her arm, revealing the top of the ugly scar around her wrist. There was a gasp from Ellen and hearing it even before it was out of her mouth, Kelly dropped her hand, stuffing it deep into the pocket of her jacket. She turned back to face the window.

"What happened?" She heard Ellen ask.

"Long story." Bobby muttered.

Ellen glanced around at the stiff and silent faces, examining the pain on each she could see. Shaking her head, figuring it was better not to go there, she downed her shot of whisky.

"Anyway," she said. "That's when Ash called, panic in his voice." Every eye in the room lifted to look at her, except Kelly, her eyes remained on the land outside and she stiffened. Ellen sighed heavily before continuing. "He-he told me to look in the safe." Ellen said. "And the call cut out, by the time I got back…" She swallowed. "The flames were sky high. Everybody was dead." Ellen shook her head. "I couldn't have been gone more than fifteen minutes."

After a moment of silence, Sam said. "Sorry, Ellen." His voice was husky in the light of the late afternoon.

"Lot of good people died in there." Ellen paused, her eyes said that she was deep in thought.

Kelly's nostrils flared as she sensed the guilt intensifying. She swallowed. She understood the guilt that Ellen was feeling. _I understand what it's like watching people die in front of you._ Her throat closed. _And not being able to do anything about it._ She didn't look at Ellen. _But our situations are vastly different._ Guilt pressed against her insides and in her pocket, her fingers balled, nails biting into the flesh of her palm. She chewed on her lip.

"And I got to live." Ellen said. "Lucky me."

Dean stared down at his hands, deep in thought. He knew where Ellen was coming from. The memory of Sam's life slipping away as Dean held him in his arms was bright in his mind, watching Kelly stare up at him with glassy eyes. Turning away from her as she lay there in the mud, letting Bobby pick her up. He knew what it was like being the one who got to survive. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"I know what that's like." Sam chuckled. There was no mirth in his voice. There was silence for several more long moments, then Kelly hit him. "Ouch." Sam groaned. "That hurt."

_Sure it did._ Kelly thought, the voice in her mind filled with sarcasm. _Your dead you big idiot, how the hell are you supposed to feel pain?_ Her eyes snapped off the window to Dean. She still needed to talk to him, to find out what had happened. _What the exact words of the deal were._ She wished she had been awake enough to go with him, to at least offer him another way out. _But the demon knew she had him on the ropes._ And she had wanted to fuck with him as much as possible.

Across from them, Ellen chuckled. She actually sounded amused. "Good to see some of us are able to relax." She muttered. Sliding the shot glass back across the table, she added. "Fill 'er up again Bobby."

"Don't think so." Bobby said. "We're gonna need ya sober for what's to come." Ellen laughed, her voice dry in the South Dakota air. Dean's eyes remained on his hands. Bobby paused, considering the information had just given them. Then, he said. "Ellen, you mentioned a safe?"

"A hidden safe we keep in the basement." Ellen said.

"Demons get what was in it?" Bobby asked.

Ellen lifted her chin defiantly. "No." She said, her voice clear in the empty air.

She opened the side of her jacket and pulled out a folded map, she pushed it out onto the table. Dean reached out and drew it towards him. The paper crackled as it shook off the dust and age that had been gathering as it had lain deep and safe underneath the Roadhouse. Sam moved off the wall, taking his hand from Kelly's shoulder as he went to the table.

Kelly did not follow, her eyebrows were narrowing as she stared out at the empty landscape. Something was out there, she knew, something was coming. Her hand went to the window, tighting suddenly on the cool and dusty glass. She leaned against the pane, pressing her nose against it, inhaling thick dust, and she felt her tail, invisible to everyone in the room, begin to wag.

"Wyoming?" Dean demanded as he stared down at the map. His voice came out harsh and heavy as thoughts of Kelly and his deal were pushed to the very back of his mind. "What's that mean?" His fingers moved across the image and the five x's drawn around a large bit of land. The pads of his skin circling over the rough and cracking paper as he looked up at Ellen and then from Bobby to Sam. His gaze stopped on Kelly. She looked like she'd been hit with an electric shock, her entire body stiller than a marble statue. "Kelly?" He asked, his own voice dry and crackling as her name ejaculated from his throat.

"Stay here and figure it out." Kelly said. Her own voice came out breathless and both Dean and Sam watched the eager smile exploding across her features, the first truly genuine expression they'd seen since Dean had returned. "I'm going to check something out."

"Who is it?" Ellen asked. She glanced from Bobby to Dean in confusion. "What's going on?" There was fear in her voice too, not that anyone in the room could blame her. Ellen had not escaped the frying pan just to be hurled unawares into the fire. The expression on Kelly's face soothed her a bit, the girl couldn't look that eager if it were demons. _Still…_ It put her on edge.

"I'm coming with you." Sam's voice was firm as the back of his chair hit the floor and he was on his feet. He could feel her ecstasy buzzing through him, it was making him happy, excited, gleeful, every feeling this moment should have denied him of. There was a cold pit in his stomach and he knew before Kelly spoke who was approaching.

"Family." She said.

Then, before Sam could stop her, Kelly's human form melted away and a large dog, dark as midnight, stood before them. Sharp golden eyes were ignoring them all as a black nose sniffled the room for clues. Sam reached for her ruff as she gave a woof of excitement and as his fingers closed on empty air, the dog's paws were skidding on the hardwood surface and she was headed out the door.

"Kelly!" Sam yelled. He wasted no time, glancing back over his shoulder he added. "You guys try to figure it out." He swallowed harshly. "I'm going to follow her." Then, Sam too disappeared out of the room.

All eyes moved to Dean, who had remained where he was. His fingers gripping the table angrily, wishing that he could follow, but he knew they needed him here. _And I don't have a claim on her anymore._ The thought made his stomach flip and sink into his bowel, where it became nothing more than a chunk of ice, solid and impenetrable.

"Dean?" Ellen asked.

There was a question in her voice, the same that had been haunting him since he'd learned that he hadn't been the only one to give something to bring Sam back from the grave. The question of what he was denying himself, why he was denying it. What he couldn't say, couldn't tell. The love he'd lost. Dean Winchester swallowed and stood, his eyes never leaving the map lying open on the table. Sam and Kelly had their own destiny, he knew that. A place he often wondered if he could ever penetrate. He had hated hurting her. _But it was the only way._

His fingers moved to the map, to the open area and the five points crossed out in black marker. Ash had left them a clue and it was up to Dean to find out what it was. _And I'm not about to let his sacrifice be in vain._ All that mattered now was vengeance. Dean let his broken heart fade out of his chest, filling it with a cold fire, anger and suffering, for all the people they'd lost, everyone who had died. _Mom, Dad, Jessica, and all those poor psychic bastards._ He'd kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon for them, so that their souls could rest easy. _And then maybe I can rest easy._ Dean's mind went to the missing Colt pistol, the only gun that could kill any demon. He could have used it now. But with or without it he would kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon, this Dean had sworn when he had learned of the demon's role in killing his mother. His eyes went up to Ellen and Bobby. Vengeance was all that mattered now.

"Let's get to work." He said.

Sam chased Kelly's black tail out the door. Breath pumping through his lungs, hot and heavy air set them on fire. He was used to running, he was used to sprinting, running quickly, letting his feet pound into the ground. But four legs were faster than two and Sam knew, knew now more than he ever had before, that Kelly Jones wasn't human.

"Kelly!" He yelled, watching her legs bunch beneath her and as she sprang off of Bobby's porch to land lightly on the dirt. He saw her ears flick back to him, but she kept moving forwards and Sam saw what was making her so excited.

At the edge of his vision, he saw two figures approaching. One, no more than a black blur, came racing towards his hound. The other was coming much more slowly, his tan cowboy hat shining in the afternoon light, leather vest hanging over a dusty button up white shirt and dark blue jeans. His white hair hung scraggily and dirty out from beneath his hat. His weathered face was thrown back to reveal crooked and yellowed teeth, his rough laughter filled the air.

Sam knew that laugh. _Samuel Colt._ He thought, surprised. The last he'd seen them, they were hunting after Kelly. _And we couldn't help them._ But they'd been ablet to shine light on who Kelly was. _What she is._ And tell them about how Binders were made, about Hunters. _True Hunters._ Dean hadn't believed the tale Samuel Colt had spun, but since his experience in the White World, the conversation he'd had with his mother, and with the current and emotional bond connecting him to Kelly, Sam Winchester had become even more convinced that Samuel had been telling him the truth.

He watched as the two large dogs met between Bobby's cars, a flurry of waving tails and excited barks as they danced around each other. Sniffing each other all over, the larger dog nipped at the scruff of Kelly's neck as she growled back playfully. Then, the large black dog, who could only be Rhett, spanked the ground with his forepaws. Golden eyes glittering in the light cheerfully as his tongue lolled out the side of his black mouth. A moment later he was off like a shot, with the smaller and more gangly dog hot on his heels. They dodged the piles of cars with fluid grace and within seconds they had vanished from view.

Still, Sam could feel Kelly at the back of his mind. The primal nature of her thoughts and emotions unnerved him. They were strong, joyous, and strangely cautious. _Like there's something she can't quite remember._ Rhett had been the fey who had informed Sam that they had killed Kelly to save her. He hadn't been ashamed of ruining her life, of sending her here to the Winchesters. _Where we and the Yellow-Eyed Demon ruined her life._ She could have lived the life of a normal human being if it hadn't been for them. Because of that, Sam didn't care for Rhett. Now, he disliked him even more. Not as he experienced the strange comfortableness Kelly felt as she played with the older hound. It was something, he knew that she didn't experience when in the company of either him or his brother.

He watched Samuel Colt approach with more than a little anxiousness. The broad grin on the man's weathered face made him nervous. _What are they doing here?_ He wondered. _What do they want?_ Besides Kelly. Sam crossed his arms over his chest. _And they can't have her._

"Howdy." Samuel Colt said. He waved a rugged hand as he came to a stop at the bottom of Bobby Singer's steps. He was still smiling and Sam could feel those blue eyes, watery with age, as they examined him. "You're lookin' a bit more changed since last I saw you, Sam." His salt and pepper whiskers shook over his mouth as he spoke. "Bit oleder maybe?"

Sam nearly flinched as the older Hunter spoke his name. "Yeah." He replied.

His voice came out short and testy as he looked down at Samuel Colt, resisting the urge to reach for the knife tucked in his back pocket. _He's not my enemy._ He had been Samuel Colt's strongest supporter against Dean. _But that's because Dean was being muleheaded and stubborn._ Sam didn't trust Samuel. _Especially not after what Mom said._ A pang stuttered through his heart and he winced. He missed her.

Samuel Colt nodded, his eyes shifting from Sam to the distance, a faint smile on his weathered lips. Clearly, he was experiencing similar emotions. "So's that hound o' yers." He added.

Sam started. How did he know that? Sam's mouth pressed into a firm thin line and he resisted the urge to look back at the house. Neither Dean, Bobby, or Ellen had come running outside yet to see their visitors and he wondered for a moment if they were going to. He frowned. _They won't come unless it's dangerous probably._ They had to decipher Ash's map. He stared at Samuel Colt. _And we could use the help of the genuine article._

"It's a fine pair yeh make." Samuel Colt added. His voice came out more wearily this time, but Sam felt that the compliment was genuine and it warmed him.

"What are you…" Sam trailed off. Samuel Colt hadn't looked back at him yet, his eyes were still on the hounds. They had reappeared, racing around the far side of a rusting car pile. "What brings you here?" He asked. His voice was a hiccup and he worked to make it firm, his arms tightened over his chest.

Samuel Colt didn't answer for a few moments. Then, he glanced back at Sam. "Why don't yeh try callin' her?" He asked. There was a quirk to his lips, like he knew a secret that Sam didn't.

"Why?" Sam asked.

He'd assumed that Kelly would return to his side when it was important. Or when she felt like it. He suppressed a twinge of guilt for thinking that. _Kelly belongs at Dean's side._ He thought. _Not mine._

"Why not?" The old man replied. Tilting his head to the side, Samuel Colt gave Sam a once over. "She's yer hound, Sammy-boy." He added with a smirk. Then with a wink, he turned back to watch the two dogs. "Might as well see how well she'll follow her training."

The way he spoke about Kelly made Sam uncomfortable, still, what he said also made Sam more than a little curious. _No way_. He thought. _She's a person not a dog. Not some animal._ Still, with Samuel Colt's eyes on him, curiosity burned inside Sam Winchester. He wanted to know. Silently, he lifted his fingers to his mouth and whistled. The sharp note pierced the air and he watched as the small hound, one who was the size of a Great Dane stopped in the middle of her run.

The Hound heard the whistle and recognized it. Her master was calling. She paused, shifting from one foot to the other, ears perked, her head turned back to Sam. Golden eyes glittered in the light and she pulled away from Rhett's side, wheeled and came circling back in one graceful motion. The other hound waited for a moment and then, with a disappointed air, followed her. The large black hound, long legs sailing out beneath her long slender frame, moved effortlessly over the dirt and rocks. Coming closer, not even breaking stride as she swerved around Samuel Colt, she climbed the rickety wooden steps to come to a stop at Sam's side. Gazing up at him with solemn golden eyes, waiting for instructions.

Hesitantly, Sam reached out and stopped centimeters from her fur. His brown gaze meeting hers with a mixture of confusion, worry, surprise, and thankfulness. He didn't want to know what Samuel Colt would have said if he couldn't bring her to heel. _Bring her to heel?_ He shook his head. _Kelly's not an animal to be ordered around_. Surpise hit him again as a cold nose nudged his hand. A plaintive whine strained against the Hound's vocal chords as she gazed up at him.

"She's askin' fer yer approval." Samuel Colt said in a gruff voice.

Sam glanced at him, slightly shocked with the realization that Rhett had come to his side and was seated at the old man's feet, the end of his tail twitching on the dirt ground. Noticing that the older Hunter's callused hand was calmly stroking the top of the black hound's head with practiced grace, Sam suddenly felt a little ashamed. Was that what Kelly wanted? He looked back down at the Hound standing beside him, her head came up to his mid-waist and it was upturned, gazing at him. She growled softly, her ears swiveling forwards, following the conversation. There was intelligence in those bright golden eyes. Sam rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Come on, lad." Samuel Colt said. "You'll make her think she's done wrong."

"You want me to pet you?" Sam asked in a low voice, his disbelieving question meant for Kelly's ears alone. To his surprise the dog snorted. He knew she was laughing at him. "Fine." He grumbled. Kneeling down, so that they were eye to eye Sam scratched the top of her head, moving his fingers down the curve of her skull, he rubbed behind her ears. A deep sound rumbled from her chest, sounding like something akin to a cat's purr. "I don't believe this." Sam muttered. Still, with more than a little pleasure he continued to stroke the Hound.

"Yeh should, lad." Samuel Colt said. He was gazing at Kelly's glossy black furred form with warm eyes. "The relationship between a hunter and his hound, well, it's one of the most sacred in all of creation."

"Yeah." Sam said.

He was lost in Kelly's primal golden gaze, guilt twinged in his chest. _Dean should be here._ He thought, suddenly miserable. He should have been the one who got to be linked to Kelly forever. He should be here with Samuel Colt learning about his heritage. He glanced up at the older man. That was what was happening here. _I'm getting trained with how to handle Kelly._ That didn't sound right. He swallowed. _I shouldn't be the one getting groomed for this. Not with the Yellow-Eyed Demon still out there, planning…_ And… _And we don't have time for this!_

Suddenly, he stood and looked at Samuel Colt. Beside him the Hound snorted, moving away from him and then back to press against his side. "I don't have time for this!" He snapped. "Whatever this is about…" He paused and looked down at Kelly. Why was she still in this form? "Well, it can wait."

"Ah." Samuel Colt nodded. "The demon Azazel."

In a fluid shimmer, Rhett appeared at Samuel Colt's side. He was fully clothed. He lifted a face that was too handsome to be real, sharp chin pointed towards Sam. His face hardened and his black eyes were like chips of obsidian staring out against pale nearly white flesh. His full lips were a thin and perturbed line as he cast an almost sulky glance at Samuel Colt then to where Kelly was still pressed, on four legs, against Sam's side.

"Yeah." Sam growled. "He's making his move and Dean, Kelly, and I, we're gonna stop him." He didn't know why he was telling them this.

The two men glanced at each other. Then, Rhett brushed his fingers over the silver buttons lining his black jacket and cast a strange but warm glance at Kelly. "Keely," he said, his usually hard voice suddenly gentle. There was a pause the fey's eyes flared gold and his gaze held hers. "I understand your shame and your wish to remain true to your form, but will you not join us?"

The Hound lifted her muzzle as his eyes held hers. He was older than she, much older, and there was something about him that was both comforting and familiar. He was family. A Hound who belonged in the shadowy and gray memories that haunted her late night dreaming, the life before she had been tainted by mortality and tasted the sweet nectar of humanity. No, she would not face him. The Hound stiffened, her tail rising and bristling directly perpendicular to the floor, her ears went flat against her skull as her black lips pulled back and she growled.

"Keely." Rhett's voice hardened. He was giving her a command.

"Hey!" Sam snapped. "She doesn't answer to you."

Beside Sam, the Hound cringed. She was breaking the rules of the Pack by defying Rhett. The Hound lowered her body towards the hardwood planks. She had erred and behaved badly, she knew that. But it had been a long time since she ran with her brothers and she had grown rusty. Her ears flatted further against her skull, eyes flashing angrily, she took a step forward.

Rhett's blazing eyes rounded on Sam. "The laws of the Pack are none of your concern mortal." He thundered, his fists clenched as he looked at the young man. The calming hand of Samuel Colt moved to rest on his stiff shoulder and Rhett relaxed for a moment. "Binder and Chosen Hunter you may be." He added. There was a touch more respect to his words now, but he still was gazing at Sam Winchester as if he were a gnat to be brushed aside. "Her bond with you does not take precedence over her duties." Golden orbs narrowed as the hot gaze returned to Kelly. "This she knows."

Sam opened his mouth, but then he felt a shimmer in the air, looking down, he watched as the dog disappeared and Kelly knelt, clothes and all, at his side. Her dark golden eyes staring at Rhett with a mixture of confusion, fury, and abashed embarrassement. "Kelly?" He asked.

"It's okay, Sam." Kelly said. She straightened, her gaze narrowed as she looked at Rhett. "We should go back inside." Her hand was on Sam's arm, a comforting presence in the middle of a fued he didn't understand.

"You would defy…" Rhett snarled. He took a step forward.

Kelly's eyes flashed a brilliant gold and she bared her teeth. "And," she added. "Since you two are no doubt involved in this somehow." Her gaze narrowed again as she looked from one man to the other. "You should come with us."

Samuel Colt's eyebrows rose and a smirk crossed his lips. "Why don't yeh think we've come to fetch yeh?" He asked.

Kelly could tell that he already knew the answer to the question. _He's testing me._ The quickness of her Change had surprised her, it came more naturally now, quicker even than when she'd been tied to Azazel. _I didn't use it much then anyway._ Only when she was observing the psychics.

"If orders were for me to go home, I'd be home." She said simply. Her hand didn't leave Sam's arm. "And since Azazel's plan is most likely a result of something you, one of you did." Rhett snarled, his voice echoing out at her from deep in his throat. He was angery with her. _He'll get over it._ "You should come indoors and help us figure out what it is."

"Kelly?"

She glanced up and reading the confusion in her friend and partners eyes, she smiled comfortingly. It wasn't a smile that reached her eyes. "Come on, Sam." She said, taking him by the arm. "Let's go see if the other's need our help."

"Keely!" Rhett snarled.

"I apologize for this lapse in protocol." Kelly said.

"Etiquette." Rhett replied.

"But the fate of mankind might be at stake." She continued. "And I'd very much appreciate it if you put your fey ass in gear and started being useful." She tilted her head to the side, a cold and wicked smile on her lips. "Whoever you are."

Rhett stiffened and was about to respond, but Kelly took Sam by the arm and pulled him inside. He was still in the middle of spluttering when Samuel Colt clapped a weathered hand on his shoulder. "Well, pardner." He said with a weary smile. "It's been a long time coming."

"Helping these useless fools is not why we are here." Rhett growled in return. "Especially not for a hellspawn as small as this Azazel."

"Heh." Samuel Colt chuckled as he put an arm around Rhett's shoulder. It was rare that he saw his hound in such an aggravated rage. "My hound," he said. "I think yer merely angry that yer place has been usurped yet again."

"Don't be a fool, Samuel." Rhett snapped. His eyes moved off the older man, following the girl's path as she disappeared inside the house, watching as the door swung shut behind her. "I simply am trying to keep her from making the same mistakes."

"Either way, Rhett." Samuel Colt said. "She's correct about one thing." His ancient gaze moved over his partner's smooth ageless face, a small sad smile curving the corners of his mouth. "Our past sins never remain buried for long."

"You believe there will be war." Rhett said. He stared at Samuel in disbelief, arrogance written in each and every crevice of his expression as he straightened. "You cannot think the hellspawn would dare raise their heads again, not so soon."

"Hell's a crowded place as yeh well know, Rhett." Samuel Colt said. "This would not be the first time one of them has tried to carve out their own hell on God's green earth." He clapped his partner on the shoulder. "Come, let's see what Keely had her friends have discovered."

He stepped away from Rhett and headed towards the door. After a moment's pause, Rhett shook his lustrous cobalt hair in annoyance and with a heavy sigh followed his master. Still, he couldn't restrain one small piece of derogatory commentary.

"Humans." He muttered. "Mud monkeys the lot of them."

Inside, after tirelessly pouring through an old book Bobby found the answer he was looking for. He turned around to face Dean and Ellen with surprise as his sharp ears overhead a set of returning footsteps. Sam and Kelly were back from whatever it was they'd been doing. His heart paused a moment as the clicking of hardbottomed boots hitting shaky wooden boards smacked into his ears. _And they ain't alone._

"I don't believe it." He said. Setting the book down on the table beside the map, he watched as Kelly entered through the doorless walkway and into the living room. Sam was close on her heels.

"What Bobby?" Dean asked. He was making a point about not looking at his brother or Kelly. He was curious about where they'd gone but at the same time he didn't want to know. _I have to distance myself as far from her as possible._ That was the only way she'd be safe. _And Sammy too._

"I hope that means you've found something Bobby." Kelly said. "Not that we've got company."

A very different kind of "What!" exploded from Ellen's lips as she shot to her feet, her eyes moving past a sheepish and befuddled looking Sam to the pair of men who had entered in behind them. One was young and one looked only about ten years older than her. She stiffened.

"Easy Ellen." Sam lifted his hands. "We can trust them."

Dean looked up, recognizing both Rhett and Samuel Colt immediately, he snorted. "You can say that Sammy." He muttered. "But that don't make it true."

"How do you know?" Ellen demanded. "I've never seen 'em before! Either of 'em!" Her eyes snapped to Kelly. "Kelly, honey…" She trailed off. The way Kelly's mahogany eyes had swung to her made the statement freeze in her throat.

"They're Hunters." Kelly said. "And they've been at this longer than either of us." She crossed her arms over her chest, sending a silent glare to each person in the room. "We could use their help on this,"

"I've never met them either, Kelly." Bobby said. "I'm gonna have to test them."

"They're clean." Kelly snapped. Bobby took a step back at the anger that lay beneath her tone. "They're like me and Sam."

Behind her, Samuel Colt hid a smile behind his cracked and callused hand. "What she's tryin' to say…"

"I know what she's tryin' to say!" Bobby growled. "And if she say's yer okay, then yer okay."

"Do I get a vote?" Dean asked. He was about to get to his feet when Rhett growled.

"These are your professionals Keely?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut up." Kelly snarled.

Sam sighed with loud exasperation. "You got somethin', Bobby?" He asked. He was trying to act as the mediator. He knew that no matter what happened, he knew that Dean wasn't going on to trust Samuel Colt or Rhett. _And Ellen won't either._ But they needed to get his done despite that. _Why'd you have to drag them into this?_ He wondered looking over at Kelly. As if in response she glanced at him with hard eyes and shook her head. Obviously, this wasn't the time to question her. _Or why the hell Rhett's calling her Keely._

There was another momentary pause. "Bobby?" Kelly sounded impatient.

"I got a lot more than that." Bobby said. His fingers moved down the page to settle on a strand of words as he pointed at the five crosses on the map, tapping on each of them for emphasis. "Each of these x's is an abandoned frontier church."

Across the room from them, Samuel Colt moved forward, his eyes blurred and clouded by memory. Crossing his arms over his dusty clothing, he shook his head. "So it's true." He muttered. "Nothing ever stays buried."

Kelly glanced back at him in confusion but she and Rhett were the only ones who had heard him. Bobby continued.

"All mid nineteenth century." He said. "And all of 'em built by Samuel Colt." Two chairs shifted and ground against the hardwood as both Sam and Dean Winchester turned to look at the weathered old man standing at the back of the room. "What?" Bobby asked. His gaze followed their to the man. "He know somethin' about Samuel Colt?"

An awkward and strained laugh choked through Dean's lips. He'd never believed the story that the man standing behind Kelly was the same as the one who'd forged the Colt, the gun that could kill anything, in the early nineteen hundreds. But now seeing the way that Kelly was staring at him with narrowed accusing eyes, he wondered if maybe it was true. That this old bastard was the real Samuel Colt.

Bobby's answer came when Samuel Colt tipped his hat. "I do, sir." He said. "I do indeed." He walked forwards, his boots clicking on the hardwood floor. A wrinkled finger moved out onto the weathered paper as he came to a stop next to Bobby Singer. "Each o' these churches was burned down in a fire between 1903 and 1907." He smiled. "But the interestin' thing about 'em was the railroad tracks. If you please?" He nodded to the marker in Bobby's hand. The other man gave it to him, eyes filled with skepticism and surprise. "These private tracks were built to run from one church to the next for the parishioners convenience." He glanced up at the group with twinking watery blue eyes. "Least that's what folks were told to believe. But in actuality," he used the black marker to create long lines between each of the churches. "They were used to create this."

"Tell me that's not what I think it is." Dean muttered.

"That's a Devil's Trap." Sam whispered. He looked up at Samuel Colt, impressed. _The old man really does know his stuff._ Sam didn't have to like him to be impressed. "A hundred square mile Devil's Trap."

"It's brilliant." Dean said. He was staring at Samuel Cold with new found appreciation. "Iron lines that demons can't cross."

"And other things too." Kelly muttered.

Her fingers tightened on the edge of the table. She glanced from one brother to the other, sometimes Dean could be a little more than offensive. _Is that why he doesn't care about me anymore?_ A part of her doubted that he could handle who she was, all of what she was. _With the weight of legend behind me._ Dean wasn't a fragile man. _But there's no telling if he wouldn't snap under the strain._ She swallowed and glanced at Sam.

"I've never heard of anything this massive." Ellen murmured.

"No one has." Bobby replied. His gaze turned to Samuel Colt. "Except you." His eyes hardened as he glanced from the man to Kelly. "Which begs the question, who in the sam hell are you?"

Samuel Colt looked over at him. "Someone who's been round the block a time or two." He replied. "It's fair common knowledge what these railways do and what they hide."

"In certain circles." Rhett added.

Samuel Colt glanced at his partner with a leathery smile. "In certain circles." He agreed.

"Obviously not the kind we're used to traveling in." Dean snapped. He could feel the verbal dig like it was a knife in his spine. He shot Rhett an angry glare, his fist balling on the table. "And basically your telling me that in all these years these thing's've never been broken? Ripped up removed? This thing still works?"

Sam glanced up at Samuel Colt with frightened awe but the old man merely shrugged. "Old endowment means the land still belongs to the Colt family." He said. "And there ain't much construction happenin' that deep in the wilds of Wyoming."

"And that would make you a member of the Colt family?" Bobby asked. "I wasn't aware any of them were still living."

"Somethin' like that." Samuel Colt winked at Kelly, who smiled ruefully. She didn't like lying to Bobby. "There's still a few around here and there, but they're a rare find." He shrugged. "Either way, old money and luck were good enough to keep this thing running."

_Not to mention a pretty hefty enchantment._ Kelly thought. That was the only way something like this could have remained hidden for so long. _Relatively undisturbed._ She swallowed. Well, it was being disturbed now. _By Azazel, but he can't cross those lines._ She stiffened, staring at the Devil's Trap again. _Oh, dear god… Jake…_

"That doesn't mean anything!" Dean snapped.

"Definitely." Sam said. He took a seat at the table, staring at the map with hungry eyes. "It definitely still works."

"What makes you so sure?" Dean asked.

"All those omens Bobby found." Sam said. "I mean the demons they must be circling and they can't get in."

"Yeah, but they're tryin'." Bobby muttered.

"So, tell us." A smirk rode Dean's features as he looked up at Samuel Colt. "Is that what this is supposed to be keepin' out? Demons?" He leaned back a question expression in his eyes, he looked smug.

"Why what's inside?" Ellen asked.

She glanced from one man to the other, aware of the testosterone competition that was coming out of nowhere, but not sure what it was for. _Doesn't stop me from wondering the same things as Dean._ She thought. _Like who the hell is this guy? He hasn't even given us a name._ The lack of a name meant that Ellen was less inclined to trust him. _He and his partner are new here, yet they know more than any of us._ So that left a big question. Why?

"It ain't fer keepin' things out." The old man replied. He sounded very tired as he jabbed his finger to the center of the Devil's Trap. "It's meant fer keepin' things in."

"Well, that's a comforting thought." Ellen muttered.

"Yeah, but all I found when I was looking stuff up," Dean said. "Was an old cowboy cemetery. There's nothin' else in there."

"Why?" Sam looked at Samuel Colt. "What's so important about a cemetery? What were you…?" He paused, embarrassed by his slip. "What was Colt trying to protect?"

A chill swept up through Kelly and she glanced at Rhett in horror. "You didn't?" She whispered. Her fingers clinging to her slick leather sleeves. "Tell me you didn't?" She didn't quite understand what she was saying, but she knew enough to be afraid, terribly afraid. Words, old words, spoken to her long ago rang through her mind. _There are places in the mortal world where our disgraced go, child. To the shadows where the wraiths of our dead dwell and feed, do not be there when the sun rises or you shall be taken down in flames. Trust me, Keely, you must not go into the shadows._ Keely was who she had been. The person she had lost. _Cemetaries have always been places of shadow and mist, it is possible to…_ "Please." She whispered. "Tell me that you didn't."

"I'm sorry." Rhett said. He was staring at her with sad eyes, he reached out, but she pulled back. "We did what had to be done."

There were words, he did not speak, but Kelly knew what they were. _We did what we were ordered to do._ A shiver crawled up her spine. _I always knew that he never needed me. That Yellow-Eyed Bastard!_ Her fingers balled into a hard and angry fist.

Sam's hand was immediately on her arm, Kelly glanced down at him, he'd sensed it. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"A Cancello del Diavolo." She whispered into her fingers, the Italian words were unnatural on her tongue. "Janus defend us. They built a Fairy Door." When the others, all except Samuel Colt, Rhett, and Bobby, looked at her in confusion, she sighed heavily. "A gateway to Tir Fo Thuinn." There were more confused glances. "The land beneath the waves." She said. "The Underworld."

"Like the River Styxes?" Sam asked. He could feel her horror writhing through his stomach, he was getting better at telling the difference between her feelings and his. He was only experiencing mild confusion. What was she talking about?

"Hell, Sam!" She threw an accusing finger in the direction of Samuel Colt and Rhett. "They built a way for demons to get out of hell!"

"A way into hell to be more precise, lass." Samuel Colt replied. "One that avoids the more dangerous routes."

"And you're proud of that?" Kelly demanded. Ready to seize one of them by the throat and shake him until fool's gold came tumbling out his ears. "Once a door to hell is opened it can't be shut, geniuses! Just sealed!"

"If I remember this correctly," Rhett's hard eyes were on Kelly's, his voice cool. He didn't appreciate being yelled at or debated in front of a mortal audience. "And I will admit that it has been many years. Decades sour the mind and make memory soft, as you will remember." He was being sarcastic and whatever he was about to tell her was important. "But it's my recollection that you helped us build it." His voice was low, too low for the others except Sam to hear. "Keely."

"I would never!" She spat. "Not in a thousand lifetimes endanger the world like that. Humankind like that!"

"Perhaps you're right." Rhett turned away from her. His tone indicating that he didn't agree. "In either case you no longer remember and this is not a discussion to have in front of our lessers." His hard black gaze moved to Sam and his lips twisted visciously into a domineering smirk. "As it does not concern them."

"If it is some kind of hellgate." Dean looked questioningly from Samuel Colt to Kelly. The more he was heared the less he liked their odds. "What's gonna happen if it opens?"

"I don't think that matters at the moment." Bobby said. He wasn't addressing the latter part of their conversation. "I mean, this thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an A-bomb to destroy it. No way a full blood demon's gets across."

Sam looked down. "No." He agreed, his voice hoarse and scratchy. "But I know who could."

Kelly closed her eyes and nodded. "Jake." She said in a very soft voice.

AN: Sorry it took so long to update, life has been hectic. I know I've been saying for months that we're very near the end, but I mean it this time! There's only a few more chapters to go and those are the final battle. So let's hear it! Huzzah! Huzzah!


	65. Chapter 65: Choosing the Way

Chapter 65: Choosing the Way

Miles away, the heat of the Wyoming sun beat down on withered trees and yellowed scrub grass. It's rays bashing against a long dirt road, unnaturally sided by tall scraggly trees propped up out of the desolate rocky landscape like a broken down honor guard. There were no bugels to salute the stolen white Ford as it rumbled down the dirtway, it's tires catching and bumping in large rivets. They had been created by a hundred rainstorms, when the angry sky washed away the dirt, turning it to mud, making the land uneven, undrivable. Only the courageous or the stupid tried to travel this road now and fate had yet to decide which Jake Talley was.

The white Ford bumped and jolted its way down the lane, heading for a long set of iron railway tracks and a two white boards nailed together with DO NOT ENTER spray painted in black on either side. The system itself had long been out of use. The crossway of the road was made out of old rotting wood, treacherously covered in yellowed grass and what few leaves the nearby trees could spare. The long dark gray tracks, reddish in some areas from decades of rust, ran perpendicular to the road, slanting sideways and disappearing into the horizon. Slowly, the car came to a creaking halt and Jake Talley climbed out.

He stood in silence for several long minutes, looking around, sure that any second the Yellow-Eyed Demon, the creature that held his balls in a steel handed grip would appear and give him his next set of instructions. He hated this. He really did. He hated being some monster's lap dog. Still, he didn't see any option. Any other way to keep himself from being sucked further and further down the dark spiral. He could see no end in sight. Jake had consoled himself with this thought. _Maybe after I'm done he'll let me go._ His wiser instincts suspected that was not the case. But Jake still wanted to believe that, he clung to it with all his might. _Maybe then I'll get to see my mom and sister again._ Jesse must have gotten big by now. He wondered, momentarily, if he'd still be able to pick her up and swing her round and round the way he used to. It had always driven his mother crazy, but Jesse had loved it. She'd only been four when his tour had started a year ago and she'd had a birthday somewhere in between. She'd be five now. Jake looked up at the summer sky, what month was it? June? July? Jesse's birthday was early in September. God damn, she was almost six. He'd lost so much time. But when this was over….

Jake paused and shook his head, he couldn't be sidetracked by thoughts like that. No, if he was then his chances of survival went down exponentially. A year in Afghanistan had taught him that. When you were ducking flying mortars and picking your way through minefields, family could be as much of a distraction as a blessing. He'd seen too many friends go down because their minds were on their girlfriends and sweethearts instead of on the job, on the mission. _That was what took Sam down._ Jake shifted uncomfortably from toe to toe. He still regretted having to kill Sam. _Hey it wasn't my fault! Survival of the fittest!_ He'd killed men before. _But never civilians. Never the people I was tryin' to protect. Never Americans, man._ He could still see the blood on his hands, dribbling down between the cracks of his fingers, where he'd held the knife. Where he'd stabbed… _Enough!_ Jake snarled. _Sam's dead and there ain't nothin' that's bringin' that boy back. 'Sides,_ he added, trying to comfort himself. _He would have killed me just the same and he meant to too._ If that girl hadn't gotten in the way. Jake hated to admit, but he owed her his life.

Jake tugged at his collar, it was too hot out here to be wearing his fatigues. He'd hated wearing the uniform on the job and hated it even more now that he was AWOL. _Too bad I couldn't find a decent change of clothes._ But after getting his marching orders from the Yellow-Eyed Demon, he'd been too terrified to stop for anything, even gas. Jake glanced back at the broken down Ford, it was running on fumes now. _If I've got further to go, I'll have to leave it here._ He didn't relish the idea of making journey on foot. Jake looked up, shading his eyes from the hot sun. _Not at all._

Overhead a few birds cooed and there was an ominous rush of wind. "Howdy, Jake." A familiar voice spoke from behind him.

Horrified, Jake spun around. His feet on the edges of the wooden platform that lead over the tracks. He stared at the shorter man, those unnatural yellow eyes making his blood run cold through his veins. He sucked in a deep breath.

The demon stuffed his hands into his pockets and after looking around for a casual moment, he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet like a child. Then, his gaze settled on Jake again. "So?" He asked. "Have a nice trip?"

"I'm here." Jake said. He tried not to sound nervous or aggravated but he was both. _And I'm very very tired._ He wanted this to all be over. _And I want it over now._ So he could see his family. _And this nightmare'll be over._ "I did what you asked, now what?"

The demon smirked. "Right to business." He grinned. "I lke that in a soldier boy. But since you asked," he lifted a single finger to his ear. "Fifteen miles." He pointed out in the continuing direction of the dirt road. "That a way." He glanced back at Jake, his head tilted to the side. "There's a cemetery, a crypt, you've got to open that for me." There was another dramatic pause, the tension in the air thicker than pea stew. "Think you can handle that, sport?"

The condescension in his tone made Jake's hackles rise. "You know what?" He growled. "Screw you and your freaky orders! Go do it yourself!"

"Oh I can't." The demon said. "I can't go that way." He looked wistful as he stared off towards the Cemetary. Then his eyes returned to Jake, the same strange smile on his lips. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Jake thundered.

He was growing impatient, getting tired of these games. His eyes focused, boiling, on the Yellow-Eyed demon. But the demon was unperturbed, in fact, he looked like he found Jake's anger amusing and that just made everything worse for him. _I'm not some marionette to be danced on a ball of yarn._ Or whatever marionette's were danced on. _I'm a person! I'm not a puppet!_ And he'd prove to this demon he was different.

The demon walked towards him, boots crunching and scraping against the dirt. He spread his hands like a wise old babushka appealing in prayer to God almighty, his gaze on the ground, penitent. Jake didn't buy the act.

"I just can't." He said. Clapping his hands together in the same prayer style he looked up at Jake, his lips tugged into a smile. "But if you're going to open up that crypt for me, you're going to need a key." From inside his jacket pocket, the Yellow-Eyed Demon produced the Colt pistol. It's long obsidian barrel glittered in the afternoon sun. It was a magnificent gun.

Disbelief coursed across Jake's face as he looked from the barrel of the ancient weapon to the face of the man holding it. "A gun?" He asked.

"Oh this isn't just any ordinary gun, Jake." The demon said. He moved the Colt pistol from his left hand to his right, lifting the barrel so that it pointed directly at his temple. "This is the only gun in the whole universe that can shoot me dead."

Possibilities flashed before Jake's eyes, he could end it all, here, and this sick bastard was about to give him the means to do it. _And all I've gotta do is take the gun from him._ How hard could that be right? "Is that so?"

"Yup." The demon said merrily. "Here," He held out the gun by it's barrel, offering the handle and the trigger towards Jake. "Take it."

_He can't be friggin' serious?_ Jake wondered as he, in what felt like slow motion, reached out to take the prooffered gun from the demon's hand. As the demon let go, Jake lifted the gun, cocking the safety in one swift motion and pointed it between the demon's eyes. This thing was like a variation of the Colt Peacemaker, a gun that Jake had practiced with a few times at a gun range back home. They were reliable guns that almost always put the bullet were it was meant to go. _And best of all, it can be shot one handed._

"Oh my." The Yellow-Eyed demon lifted his hands up in a mocking position of surrender. "I'm shocked at this unforeseen turn of events."

There was so much laughter in the demon's tone that Jake felt his finger twitching on the trigger. He could shoot the bastard and end it all here, right now. Then, he'd never have to hear this monster's laughter ever again. He wouldn't have to see a demon ever again.

"Go ahead Jake! Squeeze that trigger! Be all you can be! This'll all be over, your life can go back to normal."

_He's gotta have something up his sleeve!_ Jake thought. _He's gotta! There's no way he'd just want me to shoot him. What's his game? To hell with it!_ His finger tightened on the trigger, ready to blast this mother fucker's brains out and splatter them all over the woods. He was ready to go back to his normal life. _I'm ending this now!_

"Course, the army won't take you back."

Jake's finger paused uncertainly over the trigger in confusion. _What?_

"Cause you're AWOL, but I'm sure you can get your old job at the factory back."

Jake didn't even have to remember how awful it was working at the factory. Twelve bucks every two to three hours he spent down in the mines shoveling coal out for the big bosses, inhaling carbon dioxide, monoxide, poisoning his lungs. It'd been his Dad's job before he'd passed, dying of lung cancer at forty eight and leaving Jake in charge of his ailing mother and little sister. The factory was the reason why Jake had joined the military in the first place. They'd offered him a chance at going to college, and all he'd be trading in was a quicker shot at death instead of the agonizingly slow one he was already suffering. The army had meant Jake could send Jesse better birthday presents, dolls and exotic children's toys from Afghanistan instead of a newspaper wrapped second hand Barbie from his friend Mike two blocks up. And those dolls most often had their heads shaved or hair died some horrendous kind of lime green or purple. They never had all their limbs and he couldn't even get all their accessories. Still, Jesse had smiled. She always smiled and told him, he was the best big brother.

_No!_ He had to put this thing down. _For Jesse._ He'd do it for Jesse. Jake's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Then on the other hand," the demon continued. His voice was seductive even as it sounded careless, like he was just tossing out suggestions. Saying that Jake could shoot him anytime he wanted, but maybe, just maybe he should listen to the proposal. "The rest of your life and your family's could be money and honey, health and wealth, every day is ice cream sundae, and little Jesse'll never have to receive a second hand dolly again, Jake." There was a smiling pause. "Instead, think Malibu Barbie Dreamhouse and those cute little Breyer horses. By the way, Jakey, she's into horses now, wants to compete in the Olympics when she grows up, championship show jumping, it's all very sweet, and you," the finger pointed at him again. "Can make it all happen. And all you've gotta do is this one little thing."

The gun was still pointed at the demon, but Jake was holding it more loosely now. He was right. _Damn that monster._ He was right. _What life can I have if I just shoot him here?_ What life could his mom have? Jesse have? Maybe, maybe if he did this he'd make sure his little sister skipped public school and went straight to private. _And we wouldn't even need vouchers._ Maybe he'd be able to pay his mom's medical bills and she'd stop having to clean other people's houses to earn a little extra cash. _It's not right!_ But wasn't it? If he did this, they'd never have to worry again. That's what the demon said. _If I do this my family can have the American dream._ And after all, wasn't that what everyone wanted?

"Why me?" Jake asked. His voice was tortured, unbearable, mixed up, confused.

"Oh Jake." The demon was sincere again. "It's gotta be you. I've been waiting for you for a very long time. You're my leader, you open that crypt, and you will have your army."

"You're talkin' about the end of the world." Jake said.

"No!" The demon hissed. "Not the end!" He lifted up his hands as if he was praising the Lord with a joyous halleluja. "The beginning." His voice was soft and so full of conviction that it left Jake confused. "A better world." He fixed his eyes on Jake again. "Where your family will be protected," he paused and stared at Jake earnestly. "More than that," he continued, knowing he'd hit the sweet spot. "They'll be royalty."

He was caught, he didn't know which way to turn. Killing this demon was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do. _I'll go back to the factory._ He thought in desperation. _I'll save up my extra pennies, I'll scrimp, I'll do overtime, double shifts, so I can get Jesse that Malibu Dreamhouse or whatever those Breyer thingis are. I can do it! I don't need this!_ But the idea of setting up his family in a McMansion in the suburbs, a house with enough room, out of the projects where Jesse would be safe from drugs, crime, everything that wanted to hurt her. _Even if I worked my whole life I'd never make that._ And what job could he get without a college education? On a dishonorable discharge. _If I pass this up there's no way I'm getting out of the factory._ Would the factory even take him back? The gun flailed in his hand, a last ditch effort to shoot the demon.

"Buddy boy, you have the chance to get in on the ground floor of a thrilling opportunity. What do you say?" He smiled. "It's your call."

There was another beat and while Jake tried to tell himself that pulling the trigger was the right thing. For the country he loved, for America. _And what did America ever do except spit on me?_ What had the country ever done to try to get his sister out of the slums? Get his mother out of the projects? Nothing. Jake dropped his arm, the gun still in his hand. Anything this demon was offering had to be better than what he was going back to. In his mind, he saw Jesse smiling and twirling in the fluffy blue and sparkly Cinderella princess dress she'd begged him for in her letters. The one he could never afford. Maybe if he did this, then maybe he could give her something better. He didn't know if he could trust this demon, by all rights he shouldn't. _But I don't got anything else._

He stared at the Yellow-Eyed demon for another long moment, but he didn't need anymore time to decide. He clicked on the safety.

"Atta baby!" The demon winked at him.

Bobby Singer's House,

South Dakota

"You'll never make it by car." Rhett said, his voice smooth. The words were for all of them, but his eyes were focused on Kelly. Only on her. "You know that. There isn't enough time."

"The Impala." Dean said. The words were flat as moved to his feet, smoothly. It wasn't the same kind of boneless grace the other man walked with. No, he seemed to…flow when he moved. Easily from one motion to the next, graceful like it was part of a dance. But Dean didn't care about any of that, he took a step forward. This bastard had challenged his driving skills, well, Dean had an answer to that. "We can make it if we take the Impala."

"It's over 600 miles between here and that hellgate." Rhett said. The man was practically examining his fingernails! "No matter how fast your _car_ is, can you do it after you've already lost half a day?"

Rhett cast a glance at Samuel Colt, his golden eyes filled with humor, though Dean couldn't tell what the hell was funny about the situation. _That damn rat bastard!_ He thought. The highway patrol in Wyoming was more paranoid than they were in Montana, but there were fewer of them and it was a large state. Dean knew that he could get the Impala to the Devil's Trap in time, even if it was in the southwestern region of the state. He glanced at Kelly. She was staring at Rhett with eyes like ice chips and her normal complexion had grown paler. His gaze swept down to her hands, which were clenched into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms. His throat tightenened, his eyes moving over her admiringly and his heart skipped a beat. _Damn that deal._ He found that he couldn't look at his brother. No matter what Sam said or thought, his connection to Kelly felt like a betrayal. Dean swallowed, why was she being so quiet? This wasn't like her.

Feeling his eyes on her, Kelly glanced over at him and for the first time since they're arrival at Bobby's, Dean saw fear in her eyes. She was chewing on her lower lip, her expression tight, pained. Their eyes met. _I love you._ Dean's mind whispered. _God damn me if I don't love you._ But he was going to die and the best thing to do was to stay away from her. _So you can live._ He wanted her to live. Dean watched the corners of her eyes soften as she looked at him, he watched the tiny smile that flirted at the edges of her mouth and his heart skipped a beat. He wanted to take her in his arms, hold her against him, bury his nose in the crown of her hair, inhale her scent. _Sammy be damned, Rhett too._ He loved her. Slowly, Dean felt himself smile back and wink at her. She looked away, her gaze dropping to the floor and then swinging back up to stare at Rhett, coldly.

"I can do it." Dean said. His voice came out soft and low, his eyes never leaving Rhett's face. "The Impala can do it."

Even if he had to take his baby over two hundred, they'd make it. They didn't need damn Samuel Colt or his damned hound to save the day. They'd stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon without them. Dean didn't want to contemplate what Rhett had suggested about Kelly helping to open the hellgate, but arguing wasn't going to help. He knew that, they'd wasted enough time already. He had to trust Kelly, no matter what. She'd come back to him and Sam. He didn't know yet how much she'd been changed by her time with the Yellow-Eyed demon, he didn't, but… _I trust her, heaven burn me, I do._ He hated the part of her that wasn't human. He was frightened by it, the same way Sam's psychic visions scared him. _But I never wrote her off because of that._ And he wasn't going to start now.

Sam cleared his throat. "Dean's right." His words filled the tense room and was followed by a disbelieving snort from Rhett. "The Impala's never failed us before."

"But yeh can't fit us all in yer car, son." Samuel Colt said. His gravelly voice hit Sam's ears like a load of bricks, slapping him back to reality. Samuel took a step forward, his hand settling on Rhett's slim shoulder. The hound glanced back at him with cool eyes. "And the little lady," Samuel inclined his head to Kelly. "Forgive me miss, is right." His old watery eyes sharpened as his eyes moved over the small group. "The fruition of this demon's plan is happenin' cause of us, an' we got a responsibility."

"Then figure out your own ride." Dean growled.

"But," Rhett crossed his arms over his chest. "Why ride?" A sly, fox-like smile spread across his handsom lips. And in the dimming gloom of fading sunlight, Sam noticed for the first time the shallow scar that ran over Rhett's lips on the right side of his mouth. The shining tissue glittered for a moment and then melded back into the man's features.

"Rhett." Kelly growled, her tone dangerous as she stared at him.

Sam stepped up behind her, unconsciously he laid a supporting hand on her shoulder. His fingers tightening on the tendons running between her neck and upper arm, frowning. He could feel her, those burning emotions, it was becoming more distinct, balling in the back of his head, into the part of Sam's mind he was now forced to call hers. It was a link, a cord connecting them. It didn't share anything, but Sam could tell that she was angry and… _Afraid…_ Rhett was going somewhere with this, it took an idiot to miss that, and Kelly wasn't happy about it. Whatever he was about to suggest, it had a part of her terrified and she was trying to keep it off her face, from everyone else. _But she's frightened._ And Sam knew one thing, it had nothing to do with the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel.

Rhett continued on smoothly, ignoring Kelly. "Why take twelve hours in fear that you won't make it in time, when you could get there in sixty minutes."

"We're too far from an airport to make it worthwhile, boy." Bobby snapped.

Rhett's upper lip curved into a sneer and he laughed, derisively. "I said nothing about flying." His voice was flat and his eyes were no longer on the Winchesters, they were on the girl who stood between them. "Keely knows the manner of travel of which I speak."

He tilted his head to the side, ebony bangs falling across his forehead, handsome enough to make any girl flutter and faint, his eyes reverting to icy chips, their golden coloring bleeding away and for a moment, he looked almost human.

Bobby glanced at Ellen, but she was staring at Rhett, transfixed. Not by his beauty, no by something else. Bobby's mouth twitched as he glanced from one man to the other. _Kelly's family…_ There was something about them, both of them. _They ain't human._ He was certain about that. _But are they on our side?_ They said they were, but Bobby didn't trust that to be the whole truth. _I'll be damned if I don't want to start hunting them._ But an instinct, somewhere deep in his gut, twinged and Bobby Singer knew, more than he ever had before, that doing that was a very bad idea. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glanced from one Winchester to the other. This was their show, their decision. Bobby's eyes moved to Kelly worriedly.

"It's a stupid idea, Rhett." Kelly said. She glared at him with hardened eyes and behind her, Sam straightened, his shoulders tensing. "That…" she paused, swallowing, trying to clear her throat. It felt so dry. "Route isn't meant for men."

"I doubt these young men of yours are afraid of a little danger." Rhett's eyes were sharp as flint and his gaze flicked, challengingly, to the two men who stood on either side of Kelly. His mouth curved slyly as he stared at them consideringly, mockingly. "I never believed the children of Mary Campbell would grow up to be such cowards."

Kelly started as if she'd been slapped, her gaze moving swiftly to Sam and then to Dean. _He's baiting you._ Her mind whispered. _Can't you see that? He wants you to go his way._ Her hand moved from her side to seize the one that Sam had left on her shoulder as he started to move forward. Sam glanced down at her and Kelly shook her head.

"What did you say?" Dean snarled. Who was Mary Campbell? But he'd said children of… _Is he… Is he talking about Mom?_

"What the hell did you…" Bobby trailed off. _They can't possibly be talkin' about Mary Winchester!_ Bobby had never known the woman before her death and John's appearance on the scene as a hunter. He knew nothing about any of this. _But if this Rhett does…_ For the hundreth time that day, Bobby found himself wondering who these men were. _And what the hell do they know?_ They claimed to be hunters and Bobby was willing to believe them on that count. He swallowed. But they were arrogant bastards, Rhett especially, who knew a bit too much to be comfortable.

"What are you saying?" Ellen whispered.

"We're not cowards." Sam growled. His eyes were on Rhett, Kelly was keeping him from moving forward, but she didn't stop Dean.

His brother launched himself past Sam and Kelly, seizing Rhett by his collar and lifting him off the ground, his hazel eyes murderous. "What do you know?" He roared. Dean hated being called a coward, but what he hated even more than that was having his mother dragged into the mix. Kelly had explained his family was connected to the fey because of some stupid pact an ancestor of his had made centuries beforehand or something. _But that doesn't give a little shit like him the right to talk about Mom!_ What the hell did this Rhett guy know? Dean had always been sure that he knew more than he was letting on. That much was painfully obvious. _But…_ How did he know about Dean's family? "What the hell do you know?!"

The response Dean recieved was cold laughter. "You're mother would not have been afraid to take the road less traveled." Was all he said. Rhett's eyes returned to their normal golden shade and he stared down at Dean.

"What do you mean?" Dean snarled. The name of his mother momentarily forgotten as the other man once again suggested he was a coward. Dean felt his blood boiling, his neck flushed as he glared up at Rhett. He wanted to slam his fist into this pompous asshole's face. "You've been dancing around this for the past five minutes! We're wasting time!"

"Yeah." Sam said. "What is this road less traveled?"

"Sam, no." Kelly murmured.

Deep in her heart, she agreed with Rhett, much as she hated his methods. _It's so dangerous._ Kelly would never have admitted it, but she put the fate of the Winchesters, especially Dean, before the fate of the world. _I won't take them there._ Even if it was faster. _Even if it is necessary._ Kelly gritted her teeth, the scars on her wrists and around her neck tightening painfully as if she still wore the manacles and the collar. _I'd rather go alone._

Rhett's gaze swung to Sam and a smile warmed his marble face. "Why do you not ask Keely?" He responded, even in his current position his face showed no fear. It wouldn't, Kelly knew, not unless he was threatened with iron. "Even in her current state, she must know the ways as well as I."

_How dare he bring me into this!_ Damn the man, Kelly growled deep in her throat.

In surprise, Dean dropped him. Rhett's unstable position on the floor didn't last long, Kelly moved past Dean in a flash, her fist hammering into Rhett's nose. It was a breach in protocol, one she would pay for dearly later, she was sure. But for the moment, it was satisfying. Her fist crushed into Rhett's nose, coming downwards across the bridge so as not to shoot bone shards straight up into his brain. After all, she didn't want to kill him. Not much. _Like he'd be dead from that anyway._ There was a loud snap, the sweet sound of breaking cartilidge and bone. Rhett staggered backwards, crashing to the floor. His hands flying to his nose as fresh red blood gushed down over his upper lip, dribbling down his chin. Behind him, Samuel Colt covered his mouth to hide a guffaw. Sam and Ellen were staring at her, their eyes the size of dinner plates. Bobby Singer couldn't help but look pleased.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Dean demanded. He was staring at her, his eyes wide and angry. "I had everything under control!"

"Bou brok by dose!" Rhett exclaimed, shock written plainly across his face. "Bou brok by dose!" He repeated, dazed. He stared up at her, but he had enough composure to keep his jaw from hanging loose. His expression said he'd been expecting many things, this however had obviously not been one of them.

"No one bullies you except me." Kelly said.

Much as it hurt, she gave Dean a quick smile, wishing that she could pull him into her arms. _But protecting him will have to do._ Getting him out of his deal. Keeping him out of hell. All those things. _And making him see that I love him._ She wasn't going to give up. She'd show him that she still loved him, that she still wanted to be with him, that he was the only one for her. Even if she had to bash his stubborn head into a few buildings before he realized it himself.

"Or Sam." Kelly added after an embarrassing moment. She glanced back at her partner and saw Sam chuckling. He could feel her amusment, she knew and her feelings for Dean.

"Beely!" Rhett sounded angry… and hilarious.

Kelly forced herself to hide her smile as she watched Rhett try to hold onto the shreds of his dignity. The other hound stood, wiping the blood off of his sleeve, he glared at her imperiously and began the business of straightening his nose. It wouldn't last long, he heeled as quickly as she did.

"I apologize most sincerely for my rudeness." She said, giving him a shallow, mocking bow, one hand placed in a fist over her heart. Kelly was not the kind of woman who curtsied. "But I believe, honored Packmate, the way you suggest is far to dangerous for mere mortals such as Dean Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, and Bobby Singer."

Everyone in the room with half a brain gave a start, realizing that she hadn't included Sam in that list. _Well, he is immortal now._ Dean grumbled, apparently that meant Kelly felt he was on a higher plane than the rest of the _mere mortals_ in the room. Dean squelched his jealousy, trying to convince himself that Kelly didn't have a higher opinion of Sam's survival skills than his own.

"Kelly." Dean's voice made everyone jump. He couldn't let Rhett get away with thinking he was a coward. He swallowed. "What way is he suggesting that we go?" He glanced from her to Samuel Colt, Rhett was brushing the dust off of his dark pants.

Kelly paused and glanced at him bleakly. "A faster way." She admitted. "But more dangerous."

"But the results outweigh the risk if we can reach Jake before he opens that gate." That was Sam.

Kelly glanced at her partner, her master, her binder to this reality. "That's true." She admitted. "But…"

Dean watched her swallow. She was so pretty when she was on edge. He didn't spare a glance at Rhett and didn't bother to wonder if the other man felt the same way. In fact, if he did, Dean didn't want to know. Her hard eyes glinted and she looked away from all of them.

"Either way." Ellen said. "Our chances of getting to Wyoming in time are already slim enough as it is, you fools need to stop dancin' round each other and make a decision."

"Ellen's right." Bobby intoned. That ended the discussion.

"Kelly sweetheart," Ellen was staring at Kelly, but as she spoke she shot the bleeding Rhett a hard glare. "Tell us about this other way, what do we have to do?"

"We have to stop the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Kelly." Sam said. Even feeling Kelly's fear about the subject, Sam knew what they had to do and she needed to stop dragging her heels. "If he succeeds now, we may never find him again. We have to stop him." He repeated, his voice stronger at the end of his statement, he stared at her with a piercing stare.

"Kelly," Dean's hand moved on its own and before he could stop it, it was on her shoulder, turning her to face him. _Damn it!_ "There's a chance we can make it if we take the Impala now, but…"

"I understand." She said.

Dean's hands tightened on her shoulders. Both of them were there now! Damn! He couldn't hug her, he wouldn't. "I hate that it's that fool's idea." He murmured to her in a low voice. "And I'll beat the crap out of him soon as this is over." She looked up at him with a smile. Dean's heart jumped in his chest. Clearly, she enjoyed the mental image. "But, we've…" He couldn't believe he was saying this, him, Dean Winchester, like some bloody fool hero out of a legend or off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He took a deep breath. "We've got to save the world."

There was a pause and a beat, a point where time slowed down and the world seemed to vanish until it was just himself and Kelly. His eyes were on hers and her soft brown-gold eyes were on his. She looked like a normal girl, standing there in her dirty bloodstained shirt and ripped jeans, in the long leather duster that hung to her ankles, in the cowboy boots Ellen had given her so long ago. Slowly, she brushed her bangs back out of her eyes, there was sadness in her eyes but that was quickly defeated by a steely determination. A soft smile touched her lips as she gazed up at him and slowly, her hand rose to press against his cheek.

Behind them, Sam's stomach flipped over as he felt the rolling hatred that burned through his hound. In that tight knot in the back of his head, he could feel her emotions flooding him. A warmth for Dean, complete with unbearable sadness, he could feel the pain of her wrists and the ache around her neck. He felt the fear, fear more for them than for herself and where they were asking her to take them. He wanted to engulf her in his long arms and hold her tight, promise to take all that pain away. But Sam knew that was impossible, he doubted Kelly would ever let go of her hatred, that cold pit at the bottom of her stomach. He could feel it now, all that agony drove her forwards to the point where nothing else mattered. _Nothing but us._ He realized suddenly. _Me and Dean._ She would give her life for them without hesitation, much as she fought for her own survival. _Somehow, we became even more important than that._ Kelly didn't look at him and Sam knew she didn't need to. He would let his brother have this moment.

"Da Borld." Rhett said. He was the unwelcome intruder, strutting in to shatter the mood. "Bou do bike dis borld, Beely?"

"You're wrong, Rhett." Kelly whispered. Her eyes were still on Dean's face, her hand never leaving his cheek. "I love this world."

AN: I feel bad for making this chapter shorter, but it seemed like the right place to end it. The next one will take our heroes onto the road less traveled, where the journey will become more dangerous before they face their final trial, the Yellow-Eyed Demon and the end of the story. Two more chapters to go until the end! ^_^ Thank you so much for all your support and continuing reviews, those are what keep me going, even when I don't want to go on. All that enthusiasm is so very appreciated; I doubt you readers even know how much. Again, thank you for reading. I know it's been a tricky and confusing ride, but the first half is almost over and then the next one will begin. I'm very excited to write it. ^_^

Remember, tell me what you think, a review is a review, be it good or bad, even if it's just a few lines, review! Please?


	66. Chapter 66: The Road Less Traveled

Chapter 66: The Road Less Traveled

They were standing outside, the sun hanging low on the horizon. They'd driven ten miles from Bobby's house, two cars taken out into the Badlands. It was Samuel Colt who had suggested that be where they tried to find the ways, nearest to the Native American reservation but not on it. Samuel had said plainly that none of them were welcome there but himself and the two hounds least of all. They could not step onto the Res without a serious case of hotfoot, with a chance of exploding into flame. Even so, a few miles out was close enough.

The cars were parked on a ridge off of highway 240 on the edge of the Badlands National Park. Their drivers side doors pointing out towards the sunset that was blooming in bright pink along the jagged horizon. Boots brushed short dead brown grass as together the small group moved to the edge of the ridge. Between Kelly and Sam, Dean leaned his hands against the steel barrier. The hard metal cutting into his palms as he looked out at the region of jagged clay cliffs and rolling ravines. Each point of dried tan dirt poked at the sky. There was nothing out here. No birds swooped in the sky, no beetles crawled across his toes, no ants built colonies in the ground below his feet. The area was dead, even with the rosy cast shadowing the undulating hilly ground that swept away from the highway. Though Dean had droven through this area many times as a child, his father had even had one or two cases around the area, he'd never looked at the land as a source of evil. But now as he looked at the serious stony faces of Rhett, Samuel Colt, and Kelly, he felt himself beginning to regret that hasty assumption. Maybe there was something wrong with this place. The air was cool and wet, humid around him and sweat trickled down his forehead. Hastily, he wiped it away.

"There." Samuel Colt pointed down the sloping ridge to a patch of darkness clinging between two jutting pieces of land. "Do yeh see it?"

Dean was about to say that he didn't, except when he realized that the question had been meant for Kelly. Turning to her, he watched as she nodded slowly. Her air was cautious and he could see the strain on her face, she didn't want to do this. _We convinced her._ Dean hated that half the reason for coming here was to prove to Rhett that he wasn't a coward. _Which is suggesting that Mom wasn't._ But what did that have to do with anything? And how did Rhett know her? He swallowed, knowing that those questions could be saved until after they'd killed Yellow-Eyes. He frowned. But they would be asked. He'd promised himself that he would ask.

"Yes." Kelly said.

The sun would be below the horizon soon and then the fog would begin to gather. She suppressed a shiver, they needed the fog. Still, it shook her that she would have to expose the Winchesters, Bobby, and Ellen to this. This knowledge had never been meant for mortals. _Especially not hunters._ People like Dean, Bobby, Ellen, and Sam, they wouldn't understand places like this. _They won't understand that they're part of the world._ There was no way to be rid of them completely. _But if Azazel unlocks the hellgate, places like this will only get worse._ And more dangerous to the human world.

"You still haven't told us exactly what it is we're doing."

Kelly glanced back at Sam, her lips twitching slightly, That was true, neither she, Samuel Colt, or Rhett had explained it. Kelly's lips nearly became a whole smile, thinking about Rhett trying to explain the mechanics of what they were to do with his broken nose was a hilarious idea. _And if we weren't so short on time, I'd suggest it._ That would take the haughty hound down a peg or three. _I'd pay a lot to see that._ Glancing at Samuel Colt, she could tell that he would to. But the sake of time wouldn't allow for it.

"I take it, you expect us to climb down there?" Ellen asked.

She was looking past Bobby and down into the ravine doubtfully. It would be a hike and she didn't want to waste anymore time until there were guarantees this would work. She didn't trust this road less taken that the two strangers had suggested. Hell, she barely trusted the strangers. They seemed like hunters but at the same time. _There's something odd about them._ It was the same kind of oddness that surrounded Kelly, except greater. Ellen had always been nervous around magic, believing that it came from darker forces and anyone she'd met who practiced it truly had sold their souls to a devil for those powers. _And what they're suggesting has to be magic._ A kind of magic she'd never heard of. She glanced at Samuel, examining his weathered wind bitten face, his pepper and salt goatee, the twist to his lips beneath the thick moustache. She didn't trust him. Didn't want to trust him. _But at this point the boys, Bobby and I don't have much choice._ The only thing that made Ellen believe this place truly existed was that Kelly seemed to know about it too. _Girl's gotten stranger though since I last saw her._ That worried Ellen. She didn't want to believe they were putting all their coconuts into one bowl. For a moment, she wished they had decided to drive. _Well, it's too late now and if wishes were horses I'd have ten thousand._ Mustangs she could do nothing with.

"Yeah, Ellen." Kelly smiled at her. "Unless you want to wait until night covers us completely."

She sucked in a deep breath. She hated standing here. Hated the Badlands, hated that she'd once again been forced to take this route. She remembered it from the faint memories that danced in the back of her mind, she knew of it from the time she spent with Azazel, on more time constrained missions she'd traveled this way. It had been convenient. _But that convenience never overrode the dangers._ Never overtook what was waiting, hungrily, inside the fog. Kelly's hands moved to her throat and suppressed a shiver as she stared down into the blackness. Hunger. This place was hungry.

"Band brisk da chance be'd be doo bate." Rhett said. Despite his crushed nostrils, he still managed to sound knowledgeable and condescending. It was a trick that Kelly knew she'd eventually have to learn. "Do, be go." He began to swing himself over the barrier.

"Not until you tell us what we're facing." Sam said. His voice stubborn as he crossed his arms, he glanced at his hound and she winced. He could feel emotions from her, occasionally a taint that said she was lying, but the knowledge that was in her brain did not transfer directly to him.

"Sammy's right." Bobby added. "We're not walkin' into danger without knowing what's at our backs."

Rhett smirked at Samuel Colt as Kelly shook her head. She'd been hoping they'd still decide to turn around. She looked up, realizing that Rhett was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. He expected her to play teacher. She swallowed. _They'll believe it more if it comes from me._ But she didn't want to teach them how one got in, once they were enveloped by darkness and fog.

"Are we looking for some kind of cave?" Ellen asked.

Her question was followed by a harsh bark of laughter from Rhett. "Do." He said. "Don't be a bool." Languidly staring at Kelly, he watched as she shivered, his smirk widened. "Beely?"

"Kelly?" Dean glanced at her, questioningly.

"We're…" How could she explain it in a way that made sense? "We're going to walk into a pocket in reality." It was really between realities, a hole in the fabric that bound a multidimensional universe together. "More like a gap, actually." She bowed her head. She was a horrible teacher and she herself barely understood the physics of how this worked. _Just the dangers that go with it._ "My people," she added, glancing at Rhett, another shiver shaking her skin from scalp to toe. "Call pockets such as this a shadowland."

"A shadowland?" Dean asked. The word tasted strange on his tongue. "What do you mean?" He continued. "What does a shadowland do?"

"It's a place where reality has become weaker," she swallowed. A shadowland could be many things depending on where it was. It could reach out and touch the physical world, creating more corruption, unraveling and weaking the reality further as it encroached. Silently, she kept her hands from pressing against her midsection and the dance her stomach was doing. "As to what it does?" She glanced at Samuel Colt and Rhett, receiving an approving nod, she looked back to Sam and then to Dean. She swallowed, looking down again at the darkness below them, it was growing, and, she shivered again, refusing to close her eyes, reaching up towards them. "A shadowland does one thing," she swallowed again. Why couldn't her throat stay wet? "It eats."

"Eat's what?" Bobby asked.

Kelly glanced at Rhett again and sighed. "Us." She said.

For all that Azazel terrified her, for all that he had made her a weapon of death and destruction, a hunter, she was still frightned of the darkness below her. _Can you imagine._ Her mind whispered, disconsolately. _I've come so far and yet I'm still afraid of the dark._ She felt like laughing bitterly at that, but held her tongue. She glanced at Sam quietly evaluating. He looked, odd. Eager. It was unsettling. Her gaze shifted to Dean and was met with something quite different. Disbelief colored his face.

"If it did something like that existed we'd have heard of it."

"Yeh think it's some great monster, little hunter?" Samuel Colt asked. His cold leveled gaze had swung to Dean. His mouth twisting in mild disgust. "Well lad, it ain't. The critters that exist in Shadowlands are not meant fer mortal eyes or fer the mortal lands. They come in the night and burn away at daybreak. They take only the fools foolish enough to wander into them. It is the inbetween, and their growth is a sign of the Unraveling." His eyes were cold as he gazed around the circle, the way he pronounced "Unraveling" left no question as to whether or not it was capatilized. "A sign that the afterlifes, Heaven, Hell, and the Otherworld are being drawn closer, to touch these lands," his hand waved across the expanse. "In a way they ain't done since God himself birthed Creation."

"Da bign of da doming dend." Rhett said. His arms crossed over his chest as he glanced at Kelly and shrugged. "But, be bare basting dime."

"They are not." Kelly growled. "They grow on their own when left unchecked."

"Band dey have dot been becked in a dousand bears." Rhett said. "Bose of bus in dis borld bare spread doo din."

"What?" Sam asked. Rhett's broken slur of words had escaped his ears, he'd been unable to parse it apart.

"Those o' us in this world are spread too thin." Samuel Colt repeated as he leaned over the barrier. "And we have higher priorities than a few thorny patches."

"Or the few hundred humans that go missing in them yearly." Kelly added. Her voice droll, but the sarcasm was apparent in her tone as she looked at her friends. "Not to mention our own kind, honored Packmate." She sent Rhett a cool glare, which he returned. "They're where our dead rest." That admission brought startled glances from every human in the group except Samuel Colt. "Or what becomes of us after we die."

"And that's what we can expect in there?" Ellen asked. "Ghosts of your…" she trailed off and then lifted her chin determinedly. "Your people?"

"Yes." Kelly said. "Among other… less pleasant…" She shivered. "Things."

"Demons?" Sam asked quickly.

"The damned as yeh know 'em don't tread there, Sam Winchester." Samuel Colt said. "Trapped in a shadowlands even they can die a final death."

"And even if they manage to survive," Kelly added, her voice soft. Still, it carried in the wet air. "If they don't find a way out by morning, they're dragged back down to hell." She swallowed. "It's the same for any unlucky humans who wander into them."

She leaned over the barrier, the steel cool against her fingers as she stared down into the darkness. She could feel and see a fog rising between the two slabs of tan dirt. The sun had gone down and she could feel the chill. It was an unnatural chill. She looked up. They would have to go soon. _Or risk being to late._

"That's, of course," Kelly murmured, her voice growing even softer. "One of the more pleasant fates one can suffer in a shadowland."

"Bif dou but eternal boul burvival bover death." Rhett said calmly. He was stroking his cheek with a long slim finger, there was not a hint of fear in his expression as he stared down.

"I think having ones soul eaten is the worst fate."

"But at beast bou burbive." Rhett said in response to Kelly's argument. He fixed her with a challenging stare and watched, pleased, as she tossed her head in response. In his opinion, she was more fun when she was fighting his authority. "Be badowbands bill burp dou bout."

"What?" Dean asked.

"They'll burp you out." Kelly repeated. "Which still leaves you open to possession." She swallowed again. Drat her throat! "By demon," _damned._ That was what her people called them, the lucky souls who managed to escape hell, unrecognizably stripped of their humanity. She, like Azazel and every other demon, knew that there were worse creatures waiting in the Pit. Creatures just as hungry and more evil than the worst of the damned. "Or ghost, or whatever decides to move in and take over the reins." _And through the shadowlands they too can touch reality._ And while they were only shades of their true selves there, it did not make them any less dangerous. "Even if you do make it out in one piece," Kelly paused. "You never know whether or not some parasite has decided to hitch a ride."

That had always been her least favorite part of traveling through there. The creatures, ghosty goblins or gnomes that decided to crawl up inside her mind eager as you please to get carried out into better hunting grounds. Kelly had a natural defense against them that humans didn't possess, she could trap them inside herself and save them for snacks to be eaten later. _But most people don't realize their walking out with a parasite._

"And how can you tell…" Sam trailed off, his own tongue stumbling over the words. He could feel Kelly's fear knotting in his stomach. He understood everything he heard, but he didn't understand why she was so afraid. _If it's so dangerous why didn't she fight harder to keep us out of it?_ "How can you tell that we're near a shadowland?"

"Valid question, sonny jim." Samuel Colt smiled.

"Be can bell it." Rhett said.

Kelly rolled her eyes. That was a cop out response and while it was true, it wouldn't help Sam, or Dean, or Bobby, or Ellen. "Yeah," she shrugged, knowing she should tell them, hoping that Samuel Colt would. She didn't want to be responsible for someone tracking one of these down again and trying to fight what was inside. For one very important reason, there were too many of them. "Well, there are other ways too." She glanced at Samuel Colt, who sighed in a disgruntled fashion.

"Yeh owe me lass." He said. She nodded in agreement and then Samuel Colt dropped into a lecturing tone again. He hated that they were wasting time, but he knew as well as she did that it would be better if their entire force made it through the trip in one piece. _And an extra fifteen minutes to half hour ain't gonna hurt our chances none._ Somehow, he knew that for truth. "A human can tell a shadowlands by the growth of unnatural fog in a region." He said. "The intelligent and observant eye," his finger swept the ravine below them. It's bottom had already been swallowed by darkness and the fog was climbing up towards them. "can tell the difference between natural and unnatural."

"What is the difference?" Sam pressed.

"I'm getting' to that, lad." Samuel Colt said. "The keen eye will notice that when a shadowland touches the natural world, it will grow dimmer."

"Dimmer?" Dean asked.

He could see Sam staring down the sloping hill with studious intent. He wanted to be able to tell when something was a shadowland and when it wasn't, and Dean found himself admitting that he wouldn't mind knowing the difference himself. He still barely believed the whole thing. _And if Kelly wasn't aware of the same things, I know I wouldn't believe._

"Aye, laddybuck. It becomes grayer, the colors less bright, a place, land or city that exists permanently in a shadowlands will also have these characteristics. Yeh'll feel uneasy when yeh look into it, the fog becomes thicker, the darkness darker, the colors surrounding it as if they are being seen through a haze."

"Like Los Angeles?" Sam asked. It was a joke question, everyone knew that Los Angeles looked the way it did from the smog exhumed from millions of cars and a thousand buses, not because an evil presence was sitting beneath its surface.

"That is bare nigh outside the mark." Samuel Colt responded. He was stroking his moustache in thought, examining Sam with new respect. "But San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area are a more correct guess."

"San Francisco?" Dean spluttered. He hadn't felt anything wholly evil about the city itself. "We were in San Francisco and we were never…"

"It doesn't always eat people, Dean." Kelly said. Her tone was admonishing. "If it did, places like San Francisco and St. Louis wouldn't exist as we know them." Though the fact that St. Louis had the highest counting of occult related deaths and crimes in the country was probably a more logical explanation in and of itself.

"How many cities have shadowlands?" Sam asked. His tone was pure curiosity, like he'd just been handed a fascinating new puzzle and it was clear, from his expression at least, that he intended to figure it out.

"By now?" Samuel Colt barely considered for a moment. "All of them, lad, along with more than a few national parks. There's a cave system in the Kentucky Mountains, just across the border from West Virginia on the 64 that's a particularly nasty piece o' work." He lifted a leather finger and tapped his nose gently. "There's a shadowland that covers most of the Badlands here as well as another one that stretches through eastern Montana."

"One that runs the length of the 90 out from Moses Lake in Washington all the way to Spokane. It's an irritating night drive." Kelly added. "It's tightest knots are around Medical Lake, of course and the mental institution there."

"The question becomes," Samuel Colt continued on as if Kelly had never spoken. "Not where are they, but what places have yet to be consumed by them." He crossed his arms. "A shadowland is created, perhaps I should say reality is punctured, by a mass of dark human emotions. The more despair or hatred there is, the more murder, the more darker impulses are allowed to flourish, the more a shadowland grows, the more it feeds, until it becomes an entity by itself."

"And they're strongest at night." Kelly added. "But what they are and how they…" she paused. "Work, is what makes them useful for a kind of fast travel." She spread her hands. "When one steps into one, wholly, with both body and spirit, they step outside of reality and are untouched by time's passage." She gazed from Dean to Sam again, regret pinging through her stomach. Truthfully, she feared more for Dean in the shadowlands. There being filled with negative emotions made one an easy target for manipulation. She glanced at Dean, noticing that the mention of hell had no effect on him. "Because they exist nearly everywhere, you can use them to move faster from one place to another, more quickly than by foot, car, or even by air."

"Less expensive too." Samuel Colt chuckled.

"That depends on what price you're willing to pay." Kelly said, sourly. The mention of prices had made both Sam and Dean stiffen, though she was sure that it was for different reasons. Just because Sam's soul and Dean's belonged to the Crone, didn't mean that they were exempt or protected from the dangers that existed in the shadowlands. No, like herself, they were not safe. "How much you're willing to gamble." Which always lead to the question of how important the destination was.

"But the real question on yeh folks' minds," Samuel Colt looked around the group. Surprised that the elders had been so quiet. "Ain't that, yeh really want to know is if there's a shadowland connection to the Cowboy graveyard." He smiled gently while Rhett's was more of a vision of triumph. "There be one there."

"Created when you opened that damn gate." Kelly muttered.

Samuel Colt chuckled. "We all bear our sins, puddlefoot. The reasons behind what we did were simple and perhaps," he met her glare with cool eyes. "Unpardonable."

He sighed, feeling curious ears paying more attention to him now than they had during the whole informative lecture and he knew most of it sprang from one thrown away comment by his own hound. _"Unless I'm mistaken… you helped us build it."_ It was true that he didn't recognize her face these days or the shape she'd once worn, and he saw how little of who she had been remaining. _It would be better if those hard days remained lost forever._ Truly, he wished that she could live her life unburdened by the weight of her past, or of the crimes she whose punishments she still bore upon her shoulders. _No, I would not be her_. He and Rhett had escaped with a slap on the wrist each and a penance to be endured on mortal shores. But she? He shook his head, it hurt too much to remember. He could feel her judgemental eyes boring into his soul.

"But at the time," he stared down into the shadowlands, his eyes far away. "We did what we felt must be done, for the alternative would have been much worse." Samuel Colt threw his head back and let out a loose harsh bark of laughter, similar to what Rhett's had been. "But never fear, we paid for our crimes then." He tilted his flappy felt tip back over his forehead as he looked across the growing darkness. It was already twilight, had time passed by so quickly? "And," he glanced at Kelly again, she was perched on the ledge, having climbed up the barrier, she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, balancing on the knife's edge and ready to tip forward into the darkness's embrace. "It seems that, even in this new age, we pay still." He shook his head. "But this route will take at most twenty minutes, even if someone manages to get themselves lost." He said "manages" like it was something forced not freely chosen. "Between Rhett and Kelly, we'll manage to recover yeh easily enough."

"Be bill." Rhett agreed.

His nose was, of course, still broken. But over the hours, Sam had seen significant improvement as the muscles, cartilidge, and tissue rebuilt themselves. He'd hoped it would lead to Rhett being uglier, instead, it seemed that he was going to be put back just the way he was. _Hopefully with that hawk-nose a little crooked._ Sam didn't hate Rhett, but he did dislike him. _And fey beauty gets on my nerves. _

Kelly seemed to be the only girl who didn't actually practice that portion of her glamour. She always had looked like a normal, pretty brunette. She still did, even if the scars she'd been marked with and those occasionally unnatural golden eyes detracted from her physical beauty. What she looked like now didn't bother Sam, but he knew it bothered her. She was self-conscious of the scars and occasionally, Sam saw her stroking the circle around her neck in contemplation, as if she expected the collar she'd been shackled with to still be there. Since she'd come back, she'd tried to hide the large ugly scars around her wrists and her neck, growing embarrassed whenever anyone stared at them for to long. Turning away and becoming cold if one prodded her too harshly about her time with the Yellow-Eyed Demon or what had happened at during the months she was alone at Cold Oak. Sam was confident he'd get more answers out of her eventually, especially since she seemed to know more than she once did. _When she was just a lost little girl without a clue._ With frightening and unnatural abilities she couldn't comprehend. Sam eyed her balanced frame appreciatively, her cold eyes glowing gold as she stared down into the pit below them. He licked his lips, despite the moisture in the air, they were dry and cracking. She had become a hunter, a true predator of the ghosts, goblins, and ghoulies. Sam was proud of her and he felt that pride leak through their link. In that tight knot in the back of his mind, he felt it as she was warmed by that pride. He saw the corners of her mouth twitch as she balanced on the barrier, he hoped it had become a smile.

Sam glanced back at Samuel Colt in silence, considering his face and features, thinking on what he'd said. Even as Dean turned and strode back to the Impala, Sam listened to the harsh pop as it's truck flew open. He didn't blame Dean for gathering supplies, they'd need them if they were to go through this shadowland. He guessed, no, looking at Kelly, he knew it was something they'd never done before. _But if it means we catch Jake before he opens that hellgate…_ Well, then it was to the good. Though he didn't know what good salt rounds or real rounds would do when they were surrounded by fog.

"So?" He asked, trying to keep his voice casual. "How are we going to get in?"

"We're going to walk in." Kelly said. Her eyes never leaving the black maw below her, an ironic smile on her lips. She spoke as if doing this was the most common thing in the world and that, more than anything else, made Sam shiver. "Right through the front door."

"And how do we do that?" He asked.

If these shadowlands existed everywhere, then people must walk through them all the time without anything horrible happening to them. _Probably without even leaving…_ He swallowed. _The mortal world._ There had to be some trick to going in, without it he was sure that more people would be lost. _She said a few hundred each year._ Considering all the major metropolitan areas these places existed, that wasn't so bad, he decided. Which meant there had to be a trick to it. There had to be. Else more people would be getting lost and… he swallowed again in distaste, eaten.

"You'll each old onto one of us three." Kelly said. She motioned to herself, Rhett, and Samuel Colt. "Once inside you don't have to keep physical contact," she said that like she considered it to be a very bad idea. "Just pair off and never let anyone get too far ahead, no more than a foot or two." She still wasn't looking at anyone, even as she gave them instructions. "Rhett will head our group and Samuel will take the middle," she swallowed glancing at them to ask if this was agreeable. "Because Rhett knows the way." Kelly didn't feel that she needed to add that they also knew the terrain better. She had never traveled into this particular shadowland and the truth was they weren't all alike. She closed her eyes for a moment, knowing where her position would have to be. "And I'll man the rear."

For a moment, her hand flashed to the back of her pants where she kept her loaded USP. She didn't intend to change inside the shadowland, it would draw too much attention. _And Rhett undoubtably will shift to his real form._ Just to give the procession a look of authority. Hounds of the C'wn Mamau weren't exactly feared in the shadowlands, but the spirits who resided there were far more wary of them and their partners than they were of ordinary humans. _Who really look more like a buffet._ And if anyone got lost in the fog, she could go find them while Rhett and Samuel Colt continued on. It was easy to get disoriented but so long as she kept her mind clear and focused on where she wanted to be, she'd find her way there. She took a deep breath in and snuck a glance at Dean again, he was all buffed out with his ghost hunting hardware. He wasn't paying attention to her. _I'll talk to him before we go in._ She swallowed, knowing how little time they had remaining.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked her as Dean passed him his night black 9mm Glock. If she was in the rear that was where he would be and probably Dean too. He didn't find that position exactly comfortable.

"Yeah." Kelly said.

A few feet from them, Samuel Colt and Rhett were preparing to silde down the slope. Kelly took a few moments to chuckle inwardly that Samuel Colt had picked up an indignant Ellen. Rhett had merely, with a look of profound annoyance, taken Bobby's hand and had leaped over the steel barrier. He had already begun traveling down the hill towards the darkness and the fog, Kelly knew she would have to soon too. _Now probably._

Slowly, she looked up at Sam. "Sam," she said. "Catch up with Samuel Colt and keep a grip on him." As much as she wanted to stay near her partner, she knew that he needed this lesson from Samuel Colt more. The way the elder hunter stepped into the shadowlands was different from the way she did, Kelly stepped the way the fey stepped. _Samuel Colt steps as humans do._ Kelly swallowed. "This'll be a good lesson for you." She added, trying to keep bleakness out of her voice. "He knows more about a Binder's role and gifts than I do." She felt it was prudent not to add a Binder's magic. _As magic's the only thing still keeping him upright._ And that came from her as much as it did from Dean's deal. When Sam looked ready to dig his heels in, Kelly cast a glance over her shoulder at Dean and she felt her desperation to speak to his brother alone tug at him. Finally, he nodded.

"Fine." Sam said. "But you better stay right on our tail."

"Of course." Kelly punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Have I let you down yet?"

Her attempt at humor failed as old memories were ripped back up to the surface and Kelly could feel him thinking about Ava and the Yellow-Eyed Demon. She swallowed a sigh of relief as he turned away from her and slid down the slope after Samuel Colt. His hand managing to catch the older man's shoulder right before they disappeared into the fog and darkness. Her eyes glowed gold as she examined the curve of the small valley below them, but to her relief, she didn't see their shadows moving in the fog. They'd made it out. She turned to Dean, offering him her hand.

Dean froze for a moment as he stared at those milky callused fingers. Could he take that proffered hand? He wanted to. Desperately he did. The Crossroads Demon's words came to mind immediately, they always did when he recalled his deal, but he'd never thought to puzzle out what exactly he could do with Kelly.

"_What I want, Dean, is, for you to break up with her during the duration your one year sentence. I want you to stay close to her, unable to make love to her, kiss her, even hug her tightly. You won't leave her side of your own volition, so make sure you're never a city sized length away from her at anytime."_

The deal had never said anything about handholding, he simply was not allowed to make love to her, kiss her, or hug her… tightly. Dean had a devilish mind, he had to remain broken up with Kelly but his thoughts had never paused to see what loopholes he could find. He could hold her hand. _I can hold her hand._ He thought with relief. Reaching out, his fingers closed around hers and an electric tingle raced up his spine. A connection to what might have been. _If I hadn't been so willingly ignorant._ But what could he say? After all, he was Dean Winchester.

He watched a slow smile spread over Kelly's lips, he judged it to be half genuine since she was now wearing the same expression a cat wore when it had made off with the cream. _And hasn't had the damn temerity to clean off the white moustache._ He thought, wondering what agony she'd decide to put him through in these shadowlands. He was still against the idea of going, even if he'd agreed to it. _And now I don't exactly have a choice._ He'd be bringing up the rear. _With her._ Dean supposed it was too late to follow Sam and Rhett.

"Shouldn't we go?" He asked, trying to keep his tone brisk and businesslike. He didn't want her to know that the simple ability to hold her hand had filled him with joy. "Or we'll lose the others." Dean didn't relish the idea of being trapped in the shadowlands. _Or getting pulled down to hell before I'm due._

"Afraid of getting trapped like a mouse in a maze?" She asked, blithely tossing her head.

Her brunette hair didn't make much movement bound up in a ponytail. Kelly shrugged, slipping over the barrier and Dean followed her, slowly scrambling over to land on the tan dust and crackling dead grass. Together, they stood on the ridge hand in hand, staring down into the darkness.

Looking into it, Dean swallowed. "No." He said.

She smiled, her grin almost merry as she glanced at him. "You're still the biggest liar I know, Dean Winchester."

His fingers tightened around hers and he squeezed them gently, heart in his throat. He couldn't kiss her, couldn't hug her, this was all he was capable of. It would have to be enough. "Second biggest." He smirked, cradling the shotgun in the crook of the arm that held her hand. He reached out and touseled her hair lovingly. "You lie way more often than me."

"Con artist." She sniffed, trying for an air of disgruntled disapproval. But when she looked at him with her famous cheeky grin, it all fell apart.

"Scamp." He responded with a laugh. His fingers ruffling her hair again, a warm smile gracing his lips, the first since their discussion outside the abandoned house.

She stared up at him and those strange yellow eyes, the part of her he'd never grown accustomed too. The part he'd never truly been able to accept. Dean had never understood how she could be so human and yet not be human at all. Even he had to admit to himself that his trust in her was shaken, but as he stared down at her warm face, he knew that his love for her would probably never change.

"I love you." She said.

Dean's face went pale, in her grip his fingers shook. He couldn't keep from trembling as self-disgust and loathing roared through him. What could he say? Yes, that he felt the same? But what would that mean for his deal? He'd agreed to break up with her to bring Sam back to life. He opened his mouth, but she continued on hurriedly.

"I know this is the wrong time be to saying this." She swallowed. "And, I-I-I want you to know that I know things will never be the same between us." She said, her voice soft in the evening twilight. The light of the sun still creating long pink streaks across the sky. Overhead, the moon was climbing out of it's bed beneath the horizon and the stars were beginning to shine. "But, I needed you to know that I still love you." She was staring at him with those golden eyes glittering in the darkness. "Before, well, you know," she shrugged, almost shyly as she gazed at him. "We run headlong towards certain death again." Her shoulders shook in the darkness and Dean wondered whether it was from silent laughter or from an effort to keep tears from flowing down her cheeks. "You're a stubborn idiot, Dean Winchester." She added, her voice flat and for a moment she sounded like the old Kelly. The frightened girl who'd fallen into his lap, who would ignore that she was in danger even when it was right beneath her nose and glaring brightly as the sun. "I don't know why it has to be you," she said in the same mournful tone. "But it is, because I love you and I'll still love you whether you want me to or not."

Dean swallowed. He was touched by the ferocity of her feelings and he wanted to tell her that he felt exactly the same way, except he couldn't. Instead he just squeezed her fingers again, knowing that was hardly the adequate response to such a heartfelt confession. _Don't love me._ He thought hoarsely. _You'll be so much happier if you stop loving me._ Dean couldn't respond, his tongue was tied to the roof of his mouth, immobile. Still, depressed as he was, her words filled his stomach and his heart with overflowing warmth so strong that his more selfish feelings were glad she still loved him. After all, he didn't think he could take the sight of her wrapped up in the arms of another man. He wanted her all to himself. _Even if Sammy's got a part of her I can never have._ Whatever it was between the two of them that left them completely in synch, their bond. _The gift or price or boon or whatever she gave Sammy._ It was gratifying to know that he still had her heart. Apparently though, she didn't need a response because she just continued on.

"And…" She trailed off for a moment. "Dean, there's something you need to know about Sam."

"What more could there be, Kelly?" He asked, finally finding his voice. It came out rougher and harsher than he'd intended, filled with unspoken emotions. "After it took the two of us to raise him from the grave?"

"The part where he's not completely out of the grave." Kelly responded. She was all business again, gazing at him with those penetrating eyes.

"What?" Dean demanded.

She ignored him completely, continuing on with her points. "It was a shock to me too." She said. "Far as I can tell," she swallowed again. Her throat was still so dry. "He's fine, he's all there, he's up and around, he's walking and talking, and, improbably, his soul's exactly where it's supposed to be. The only hitch seem's to be that…"

"He's dead?" Dean hazarded. If that were true, it was the cherry to top the shit sundae ending this fine day.

"Well, yeah since he's not really alive," Kelly sighed. "So at some point," she glanced at him again with sad eyes. "If we both survive this, we'll have to sit down and you can tell me exactly what you said to that demon." She smiled at him. "Then we'll figure out what do next."

_And how to get you out of that crappy deal._ If she didn't make it in the battle against her creator, she trusted Sam enough to help Dean and Dean enough to help Sam. They had been a workable well-oiled machine before she'd arrived and if she died, they would be again. Moments like this reminded Kelly that she was still an addition to their story. _And this is their story._ They would be fine without her, she was sure. They were fine in the months she'd been gone. _I wish I could thank him for taking me in._ But… she swallowed as she gazed at him. _It really is, or was only, love._

Dean swallowed his anger. _I wish you hadn't told me that before the fight._ His brain growled, but he wasn't going to explode on her. She wanted him to know how she felt and everything she knew before they faced the Yellow-Eyed Demon and Jake. _Just in case she dies._ The thought hit him like a load of bricks and he found he couldn't really be angry with her anymore.

"You're not going to die, Kel." Dean said. His voice was flint, harder than granite, sharper than a fine tuned blade. His hand tightened possessively around her fingers and he clutched them, staring down into the darkness. He couldn't look at her as he spoke. "I won't let that happen, I won't lose you again." He sucked in a deep breath, realizing what the words sounded like, he continued lamely. "Sam'd be devastated if anything happened to you." Even to him it seemed like a flimsy excuse. "He needs you." Dean added. "Even more than I do." He chuckled, his voice dry and scratchy as sandpaper. "After all, who's…"

He was cut off by Kelly's finger pressing against his lips. Her bright golden eyes, shining out of the darkness like twin molten suns, regarded him solemnly. He could see the sorrow lining her face, even as the light faded towards darkness. "We'll deal with the rest when it comes." She said. "For now, we should catch up with the others." She reached up and brushed some sweat and dust off of his forehead gently. "Okay?"

Slowly, he nodded. Kelly's fingers tightened around his as she gazed down into the black darkness and the gray fog. She stepped up to the edge, dirt and clay slipping out from under her feet. She knocked a rock over the edge and it clattered down the ravine. There was no sound from the bottom. She glanced at Dean, he was still pale and his free hand was tight around the barrel of the shotgun.

"Let's go."

The words whispered into the night as the two figures leapt off of the edge of the slope. They plummeted quickly, but neither screamed, moaned, or cried out. Their fall was soundless. Slowly, the fog reached up to meet them like clawing hungry fingers. The darkness twisting and writhing beneath them. It was hungry, always hungry, no matter how many bugs and flies were captured in its net, the darkness was never sated. Willingly, it reached up to meet them, hoping to capture more fine and tasty morsels. It had not fed in many moons and those cycles without food gnawed at the darkness, and it grew hungrier. Now, a prize, five travelers had come into it's mouth and were now making their staggering journey through it's gut. And another two were dropping into it. The darkness groaned as shapes and twisting shadows became clear in the fog. It was no longer one mass of indistinct gray. No, hands reached outwards, welcoming them, calling. Both these two were filled with sweet anguish. Tentacles, talons, and sharp nailed fingers stretched upwards. Man and woman fell.

Dean Winchester squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the jarring experience and broken bones of a twelve foot drop onto stone. He couldn't believe he was doing this. What had possessed him to believe that they could step outside reality? Reality was reality! This was idiotic, they were never going to make it to Wyoming in time. He opened his mouth, but the rush of air gagged him. _Kelly!_ He wanted to scream at her. It was her fault for pulling him into this. All her fault, he knew. They were going to land on the crumpled bodies of their friends.

"Keep your mind with mine, Dean!" Kelly yelled over the shrieking air. "Stay with me!"

Dean's eyes opened and he stared at her, saw her smile at him. His fingers held hers tighter. "Just promise me I get an airsick bag when we land!" He shouted back.

But his only answer was her laughter and that was empty, without merriness. He looked down, watching with heart wrenching terror as their feet slipped into the shroud of darkness. Then their legs, then their bodies, then they were in the fog, falling, falling and falling. Dean knew better than to ask when it would end and as he looked around, trapped in utter darkness, feeling the moisture of the fog pressing against his hot cheeks as they fell. Seeing the shifting figures moving through the darkness, some wore human shapes, others were animals, batwinged, branch-like limbs stretched towards them, laughing. Laughing! Dean glanced over at Kelly, seeing that her eyes were still focused on some point far below them. He knew better to ask when they were going to stop falling. It felt like forever and then, surprisingly, they hit the ground with a crack. Dean's fingers loosened on Kelly's hand, but she kept a firm grasp on his. Together they rolled a few feet, until, panting, they climbed onto their knees. Dean only had to glance around at their surroundings once to know that they weren't in Kansas anymore.

AN: A Fourth of July gift to all my readers. I suppose I'll have to up it to three more chapters or so, since I managed to get them into the shadowlands this round but not much else. Don't worry, they won't be spending too much time there, but these kind of places are important to the myth arc of the DTRH book 2, so I felt obligated to introduce it. Besides that, after reviewing the mechanics and the time it took getting from Bobby's house to southern Wyoming, I figured it would be better if they didn't take cars and took a jaunt through something Supernatural didn't do, so surprise! Yay! For those Dean/Kelly fans who were getting depressed by the couple's apartness, this chapters more or less for you. But it won't stop Dean from behaving like a dick in the second book. Anyway, I'm plowing towards the end. Keep a weather eye out for a new chappie soon!

Remember, even though I know you're all busy this fine national holiday weekend, to review. It helps me so much when I receive feedback and I haven't been getting that much lately. So, take some time and leave a few lines of a review. Let me know how you're liking the story. Even if it's criticism I don't mind.

Just give my muse a review damn it! Lol. Happy Fourth of July everyone!


	67. Chapter 67: Into the Shadows

Chapter 67: Into the Shadows

"Where are they?" Sam demanded.

He was staring from one smooth face, dark in the shadows to the other one, weather worn and aged. Both men stared at him silently and Sam felt Bobby come up behind him, hand resting on his shoulder for support. He could feel Ellen there too, the heat of her body pressing against his back, along with the warmth of her agreement. Sam felt comforted by that. He was glad both Bobby and Ellen were with him and he was comforted by the fact that they were all right. But both Dean and Kelly were gone, lost in the darkness surrounding them and after sixteen minutes of following the dusty back of Samuel Colt through this nightmare, with Rhett bringing up the rear, he was ready for an answer. He wasn't going to move one more step until he knew that his brother and his friend were okay.

"I'm not moving an inch until you tell me something new!" He growled, staring into Samuel Colt's watery blue eyes.

"I'm with Sam." Bobby said.

"We ain't goin' nowhere 'till you tell us what happened to our friends." Ellen added. Her hands settling on her waist as she stared at Samuel Colt with hard eyes. Her stubbornness a mirror of the rest of the group's.

Behind him, he heard Rhett snort with impatience and more than a little derision. He didn't think much of any of them, which Sam found to be a relief, because he didn't care for Rhett either. The man was a stuck up prick. A jack ass who liked to lord his superiority over them. _And he's completely confident._ Confident that he was better. There was no question in Rhett's demeanor or his attitude that he thought that they were uncultured hicks. _Or that we're human._ Rhett wasn't. _I wonder if other fey think like him._ Sam had no experience with this species, his only encounters had been Kelly and Rhett. _And Kelly thought she was human._ The two were incredibly different. _Like night and day._

"I assumed." Samuel Colt said in his slow drawl. "Yeh'd know that better 'n the rest of us."

Sam's eyes narrowed. That was true. Kelly was a small ball of tension in the back of his mind, frightened, and… _More than a little relieved._ His eyes never left Samuel Colt's as he flung his hand out and pointed with a long finger to, what he assumed was, the southwest.

"I just know she's that way." He said. His voice flat as he stared at the much older man, his brown orbs narrowing as his eyelids fluttered. The ground shook a little beneath his feet and Samuel Colt swore.

"That fool girl." Sam heard Samuel Colt mutter underneath his breath. "She knew we had get through here without incident."

Behind them, Rhett growled low in his throat. His black head swinging up as his nose sniffled the air, his ears perked towards the distance and the fog hanging heavy above their heads. The think grayness of the land surrounding them made the group shudder and the gray moisture in the air thickened immeasurably. Near them a large shape shifted out of the fog, lumbering along, each footstep making the land shudder beneath their feet. Vibrations shot up through the group's legs as Bobby and Ellen nearly toppled over, only Sam's firm hands keeping them upright. A large shape, like a shadow, moved along at the edge of their vision. Giant horns curled off the creature's head as hoof-like feet pounded the ground, the lower half of it's body appearing like a satyr as it wandered through the mist. They couldn't make out anything distinct, but Sam stared at it, captivated. The thing was as large as a seventy story skyscraper, it's horns seeming to brush to tip of the black sky hovering above them. Next to him, Samuel Colt swore another oath, one that Sam didn't recognize.

"What is that?" Ellen asked.

"Be silent." Rhett was beside her. His thick black hair falling across his forehead like a fetlock as he wrapped his arm around her, hand covering her mouth. "We must not let it notice us." He glanced back over his shoulder, past Sam, to Samuel Colt. "Samuel, we must not linger here. How soon till we reach the exit?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam stared up at the monster.

He'd never seen anything like it. Still, it seemed far away. Surely, they weren't in any real danger here. He blinked, Kelly's emotions shifted through him uncomfortably and Sam tasted blood on his tongue. He tore his gaze away from the creature to stare off into the darkness. Was she coming? She felt angry, but it wasn't anger directed at him. _Dean._ She was with Dean. Sam felt the tingle of pain from her, sadness, what she always felt when she stared at his brother. He nearly bit his lip. At least they felt like they were okay.

"Five minutes at best." Samuel Colt responded. "We're nearly at the graveyard."

"We should go." Rhett said. "Now." He cast a glance back towards the monster. "Before it wakes enough to notice us."

Sam shook his head. "What is that thing?" He asked. He wasn't going anywhere, at least, not until Dean and Kelly had found them. They would find them, he knew. He could already feel her approaching, like a tug at the back of his mind, her emotions and feelings growing stronger. Strong enough to touch. "Why's it so…" He trailed off, unwilling to finish a stupid question. He cast a curious glance at Samuel Colt and Rhett. Neither looked happy, if anything they looked frightened.

"A demon." Rhett said. He paused, his wary eyes never leaving the shape moving in the shadows beyond them. "A greater demon."

"For now, it ain't awake enough to notice us." Samuel Colt said. A frown creasing his worn and leathery features, his mouth turning down beneath his salt and pepper moustache.

"It is not awake enough to notice anything." Rhett added. His nostrils flared slightly as he glared upwards, his hand still covering Ellen's mouth, even as she glared at him, growling muffled exclamations. Clearly, she wanted him to let her go. "It would be best for it to stay that way."

"Why?" Sam asked. He thought all demons resided in hell. _But they said that at sunrise things caught here get sucked down to hell._ Could this shadowland border the Pit?

"Humans." Rhett snorted. "Are like cats." He glanced at Sam. "Without the extra lives to save them." He raised a black eyebrow. "Must you know all? Can you not be satisfied by the understanding that this demon is too great for the likes of mortals or creatures such as myself to handle? Should it turn it's attention to us, we would not last more than a second or two before we were swallowed."

"Not to mention that if it wakes, that demon will punch it's way through to yer world." Samuel Colt stared at Sam for a long moment. "And wreak havok there." He crossed his arms over dusty chest. "It's one of the least pleasant end of the world scenarios."

Sam nodded slowly, wondering what Samuel Colt counted as a pleasant scenario for the end of the world, and at the same time was pretty sure he never wanted to find out. _Considering that we're already trying to stop Jake._ And possibly the end of the world. He swallowed, his throat thick. Kelly was getting closer. He couldn't leave without her and Dean. He wasn't going to face the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel, alone. He needed them with him. He knew that. _Hurry up, Kelly._ He thought, casting his eyes to the southwest, wishing he had better night vision.

"Still, we ain't goin' till Kelly and Dean have caught up." Bobby said. He sounded shaken, but was recoving quickly. Sam cast a glance at him, expressing his gratitude and Bobby smiled with a nod. "Sam." His words made Sam look at him again. "If you're connected to her." Bobby had always been quick. It didn't surprise Sam that he'd figured out that he and Kelly shared a bond. "How close would you reckon they are?"

"Your Kelly," Rhett's voice was a sneer. The way he said 'Kelly' made the girl's name sound like a curse. "Knows very well how to escape these lands. She does not need us to wait for her."

"We should keep movin'." Samuel Colt continued. He glared at Rhett for a brief moment before shaking his head. "The lass will follow us in her own time." His lips quirked and he looked back at the greater demon, releasing a sigh of relief as it moved off into the fog, wandering further and further away. "If I recall her skills properly, she was always an excellent tracker, 'specially here." He shrugged and began moving off into the fog. "Yer welcome to remain here," he added as he walked, his form growing fainter as he walked further into the distance. "But, in my opinion, y'all should be concerned with the fate of the world."

"Remain here at risk to yourselves and your souls." Rhett said. Then, he released the fighting Ellen and wandered off after his partner.

"What do you think?" Sam asked Bobby quickly.

"I don't think we got a choice, Sam." Bobby sighed. He was staring after the two men. "We don't know enough about this place to stay here."

"And much as I hate to admit it." Ellen nodded. "That big dick is right." She looked up at Sam apologetically. "The fate of the world's more important than even Kelly and Dean." She cast another glance following the retreating forms of Samuel Colt and Rhett. "And those two seem to be the only ones who can get us out of here." She heaved a deep and frustrated sigh. "So, much as I hate it, I'm gonna follow them." She clapped Sam on the shoulder and hurried after Samuel Colt.

"Kelly will find us." Bobby said. He stared at Sam, just as upset at leaving a girl he loved like a daughter lost out in the darkness. "We gotta trust her, son." He smiled a worn smile. "And Dean, if anyone can make it through here, it's them."

"I guess you're right." Sam said. He still hated this, the worry was eating him up inside. He felt it worming through his gut. With an angry sigh, he followed after Bobby and the others. Angry, but not sure what to do with it. He hadn't felt this helpless since Dean had been lying in the hospital dying. Frustrated, Sam shoved his hands into his pockets and glared at the darkness. Stalking forwards, he moved up behind Bobby, hoping against hope that everything would be all right.

***

Dean sat up in the darkness, shadows slithering around him, slipping from one corner of the eye to the other, and then vanishing back into a blanket of fog. Figures moved back and forth through the mist, just outside of the darkness and momentarily in his vision. He saw great tree creatures waddling along, shaking the earth. Their roots flying outwards to grasp onto the ground and drag themselves along in a slow ponderous gate. There were several tall shapes that could have been human, they were hooded and masked. Dean never saw anything physical, just the shadows moving through the fog.

Far off, in the distance, or what he assumed was the distance, he saw a light. It was a bright yellow square like the window opening into a sixteenth century farmhouse. He'd been compelled to stand and head towards it, sure that this was the way out. He followed it, not knowing where he was going, not really knowing why. He felt compelled to continue on. One foot moved in front of the other, foot over foot like a dream. He walked and walked and walked. Then, the light winked out and he shook himself. That was when Dean found himself inches from an overhanging cliff. Peering over it, all he could see was that it dropped off into an even darker ebony black. That could have been him. Dean examined the area again and saw nothing but darkness. If it hadn't been for the vanishing light, he'd never have known the drop was there. _I'd probably be lying at the bottom or something, dead_. Shaking his head, he settled into a spot overlooking the cliff, his mind puzzling over whether or not he should call out for Kelly. All he remembered that they'd landed together but everything after it was a blank. He didn't know where she was, and every time he tried to search for her in his memories of the fall, his mind he kept coming back to the endless darkness and a small spot of light. He realized something, staring out into the blackness, separated from everyone he knew. He was afraid.

Dean Winchester had lived his young adult and now adult life filled with fear. It had been what he ate for breakfast, what he swallowed for dinner, what he dealt with during training and on hunts. But all those times he'd been afraid, Dean Winchester had never felt quite this helpless. Even as he thought about it, because he had nothing better to do, only one moment in his long life came to mind. _The night Mom died._ When his father had thrust Sammy into a young Dean's arms and commanded him to run. _And not to look back._ The young terrified Dean, who'd watched the second story of his Kansas home erupt in a torrent of flames. _With Mom still inside._ He'd known then, for the first time in his life, that nothing would ever be the same. _That I would never see her again._ He'd squelched those feelings down inside of himself, forced himself to do what his father asked of him, making Sammy his priority. _Making sure that kid had a normal life._ Now, as he sat on the edge of the cliff, kept company by nothing but occasional giggling, Dean Winchester came to the same conclusion. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Time. It felt like hours passed him by. Leaving Dean wishing that he'd traveled into this shadowland with a watch or something to give him his bearings. He thought about calling out for Kelly. When a hand, unseen, reached out of the fog and brushed against his elbow, Dean suppressed the urge to jump and start firing rounds into the empty blackness. Only a strong sense of self-control kept him from pulling the trigger. _This can't be happening._ Where the hell was Kelly, surely he hadn't wandered too far off course. Dean wondered if he should stand and try to look for her. No, that was probably a bad idea. _When you're lost, sit in one place and wait for someone to find you._

The problem with that theory though, was that this place made Dean's skin crawl. _And I thought we couldn't get here in the first place._ He'd hoped that disbelief would have its place and that maybe he'd be able to avoid coming here completely. _Samuel Colt or whoever the hell he is, didn't describe this place as pleasant._ Or safe. Kelly hadn't wanted to come here, she'd been forced by him and the rest. _And none of us would have thought about pulling a crap stunt like this until Mssrs Immortal Hunter and Hunter offered it._ At the moment, drowning in darkness and sensory deprivation, Dean was certain that Rhett had arranged the whole thing. _Just so we all die!_ Dean's teeth began to chatter as he edged himself away from the ledge. _Screw it!_ Sucking in a lungful of air, Dean stood.

"KELLY!" He bellowed.

The words flew out into the darkness, but unlike a land with laws and rules of gravity, the sound did not rebound back to him. Instead, they disappeared into the pitch black, sailing off to god knows where. Dean slumped to the ground, sitting down. How long had he been here? Something shifted in the air. Then, giggles shook the fog around him. High pitched, strange, child-like giggles.

Dean stiffened where he sat, looking around. The shotgun was out and leveled in front of him, his heartbeat quickening in his chest.

"Kelly!" The voice of a little girl whispered. At least, it sounded like a little girl.

"Kelly?" A question.

"Kelly!" A scream much like his own.

"Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, KELLY!"

Her name was repeated over and over and over on lips that Dean Winchester could not see. He looked back and forth through the darkness, his eyes scanning the area, wishing he knew which way to go. _Get somewhere, anywhere where there's cover!_ Right now, he felt like a sitting duck at the mercy of whatever was sitting out in the darkness and fog. Suddenly, Kelly telling him that this place could eat a man's soul didn't seem quite so unbelievable anymore. He sucked in a deep breath, hoping that Kelly had heard her name called. Kelly had to know how to get out of here. How to meet up with the others.

"Where are you, babe?" Dean whispered. He kept the shotgun leveled at the darkness. Not that it did much good.

"Where are you?" Came the repeat question.

"Who are you?" Came a second.

"What? What are you?" Cackled a third.

The terror in the voice was belied by the cruel laughter echoing around him. The darkness made Dean shiver and he felt his skin crawling. He couldn't see his enemy, he could feel them, but he couldn't smell or see them. He felt blind. It was frustrating sitting here alone with the enemy just out of reach.

"Babe!" Chirped a fourth.

That one sounded eerily like a cheerful bird. Making the desolate unseeable landscape of this place that much more creepy. The voice that had spoken said the word with the same loving caress by which Dean called Kelly. The mimicry was pitch perfect. And mocking.

Dean felt sharp pinpricks crawling up his arm. He glanced down, startled, and saw a large hairy tarantula crawling up his arm. With a loud yelp, he scrambled backwards. Dropping his gun, he began scraping at his arms, trying to get the spider off. He wasn't terrified of spiders, but the fact that it had appeared out of nowhere was... odd. _How… how-how the hell did that get there?_ He thought as he continued to move backwards, hoping against hope that he wasn't being driven towards the cliff. But abruptly as it had appeared, the spider vanished. _Fuckin' strange!_ He thought, knowing that he hadn't been the one to knock the spider off. He could still feel it's legs on his arms, on his skin, venom dripping, crawling up towards his face. His heartbeat quickened, panic rising.

"Stop." Dean said.

_Get a grip!_ He snarled. These things, whatever they were, they were the cause of all this and they were out there, laughing at him. _Laughing!_ He couldn't let them win. Not until he managed to find the others. Exhaling heavily, he waited for more mocking responses. But none came. It was like they'd all fled. _Why?_

Dean looked up. He thought he saw the shape of a plump woman with a large plumed hat. She ghosted around him curiously and he'd thought, hoped that she was a normal ghost. He kept with that train of thought, nearly falling back onto his knees to scramble around looking for the shotgun. If she was simply a ghost, he could blast her away with rocksalt. First problem: at the moment Dean didn't have any rocksalt. It had been in the shotgun and that was gone. This was what Dean hoped, but those were squashed as she drew nearer out of the fog, coming close enough for him to see two rows of glistening teeth.

She had a wide mouth, a grin that stretched from cheek to cheek. Large pointed teeth stretched down between them and for a moment, Dean had sworn a forked tongue flicked out from between those knife like teeth. Her mouth looked as if someone had crossed a shark with a snake. Dean would have laughed, except, as she swayed forwards on plump hips, a seductive undulating gait, he felt something between a rush of exhiliration and terror. Maybe it was a bit of both. Dean looked around, he could barely see more than two feet in front of him. Now, he couldn't move. He stared up into her flickering eyes. She was covered in shades of gray, moving like a puff of smoke as if she could be easily blown away by friendly wind. But there was no wind and her smile widened as she neared him.

That was when Dean heard bells, like the collar on a jester and his eyes flicked to the side. He watched with mild horror as a gangling figure of a humpbacked man held by a silver belled collar and a long shimmering chain shuffled out of the fog. He was not very tall with a head that swung low before him and a single arm that scraped across the ground. He looked very solid. For the first time, Dean realized that he was singing… something. It was more like a compilation of hoots and howls, barks and chitters, meows and hisses that smashed into Dean in a cacophony of sound. The man's free hand held a silver cup and as he moved clatters filled the air, the sound of dice bouncing against one another. His head was twisted sideways, hanging from between his uneven shoulders, horizontal to the ground, a jester's hat covering his limp balding hair. His eyes rolled to Dean, slowly across the top of his eyeball and a sickly grun tugged his face from ear to ear. He lifted the cup up towards Dean and shook it.

"Play? A game, a game!" He asked. He sounded almost cheery and Dean felt the air around him suck into a vacuum, but he wasn't sure where it went. Hobbling forward, the man's knuckles dragging across the black ground as he held out the cup, rattling it vigorously. "Three for threes?" He tipped the cup sideways.  
"Throw and die! A die for threes." He paused his shambling gait and stared down into the cup. Even in the darkness, Dean could see the hunchback's face alight with glee. "Oh, lucky me stars and spires! Four more to free." He stared at Dean and rattled the cup again. "Free you me." He collapsed into giggles. "The first ones always free!"

"No." Dean swallowed. "No thanks." _I've played enough fucking games for one lifetime._

His gaze shifted back to the smokey woman with the shark's teeth. He noticed the shining cord connecting the two together. The leash that was wrapped around the ghosts wrists as she regarded him implacably. She rolled towards him, gliding across the ground, her hands pressed in a motherly fashion across her midsection. Her head tilting to the side, considering, but her mouth did not close. Her full pouty lips remained dragged from one side of her cheek to the other. The shark teeth ground against each other, grating over the sound coming from the hunchback.

"A pretty?"

The hunchback lumbered forwards and Dean fought the urge to get to his feet and run. These things, they weren't real. They were illusions, tricks like the spider had been. The minute whatever was in the fog realized that he wasn't going to play along, it would back off.

Spittle flew from the hunchback's mouth, dribbling down his sideways jaw. This close, his kneck looked twisted, as if he'd falled down five or six flights of stairs and broken it. It hung limply as bulging white orbs examined Dean, this time with more consideration.

"Pretty does not want to play?" The hunchback whispered. "All pretties must play." The sickly grin widened and he jangled his collar, the bells rang as the singing began again. This time, the hunchback seemed to be doing an imitation of a rooster. "Cockadoodle dum! Cockadoodle dee! The mistress, the mistress demands a pretty, a pretty to play with me!"

"I'm not going to play." Dean repeated.

Controlling his skin, he made himself stop shivering. He'd been through scarier things, seen things more horrifying than this pair. He wasn't going to let them send him running witless to the hills and right into the jaws of anything else out here. Dean's right hand swept across his lower back, cool steel pressed against his fingertips and he smiled. He still had his Colt 19ll in his back pocket, he hadn't lost it. A second later, Dean frowned with a new realization: the Colt 1911 was full of bullets and bullets weren't going to do him much good. Except as a distraction of course, a bad one. _Especially if that hunchback isn't human._ And the ghost woman/cat/shark… He didn't even want to guess at which mythology she'd come from. _Sam would know._ He'd probably even know how to kill her. _Fat lot of good that'd do us though, we'd still need to get out of here._ Nobody had told him how that was accomplished. _I'm not sticking around 'till sunrise._

"Screw you and screw your game." He paused. "And your mistress too." He smiled, baring his teeth at the smaller man. "How does that cookoo do you?"

"Po-O-rly." The hunchback giggled. "You're rhymies lack a dimeys." He glanced at the tall woman and Dean watched the heavier man trip as she yanked the shimmering cord connecting the two of them. "Apologies," the hunchback moaned from the floor. "Apologies for everyday, the seventh Tuesday, Sabbath day…" That got him another yank and he stumbled forwards. "I gave mistress Sunday." He sobbed. "My important day."

Dean reached around the back of his pants and yanked out the Colt. He cocked it smoothly in one motion, pointing it at the hunchback. Seeing it the man squealed and began tripping backwards over his lumbering feet. He tripped and fell onto his backside with a loud thud. It seemed to echo out through the darkness, tears trickled across his bulbous nose, trickling down to splash onto the black ground. He was crying like a child. A small mass of drool and spittle, his hump heaving up and down as large blobby tears leaked down his cheeks, dribbling into his eyes.

"Not the shiny!" He moaned. "I no like the shiny blasting fire!" His head swung up towards the woman. "It burns mistress! It burns!"

_What the hell?_ Dean wondered. Staring at him, Dean pointed the muzzle up into the air. Still, he remained in the crouching position, his eyes shifting warily from one figure to the other. Far off, he heard a long and echoing howl. _Right, Kelly's voice makes noise in here._ He thought. Of course it would, she wasn't human. She wasn't sitting here trying to fend off a creature that wanted to dice for its freedom, he assumed, and a ghost woman who wanted to eat him. _I need that bloody shotgun._ Dean thought, cursing himself. _But at least she's all right._ Dean, on the other hand, was spending these few moments wondering whether or not he was going to keep his liver.

The tall woman with the shark smile glided closer to him. He watched as her head bent low and she pressed her hands together, looking at him, examining his face. He pointed the gun at her, his heart beating wildly. But the hungry curve of her mouth and the impression of her eyes suggested that she was laughing at him. _She should just say silly boy and get it over with._ Dean's finger flinched on the trigger as the woman leaned lower, her long fingered hand, nails like claws, reaching towards his face and through the gun. He was in trouble. _So much for hoping she was solid._ He thought. His face grew cool and clammy as her nails paused centimeters away from his skin.

A grating voice hissed into the open air. _"So…young… so… beautiful…."_

He could practically feel her cupping his face in her too large hands, but she wasn't touching him. Still, he felt slimy. He tried to move and found he couldn't. He could only look up, staring into depthless gray eyes. Her mouth lowered towards his and a buzzing began to hum in the back of his mind. It was warm and thrilling. How could he have ever thought this woman was ugly? How could he have ever feared this woman? A buzzing sensation tickled across his back. Her mouth was nearly connected with his own. He could love this woman. He already worshiped her. He would give her everything and anything. His life. That was a fitting gift. Dean's eyes fell closed and he let out a happy sigh, falling into the warmth making him limp. He gave in. Falling into a happy black buzz. Yes, there was nothing but darkness.

"_Youth…give…me…beauty…"_

There was a roar and a shriek, an animal scream filled the air. A cat's roar. Dean's eyes snapped open. A black dog was circling between him and the shark-faced ghost. It's lips were pulled back to reveal shining pearly teeth. A low growl rumbled from deep within it's chest as it shook a yellow furred arm, severed from below the elbow, bleeding smoking silver between it's jaws. The midnight colored dog shook the hand, steaming blood spraying everywhere, it's hard golden eyes on the creature that was already backing away.

"Kelly!" Dean called. But the dog did not look back at him.

The woman was hissing and spitting. Her remaining hand clawing at the advancing hound. Stiff legged the dog stalked forward, ears erect, red gums gleaming in the shadows, bright eyes never leaving its prey. The woman kept moving backwards, her form shifting like a blown away nimbus as she reformed into something much uglier. A cat standing upright on two legs and a wide smile. Yellow fur covered her body and she suddenly seemed more… solid. Dean wondered if he could shoot her. His eyes narrowed watching as the oversized cat lunged at the dog. Of the two animals, Dean was sure the cat was larger. She stood the size of a human, where the dog's head came up to his mid-waist. His heartbeat quicked as he stared at them. His eyes on black fur weaving in and out of the light and he swallowed, feeling weak.

The dog lunged, seizing the cat by its throat in one deft move, it slammed its jaws shut around each side of the cat's neck. It hung on as the oversized female began to lunge back and forth, clawing at the dog hanging from her throat. There were a few grunts from the dog, but it continued to hang on, grinding it's teeth together as silver blood exploded down the creature's neck. Slowly, wearily, the large two legged cat slumped to the ground and the dog tugged away the smoking flesh of the beasts jugular. The dog took a step back and eyed the beast for a moment, finally it snorted with satisfaction. Then, whirling on it's hindlegs, it trotted back to Dean's side. He noticed a slight limp to its gait and swallowed, wondering if she'd been injured in the fight. There was a shimmer of air and suddenly Kelly was kneeling in front him, silver smokey blood drifting down the side of her face. Her hand on his shoulder.

"Kelly?" He whispered.

"Dean." She sounded relieved. "I'm glad, I found you before…" She trailed off, looking back at the body of the catwoman. She turned back to him, a glare in her eyes. "I thought I told you not to wander off by yourself?" She demanded. "To stay with me!"

"Ha." Dean croaked. His throat was so dry, probably from terror. "When I woke up," he began, his voice coming out slowly. "I had no idea where you were."

"I was right beside you." Her fingers moved up, the side of his face as she peered at him. She stroked his forehead, frowning a little. She had no talent for reading minds or feeling whether or not some creature had taken up residence inside a human body. But in this moment, she wished she did. _Then I could figure out if anything's wrong._ She thought, looking back at the catwoman again, shuddering. She didn't recognize the make or model, but it looked nasty.

"You weren't." Dean responded. "There was just darkness." His hands reached up towards her and he realized that they were trembling. "And I was alone."

"But you saw a light." Kelly said. "And you followed it."

_Not knowing what you were doing._ Kelly's hand moved to her side, the ghost woman had gotten her good. Three swipes down her left side and one across her right arm. Luckily though, the claws hadn't severed any tendons. _But it hurts._ Her wounds would stop bleeding soon, shifting her glamour from one form to the other always seemed to speed up the process. _Though I'm not sure why._

Dean's hands were exploring Kelly's sides, he'd seen her limping. Quickly, he found the holes made by thick claws in her swinging jacket and began examining her side. He stopped when she winced, pulling his hand away to see it covered with red blood.

"You're hurt." He said.

Kelly glanced up at him with a wry smile, "You're such a genius." She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "How'd I ever survive without you?"

"Didn't think you'd managed to live without me around." Dean replied. He was staring at her side. "We need to get that bandaged."

"With what?" Kelly asked. Her eyebrow rose as she crossed her arms, but her wince didn't escape Dean's keen gaze. She waved him away. "I'll be fine."

"Like hell you will." Dean snapped. "You just ripped off a ghost arm." He stared at her, his lips pursing and remembering earlier days when that'd been uncommon. "With your teeth."

"Which is a step up from just biting them." She responded. Together, they glanced at one another and shared a smile.

"NOOOOOOO!" The exclamation punctuated the air.

Both Kelly and Dean swung around, the hunchback hadn't been perceived as a threat so Kelly had ignored him. Dean, having been transfixed by the one he called mistress, hadn't even noticed him. Now, they're attention was on him. He curled his head down as he stared at her lifeless form, his oversized hand bumping against the cooling body. Dean swallowed, watching the creature as it sobbed over the catwoman.

"Mistress! Mistress! Mistress can have Sabbath day! Mistress can have Sunday! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The tears slipped between giggles and sobs forced their way past hiccups. The silver cup sat still at his side and with his other hand, he was tugging at the silver chain around his neck. "Threesies never equal free! No ravens and crows for me!" He squealed. "No lightning towers or set o' nine! Snakes eyes forbidden, yes, yes!" He hissed. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Oh," Kelly muttered. "Well, shit."

Dean glanced at her. He was still confused. "You can make sense out of this circus?" He asked.

"The likes of poodles never knew the war of undying queen!" Shrieked the hunchback. "I have my Sabbath! Queens day! Sunday! Seventieth Tuesday free!" His arms swung as one tried to punch towards the air. "Seventieth Tuesday free!"

Kelly gave the hunchback a long measuring stare, then she sighed. "Give me your piece." She said. Kelly held out an expectant hand.

"Why?"

"Because I lost mine with the change." Kelly snapped. "I keep my clothes but nothing else." Her hand remained before him. "Now, give me the gun." She paused as he glared at her for another moment. "Please?"

Dean groaned. "I don't see why you need it." He grumbled, handing the gun over. "Not when you've got your super doggy kung fu moves."

Kelly took it from his hand and in one smooth motion she was on her feet. Cocking the gun as she walked across the blackened ground, golden eyes blazing as she stared down at the hunchback. Her eyes never left his face as she lowered the gun to hover inches above the teetering bell on his joker hat. Her finger on the trigger.

The hunchback barely noticed she was there, he was too busy gleeful tossing the dice in his cup. "Three for threes! Diamond, square, and ace! Find all three and find yourself a freebie! Play an extra game?" He motioned to the body, nodding to himself. He giggled wildly, snorting and spluttering spittle across the black ground. Then the man sucked in a great sniff and began to sob all over again. "Mistress! Movable please!" He began rocking back and forth on his heels. "Not my fault, not my fault, no blame please! Big dog, bad, blackie! Blackie beast! I'll never have my Sunday." Then, he was giggling again. "Mistress never knew, never knew the diamond face. Never got the tricky aces. Cheated at threes for threes. Yes, oh, yes she did! Stole my Sabbath she did!"

"Kelly?" Dean asked. He stared at her, trying to climb to his feet. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The woman he loved was standing over the crippled man, her face and eyes the coldest he'd ever seen them.

"Dices for threes. I toss, you say, I take, we trade. Yes, yes, trade." The dice were tossed into the blackness and came back down, rattling as they circled the silver cup. "Trade in threes. Shot one, two, three."

Kelly's hand tightened around the handle of the gun, her features tightned and her finger moved more firmly over the trigger. There was no pity in her hard golden eyes. Her mouth set in a thin line, neither a smile or frown, her forehead smooth. Her finger twitched.

"Wait!" Dean yelled. What was she doing? She wasn't going to shoot the hunchback! He wasn't human! It wasn't going affect him. _But what if he is? She's not just going to kill him._ Calling this way made him feel like Sam, but he doubted his little brother would have had any more success. Scrambling to his feet, he started towards her. _Is she insane?_ The man was harmless. "No! Kelly stop!"

"Toss the dice! Shot one, two…"

Kelly didn't look at Dean as she pulled the trigger, in fact, she gave no sign she'd even heard him. The gun went off with a loud bang. The hunchback's head splattered like a melon and he tipped over, collapsing beside his mistress. The entire back of his head blown out. Blood and brains splattered everywhere. Kelly just glanced down at the gun, not even bothering to wipe the blood from her cheeks.

"Three." Kelly murmured, staring down at his body.

Kneeling quickly, she moved to examin the body. Her fingers moving to the silver collar snapped around his throat. Carefully, she rolled the body over and unhooked it. She tossed it away, trying to hide her revulsion for the thing. It reminded her too much of when she'd worn something similar. _Without the bells and ribbons._ Or the leash. She was thankful to have done without the leash. Her fingers slid down his snapped neck, feeling for any jewelry he might be carrying. Silently, she found a worn piece or rope hanging loosely within his jester suit. Ignoring the way his bulbous eyes stared up at the black sky, his mouth slack with horror, she yanked it off. Dangling on the thread was a wooden cross. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Poor fool." She sighed.

"What the hell?" Dean yelled. "What the hell? Why the hell did you do that?" He scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible, staring at the gun in Kelly's hand to the body that was disappearing into the darkness. It looked like it was sinking into the black maw, vanishing as if it had never been there at all. "Kelly? Why'd you kill him?" He needed to stay calm. Stay calm, not get worked up, but it was hard not to when she was leaning over the vanishing body like it was any other corpse. Not one she'd shot at point blank range.

"Christian." She responded. Lifting up her hand, she showed him a swinging wooden cross. A caustic smile cut across her mouth as she glanced over at him, her golden eyes shining out of the darkness. "Guess his faith wasn't strong enough to do him much good."

"You think this is a fucking joke?" Dean asked. He was staring at her like he'd never seen her before. Then, it hit him what she'd said. "Wait…" He trailed off. "Wait!" Wishing he had a flashlight, he moved towards her. "Are you telling me…" He sucked in a deep breath. "Are you telling me that thing is human?" Disgust mingled with horror as he stared down at the disintegrating body. The lumpy skull and the hunchback, the limp oversized hand stretched out towards the yellow furred cat-woman body.

Standing, she turned away. Moving quickly back across the dark ground to Dean and, after initiating the safety, she handed the gun to him. She didn't look into his eyes as she grabbed, him by the arm. "Come on." She said. The words came out soft but hard. "Sam's this way."

"Kelly." His hand seized her shoulder. "Stop."

She did and looked back at him, but there was no trace of remorse in her eyes. They were cold and hard, like chips of golden amber and they were flaring at him. He couldn't tell whether or not they were angry, or just irked. Either way, it made Dean remember that she could see in the dark. He couldn't suppress a shiver. _She's not human._ He wished she didn't feel the need to constantly remind him.

"We have to regroup with the others and get out of here."

Her mouth tightened as she spoke, looking at him made her heart hurt. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly as she looked away, scanning the area, she sniffed. Dean smelled afraid and the shadowlands around them? It smelled…_hungry_. _I have a responsibility to him. I have to get him out._ She swallowed. He'd already had a close call with that ghost and her minion. She nearly closed her eyes in pain. _He almost suffered the same fate as that other guy._ She wasn't going to let him die in here or worse.

"Kelly." Dean said. His voice was hard. He thought that she looked afraid, her entire body tensing underneath her hand. "What just happened? Who was that guy?"

Kelly kept her eyes focused in the far off distance. Through the bond, she could feel Sam off in the distance. He wasn't too far away. He felt scared, but it was under control. Mostly, she knew, he was worried. A tiny smile touched the corners of her lips and the twitched in the darkness. Sam was a good master, a good Binder, and he would continue to do well. She wasn't worried about him in here. _Not when he's got Rhett and Samuel Colt taking care of him._ She hoped Ellen and Bobby were still with them. _I don't want to go and find them too._ They'd probably be in even more danger than Dean.

"Kelly?" Dean shook her shoulder. He'd moved around in front of her, his hands on her and he shook her again. There was fear in his voice, but it was controlled. Kelly nearly smiled for him, he wasn't going to let himself freak out. "Come on! Are you with me?"

"I'm fine." She said, her voice coming out softly as she looked up at him. "But we really have to go."

"I'm not gonna disagree with that." Dean said. "But I need to know why you did it."

"I can't tell you."

***

"Here we are." Samuel Colt said.

Around them, the fog was clearing up, it was still dark. But through it, Sam could see a graveyard. Large stone tombstones jutted out of rocky ground covered in dead scrub. At the far end of the yard, between two large pillars that looked like stone obelisks was a crypt. It stood alone, the center piece of the yard, surrounded by rotting wooden fence posts. Time had broken some, leaving them in halves, their tops severed and lying on the grass. The tombstones were cracked, some traditional slabs of granite erected straight with their tops curved in an arc. Others were shaped like crosses. Grass had cropped up and grown over the ground before each coffin, waving limply in the wind. Sam felt it cracking beneath his feet as he stepped forward.

When he was a kid, he'd always wondered what it would be like to view a world without color. To see as the animals saw. Now, he wished he'd never wanted that. It felt like he was looking at the world through a fogged lens. The land seeming to shift and shake around him, twist and curl as if it were diseased. Everything was shades of gray, black shadows were made blacker by curls of white. There were no browns or greens and even the sky was blacker than the blackest night. Sam couldn't see the stars. He thought he saw figures moving between the headstones, some old men and some young, all with the same kind of weather worn face and floppy cowboy hat pressed over their heads. They didn't seem to notice him or any of the others. Their ghostly eyes staring far off, almost nervous, into the distance.

Sam glanced across to Samuel Colt, the man looked sad, the corners of his eyes softening a little as he stared out at the ghosts. Sam could have sworn he saw the older man's eyes misting over. He wondered what memories this place held for him. _And how they connect him to Kelly._ He doubted that Samuel Colt would tell him, especially with Rhett standing nearby. _But I wish someone could tell me._ Why had the two of them created a gate into hell? _Or three._ If the two men could be believed. _What was Kelly doing here?_ He knew she couldn't answer that question. Turning his head, he looked back into the darkness. _Hurry up, Kelly._ It didn't look like Jake was here yet. _But we don't have much time._ He hoped she could find them. _I don't doubt I could find her._ He could still feel the tug in the back of his mind, she was getting closer. The anger, fear, and disgust she was experiencing made his stomach roll. He wondered why. He'd have to ask when he saw her again.

"This is it, huh?" Bobby asked. It was more of a statement than a question and he rubbed his beard. "We gonna wait here for the others?" He glanced away from Sam to Samuel Colt and Rhett.

Both men glanced at Bobby, their gazes hard, almost as if they were upset at being broken out of their reverie. Rhett frowned and looked at Samuel Colt, it was almost an expression of deference. Almost.

"Yeah." Samuel Colt said, clearing his throat. "Seems we've still got time. We're safe enough here."

Sam's forehead creased. Again, he wondered what the relationship between the two of them was. Who was leading seemed to depend on the moment, their partnership continually confused him. Especially what Samuel Colt had seemed to infer when he'd told Sam to call Kelly to him. _To see if she remembered her training._ Sam didn't want to think about Kelly like she was a dog. But he couldn't deny that a part of her was. He felt it through that knot in the back of her head. _Her human appearance is a glamour._ Whatever that really meant. His mouth tightened into a thin line.

It took Sam a minute to realize that the soles of his feet were burning.

"We're on holy land." Samuel Colt continued. "This place was blessed and consecrated by an Arapaho shaman before Samuel Colt turned it into a graveyard. The magic here is strong enough to penetrate even the shadowlands. That's why it's weaker here." He glanced from Sam to Bobby and Ellen. Sam wondered if they were being affected the same way. "The blessing itself is meant to keep the troublesome dead away, evil, and even the living. It's why few come here."

"It is also the spell keeping the hellgate locked." Rhett added. A wry smile spread across his lips as he looked down at his own booted feet. "Samuel and I have not been welcome in this place since the blessing was laid."

He glanced over at Sam with knowing eyes and the younger man nearly flushed. Sam knew that Rhett was explaining why Sam's own feet hurt. _But why? If it's supposed to keep evil out, why is it hurting me?_ He swallowed, wondering if it had something to do with Kelly's healing of him. Shaking his head, he pushed that away, looking back over his shoulder, wishing that his brother and his hound would come out of the fog. He didn't like standing here with the land giving him hotfoot and them nowhere in sight. He sighed softly as his eyes narrowed, they would come he knew, hopefully before it was too late

***

Anger flowed through Kelly, flooding every pore of her body, ready to burst out in a torrent of anger and self-loathing. She didn't regret taking the man's life. And that frightened her, nearly as much as Dean's disgust did. Still, she kept walking. She needed to get to Sam and soon. _Or else, Rhett and Samuel will leave, taking the others with them._ And though Kelly had brought in her own source of getting out, she'd lost it, along with her gun, when she'd been forced to change. The only thing she kept was her clothes. It was frustrating. _There are other ways to get out._ She reminded herself. But none quite as easy or quick as having a handy lighter. Fire made shadowlands disappate, shoving their non dead contents back into reality. _But I lost my lighter._ She nearly shook her head, fighting despair back into her belly. So long as she kept Dean close, everything would be okay. Sam wasn't too far away and Kelly was confident that she could reach him before time or Samuel Colt's patience ran out.

"What?" Dean demanded as he followed her through the gray and silver fog. "Why can't you tell me? Who was that guy?"

The darkness seemed to be coalescing around them, growing darker, hovering as if it were listening. It set Dean's already frayed nerves on edge. He was glaring at her back, trying to sort his thoughts in order of importance. They needed to find Sam and the others, he agreed with her on that. Angrily, Dean fingered the filigree carved handle of his Colt 1911 semi-automatic. He could still feel the blood staining it beneath his hands. The cold manner in which she'd executed the hunchback had left him frozen on the inside. _Especially since he had to be human._ The bullet wouldn't have worked otherwise. _She said something about him being Christian._ And that his faith hadn't been strong enough to help him, whatever the hell that meant. _Why did she kill him?_ Had it been a mercy killing? He understood what she'd done with the cat-woman with the shark-like smile ghost. Dean suppressed a shiver and the memory of her transparent hands nearly touching his face, the feelings of ecstatic joy that had raced through him. He didn't want to remember that. _What really happened to you Kelly?_ Dean wondered. _What did that Yellow-Eyed bastard do to you in the months you were missing?_ A part of him felt like he didn't know her anymore.

"I thought I said." She replied.

Her voice was cool as she walked through the darkness, her path unerring and completely confident. Her bright golden eyes were focused off into the distance, as if she was looking at something Dean couldn't see. _Probably Sam._ He thought, swallowing his jealousy.

"You said he was a Christian." Dean snapped. "I'm guessing he was some unlucky bastard who wandered in here." He didn't wait for ner agreeing nod, he didn't need it, the tightening of her shoulders was enough of an agreement. "You didn't say why you killed him."

Kelly glanced back over her shoulder at him, even as she kept walking. Her hips swaying in the darkness with her loose, almost languid gate. A sad smile quirked her lips but the emotion there never made it to her eyes. "I was under the impression that the answer was fairly obvious." There was a slight tilt to her head as her face rolled back around to stare off into the distance. "Maybe I was mistaken."

"Why did you kill him?"

"You're a smart man, Dean." She said. "You figure it out."

Dean had nearly had enough of her cryptic answers, he hurried forwards trying to catch up with her. Around them, the darkness groaned and there were several soft giggles. He felt a thousand eyes on him, watching him eagerly. _Apparently if we're amusing enough it doesn't try to swallow us whole._ That wasn't a comforting thought. He swallowed a deep breath as he reached out towards her, but his hand stopped before his fingers connected with her shoulder. He froze a moment, unsure.

"Why did you shoot him?" He repeated. There was more of a demand in his tone this time, enough to keep his voice from shaking. "Why Kelly? If he was human, why?" It was hard for Dean to believe that the shrunken blob of scarred and misshapen flesh had once been human. But he knew that such deformities existed in the world. He'd even met a couple. Dean swallowed. "Was it a mercy killing?"

"You can believe that if makes you feel better." Kelly said.

Sidestepping over an almost invisible lump lying on the ground, her nostrils curling from the smell of rancid deteriorating flesh, she swallowed. She knew why she'd killed the hunchback and the reason hadn't been pity. _Though I wish it was._ The answer to his question only made her hate herself more. _When did I grow into such a monster._ Fury rippled through her as a face drifted across her mind, pupil-less yellow eyes gazed at her knowingly and a pleased smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. _He's a part of me._ And she wondered if she would ever be able to outrun him or his influence over her. _He made me what I am._ He had been the reason behind pulling the trigger, all the painful training, the beatings, the torture, the death, and the bloodsucking. Her stomach twisted in her belly and she nearly clapped her hands over it. She would not cry. She was strong, hard and unforgiving as steel. _And I'm going to kill him._ Still, it didn't pain her that she'd pulled the trigger. Besides her own self-loathing, hurt and shame over Dean's obvious disgust with her, she felt nothing. Nothing at all.

Dean let out an exasperated sigh. They were going round and round in circles and getting nowhere. "Did that cat-lady have anything to do with what happened to him?" Dean watched with curiosity as ahead of him, Kelly slowly nodded.

"And his fate would probably have been yours if I hadn't shown up when I did."

There was a bit of forced cheerful cockiness in her tone that made Dean's blood boil. He grumbled in the back of his throat. His rumbling voice threatening to put her over his knee and spank the word games right out of her. Kelly glanced back at him with eyebrows raised, her expression challenging.

"You're probably right." Dean sighed. He didn't want to get into another, completely different fight. Dean could leave the mystery of the hunchback alone for now. "We have bigger things to focus on." He glanced at her again; she wasn't looking at him anymore. There seemed to an air of excitement surrounding her. "How long until we reach the others." He'd never asked how it was she knew where they were, he'd just assumed it had something to do with her keen hound sense of smell. _Anyway, finding Sammy's all that really matters._ Finding Sam and stopping Jake. _Save the world._ The words sounded cheesy even in Dean's own brain. He was no hero.

"Not much time at all." She said.

Kelly lifted a knowing finger into the air and pointed towards a cloud of mist that was confronting them. Dean peered into it and to his surprise it pulled back and he saw a graveyard before him. Everything was gray, except the shadowed figures of Sam, Bobby, Ellen, Rhett, and Samuel Colt who were all standing just inside the wooden fence, beyond the shut gray and black iron-gate.

Dean glanced at Kelly in surprise. "We made it." He said, not quite believing it even as the words came out of his mouth. He watched at she nodded.

"Dean!" Sam's voice broke through the stillness and as Dean hopped the fence, he saw his brother barreling towards him. Sam's arms wrapped around Dean and he pulled his brother into a tight hug. "I was worried you'd gotten lost." He said into his brother's ear.

"Yeah." Dean forced a smile. "Well, I kinda did," he glanced back at Kelly as Sam let him go. The girl was picking her way over the rocky gray ground and she came to a wary stop by the fence. "Luckily Kelly was there to pull my frying pan out of the fire." Dean felt that mentioning the strange adventures with the hunchback and Kelly's execution went better left unsaid. He shoved them back into the corners of his mind. "You get here safe?" He peered past his brother, seeing to his own relief that Bobby and Ellen were standing close to Samuel Colt and Rhett. They looked nervous, but not really roughed up more than usual.

Sam nodded. "Yeah." He said. "Saw some weird stuff though."

"So did we." Kelly said. She looked up at her partner. "Hey Sam," she smiled. "Glad to see you in one piece."

Her hand was resting on the wooden barrier, eyeing the graveyard with some trepidation. She sucked in a deep breath and hopped the fence, wincing as her feet landed on the crackling gray grass. Dean wondered what that was about. _Did she hurt her feet fighting the cat woman ghost?_ Her side looked like it was healing fine, which meant that the wounds had to have been shallow, even if she still flinched a little when she moved.

"You too." The smile Sam returned her was filled with warmth, making Dean shift uncomfortably between them.

"So," Kelly swallowed. "I'm guessing we're all ready to get out of here?" She glanced over at Samuel Colt and Rhett, relieved that they hadn't decided to get out of the shadowland before she'd managed to track them down.

"Yeah, I'll say." Dean coughed. "I don't ever wanna have to come in here again."

"I'm with him." Sam replied as they began heading towards the main group together. He hung close to Kelly and Dean walked next to him, trying to keep Sam between himself and the love of his life.

"That's too bad." Kelly sighed. "How else do you think we're getting home to the Impala?"

Both boys gaped at her as she moved up ahead of them, jogging to meet Bobby and Ellen. Bobby slapped her on the back and Ellen gave her a warm hug, glad to see her alive and well. Then, as the Winchester's joined the small circle, Samuel Colt and his hound Rhett turned to face them. A worn smile touched Samuel's eyes as he reached into his pocket, but he said nothing as Rhett glanced at Kelly.

"You took your time." He said.

The statement twisted in the older hound's mouth to sound like an insult and Sam bristled next to Kelly. She only bowed her head slightly in deference to her pack mate, her face smooth. But Sam could feel the irritation stinging in the back of his mind. He nearly put his hand on her shoulder to calm her, but one quick glance at Dean's face made him think better of the idea. He didn't know why his brother was behaving so strangely or why he seemed to have broken up with Kelly, but Sam didn't want to rub his brother's nose with how close he and Kelly were becoming.

"We had some difficulties." Kelly responded, her tone cool as she spoke. She didn't look at Rhett, in here, he was much higher ranking and he had more experience. _No matter how familiar he seems._ And he was fey. _Which means that he…_ and by extension Samuel Colt couldn't be trusted. "But all those matters are settled." She swallowed as the other hound's eyebrows rose questioningly. "And the hours of the night grow short."

"I agree with Keely that we should leave." Samuel Colt said. His voice broke the tension that was surrounding the four. Dean and Sam glanced over at him, but Rhett kept his eyes on Kelly and she in turn kept hers submissively on the ground.

Out of his pocket, Samuel Colt pulled a lighter. Several surprised stares followed the motion as Bobby Singer muttered.

"What the hell's that for?" Though after taking a moment to think about it, Bobby felt that he had a pretty good idea.

"Our pass out o' here." Samuel Colt responded. "Quickest way." Smiling through his salt and pepper moustache, he explained. "Shadowlands are violently afraid o' daylight, s'why they're almost nonexistent while the sun's in the sky, only growing stronger as it sets. They thrive in darkness." With his thumb, he flicked open the lid of the lighter, his thumb sitting on the wheel triggering the flint. "So, quick way to dispel one is by lighting a fire inside it." He reached out for Ellen's hand and grudgingly the older woman gave it to him. "Everyone hold a hand."

Kelly's fingers slipped into Sam's and Rhett's as Dean took his brother's and Bobby's, Bobby took Ellen's. "This'll only taken a moment." Samuel Colt said. Then, with a quick flick of his thumb and a grind of gears a tiny flame emerged into the still air and fog around them. As it did, everything drew back and the black landscape shook. Sam shut his eyes. And after a long moment of consideration, the shadowland spat them back out.

AN: Finally we're headed to the climax, I know some of these chapters can be long, but it's almost over. The final battle is about to get underway. Thank you so much for all your support. I'll see you in the next chapter. Toodles!

Remember to review!


	68. Chapter 68: Rabbit Takes the Hand of God

Chapter 68: A Rabbit Takes the Hand of God

The sky was a dark inky black when Jake Talley walked into the old cowboy graveyard. The closed gate groaning as he pushed it open nearly made him jump and the sound of a crow cawing in the nearby trees sent his heart racing in his chest. He didn't need to do this, he knew, but he had decided that he would. As he walked among the tall headstones, the sound of his feet crunching on the grass was the only one he heard. A shiver passed up his spine. This graveyard was eerily quiet. It was as if all life in the surrounding area had vanished, everything going to ground, leaving only silence to hang in the air. Jake felt like he was fitting his neck with a headman's noose as his eyes swept the area. He found that he couldn't keep them focused on the crypt at the back of the graveyard. It was his destination; it was where he would change his entire life. Jake Talley couldn't turn back now.

Hearing the sound of footsteps as they approached, Dean Winchester pressed his back against the stone obelisk. As the black form of Jake moved past him, he slid sideways, his gun taut between his fingers and moved around out of sight. His Colt 1911 pressed tight against his chest as Dean held his breath, knowing that it only took a single sound to give away his position. He couldn't let Jake Talley know they were there until it was time. He needn't have worried.

The minute Jake moved past the tall obelisk, the old iron door of the crypt transfixed his eyes. There were two, bound together by a round circle filled with markings that Jake couldn't read and inside them another circle with a pentagram. At the very center of the pentagram was a small hole; it was just large enough for the barrel of the Colt pistol he held in his hand. Jake could hear whispers coming from it. Talk of glory and riches. All he had to do was open the door. That was all, let them out, and they would make the world his. He held the key in his hands. Jake continued forwards, unaware of anything but the voices. He would set them free like he'd promised the demon. _Then everything will be okay._ Jake's life and his family's life would get better. It had to. He had nowhere to go, no future except this. Jake took a deep breath, as the door loomed nearer. He was ready.

The sound of a stick cracking underfoot made him turn. His eyes widening with surprise as five people stepped out from behind the headstones, guns in hand, the barrels all trained on him. He recognized two of them at first glance; the young man who'd screamed Sam Winchester's name after Jake stabbed him, and the old man who'd chased Jake to the end of the farm, too slow to catch him. But there was an older woman on the far right he didn't recognize and another grizzled old man in a cowboy hat who was gazing at him with knowing watery blue eyes.

_Where's the bitch?_ He wondered. He'd expected to find her here; after all, Yellow-Eyes had been sure that she would come. Still, he didn't see her. _She's gotta be here. She's gotta be._ Inside his chest, his heartbeat quickened. Military training suppressed the urge to whirl around scanning the graveyard. There were five guns on him. He had to keep his cool. _Cool won't do me much good if she lunges at me from behind._ He didn't think much of her, not after her interference had given him the opening to kill Sam. _But Yellow-Eyes thinks she's dangerous._ Not to the demon of course, but to Jake. _And I'm not lettin' anybody stop me from gettin' my reward._

His gaze swept the group again and this time his heart nearly stopped, his eyes settling on the familiar face of Sam Winchester. The other man looked angry. Nearly murderous as he approached out of the brush. His gun centered on Jake's heart. A chill whisked up Jake's spine. His breath escaping his lungs in nervous spasms as he shifted from foot to foot underneath Sam's hateful gaze.

"W-wait." Jake forced his voice stop trembling, but terror still made it shake. "Y-you were dead." He said. "I killed you."

"Yeah?" A hard smile made Sam's lips twitch. He glared at Jake with a burning brown stare, his head tilting to the side, his mouth a mask of revulsion. "Well, next time finish the job."

"I did!" Jake snarled.

He felt like a rabbit trapped by a snare as the hunters closed in. Jake knew he couldn't be facing Sam Winchester. He'd left the man lying in the mud, his spinal column severed, his wound bleeding out. _I can't be facing his ghost!_ Guilt compounded by pure terror made Jake's insides squirm. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Sam Winchester and the gun he was holding. _Where's the bitch?_ He thought again. She had to be at his back. There was no way Sam would have come here without her. _What did she do?_ Jake knew it had to be here. _Or else he's a walking talking ghost!_

"I cut clean through your spinal cord, man." Slowly, almost unnoticeably Jake's fingers tightened around the stolen knife he kept stuffed in the back of his pants. Drawing it by the handle, he let his hand fall to his side, the rusty blade glittering in the darkness.

Sam's gaze moved to questioningly Dean, suddenly everything was becoming clearer. _I did die_. Had it been Kelly who brought him back? _If it was then why does Dean look so guilty?_ What had his brother done? Sam watched Dean's eyes drop slowly towards the ground. _Was everything Kelly told me a lie?_ No, it couldn't be. _Or else I wouldn't feel her as a knot in the back of my mind._

On the left side of the group, masked by the darkness, smaller of the black hounds pulled her lips back into a silent snarl. She did not take her golden gaze from Jake Talley's face, wishing that she could leap across the space between them and rip out his throat. She didn't even bother to look at Rhett who was standing a few feet from Ellen on the outside of the semi-circle. White teeth shone out of the darkness as a soft growl bubbled at the back of the dog's throat. She shifted from paw to paw irritably, tired of waiting. Her ears were perked forwards as her nose scented the air in anticipation. Her unblinking stare never left Jake Talley. The hound was grateful her prey had not noticed her. She stood still, waiting for her master's signal.

Bobby's gaze quickly flicked from Dean to Sam before moving back to Jake. His hand tightening around the barrel of his Colt Peacemaker, his finger flinching over the trigger. He wanted to put this bastard in the ground. _But we need some damn answers first._ The tension was so thick in the air that it could be cut with a knife. He didn't bother to glance at Samuel Colt, who was standing to his right. Even so, he could feel the tension in the other man.

"You can't be alive." Jake shook his head, the words barely a whisper on the still air. "You can't be."

Even the winds of the north, south, east, and west had fled the territory, filling the graveyard with silence. Sam Winchester and Jake Talley stared at each other unflinching. The air around them grew thicker as the silence lengthened. Nothing but the sound of their tensed breathing filling the area. The future waited, balanced on a knife's edge and a hairsbreadth of force could push it one way or the other. Salvation or destruction. Fate weighed down heavily on their unaware shoulders as the world held its breath.

"Okay," Bobby said. His gruff voice breaking through the silence and the staring contest. Jake's eyes moved to glance at him, measuring him and the gun he held. Judging him and dismissing him as nothing more than a flea. "Just take it real easy there, son."

Jake's voice was angry and challenging. "And if I don't?" He asked.

"Wait and see!" Sam yelled.

A few feet to Sam's left, the hound lifted her head, barking an affirmative. Shifting from paw to paw as the tip of her tail shook, golden eyes darting nervously to her master's back. Her hot breath filling the air with an eager whine as she stared at Jake Talley. The excitement was almost too much for her, connected as she was to her master's mind. She could feel his fear and hatred coursing through her like the tainted blood that swept through her veins. It made her feel more like a hunter, a predator. More like a dog.

Jake's gaze swung to the dog and felt his heart quiver. It was larger than he remembered. It's teeth sharp in the darkness. _Do I hit her with the knife or him?_ It wasn't an easy choice. The dog made his blood freeze. Her angry barks filling him with the kind of terror he hadn't felt since he was small. He'd seen what the Army's German shepherds could do and Jake didn't want to find himself on the receiving end of her teeth.

Swallowing his fear and forcing himself to look away, he turned his gaze to Sam. "What are you?" He asked, his voice derisive. "Some kind of tough guy all of a sudden?"

In response, Sam shrugged. Never dropping Jake from his sights, he didn't take the time to glance at the hound. He could feel her eagerness in his mind, waiting on his command. Waiting for him. It felt strange to have such a powerful weapon at his disposal and he knew that with a mental flick or a verbal command, she would be all over Jake. Still, Sam couldn't bring himself to give it. Not yet. _We need to know what he knows._ He thought. _We need to know what the demon wants._ Besides obvious chaos. Sam doubted that a plan laid so firmly could be just about chaos. _He wants the demons that are inside._ The real question was why. _And what does he need the likes of me and Jake for?_ Sam let the thought die away in his mind as he focused his attention on Jake. The other man was still speaking.

"What are you gonna do?" Jake asked. "Sic that black monster on me? Have her rip me to shreds?" The dog had to belong to Sam. "Shoot me full o' bullets?" Jake didn't see it heeding anyone else. He gazed at the other psychic child with eyes full of doubt, his voice soft. "You gonna kill me?"

"It's a thought!" Sam spat. Drawing the gun up higher, his finger itching to squeeze the trigger, he didn't let his gaze waver. He didn't like Jake talking about Kelly. He didn't like him mentioning his dog. _Kill him._ The word whispered through the back of Sam's mind like a command. _Kill him now._

"You had your chance." Jake said. "And you couldn't." From his right, he heard the hound bark threateningly. He glanced to the side and stared into golden eyes. A shiver ran through his gut as he stared at the pulled back lips and the exposed teeth. The hound's head swung low over its paws, positioned in a near crouch, ready to jump. "And neither could you!" He snarled, more forcefully than he'd meant to. He could feel his composure breaking.

"There were rules then." Sam snapped. "She's not bound by them now." His hands tightened around the gun. "As for killing you, well," his eyes narrowed as the corners of his mouth tightened. "I won't make that mistake twice."

Near him, the hound yipped.

Slowly, a large grin spread across Jake Talley's face. His gaze never left Sam as he let out at sharp bark of laughter; it was followed by a low grating chuckle. Irritated, Dean's hands tightened around the handle of his own weapon. Thoughts and worries about blood and brains left far at the back of his thoughts. Anger seeped through him, tensely his feet shifted in his stance and he tilted his head to the side.

"What're you smiling at, you little bitch?" He asked.

Slowly, Jake Talley's head turned. He didn't have any confidence that he could control the dog now; he had no idea if he even could. _And I ain't wastin' time to try._ Still, it would have pleased him to no end if he could force the black hound to attack Sam. _I just need to find a way to make 'em back down._ He could do that. The grin remaining a firmed fixture on his lips, his eyes shifted across the semi-circle, trying to find the one who'd do the most damage. Jake's gaze settled on the older woman with the gun, her eyes weren't on him, she was watching the old man and Sam Winchester with mild irritation. Jake's grin widened.

"Hey lady," he said. "Do me a favor." For a moment and just a moment the insides of his pupils glowed yellow. Ellen stiffened. "Put that gun to your head."

Ellen shook her head. _There's no way, no way I'm doin' that._ She thought and tried to open her mouth to say so. But it was like she was on marionette strings, feeling her body as it shook, she tried to fight. _What the hell?_ Was all her mind could manage as the barrel of the gun pulled back towards her. The cold steel in her hands biting as her finger quivered over the trigger. Slowly, she lifted the barrel and pressed its cool point against her temple. Terrified, Ellen ground her teeth. _I'm not gonna cry! I'm not gonna cry! I'm sure as hell not gonna cry!_ But she felt the moisture whimpering in the corners of her eyes, she dared them to fall. _Cry and I'll beat you within an inch of your life!_

All eyes turned to on Ellen with surprise. All eyes except those of Samuel Colt and his hound. The ancient man's mouth twisted with a wry kind of sarcasm to form a cruel smile. He'd seen many things in his years and while he'd helped this small group so far, he had his own orders to think about. Slowly, his eyes moved to where Rhett still remained hidden in the shadows to the far right of the obelisk and an understanding passed between them.

Jake's mouth spread into an even wider grin, one that covered his face with a sadistic kind of pleasure. Bobby's gaze snapped from Ellen to Jake in shock, and Sam could do nothing but look at her and look back in horror. He knew that Jake hadn't had this kind of power before. _Where the hell did it come from?_ It had been Andy's ability to control people with his mind, make them do whatever he suggested. But then Ava had only had visions. _Before she started being able to summon demons._ SO that left him with a frightening question. _Did the demon boost Jake's abilities?_

"See that Ava girl," Jake said. "She was right." His eyebrows compressed over his eyes, his nose wrinkling, and passion filled his voice. Jake sounded like a junkie who'd just discovered a whole new kind of high. "Once you give in to it, there's all sorts of new Jedi mind tricks you can learn."

Sam's mouth tightened as he exhaled sharply. He felt Kelly shifting back and forth on her paws, waiting for him to give the signal. He couldn't give it though. _Not if Ellen's going to have a chance!_ There was a soft whine from his left and Sam could only shake his head. "Let her go!" He yelled, his voice trembling with fear and an anger he barely had contained.

"Just shoot him." Ellen forced out through her teeth. Her voice shaking as the gun rattled against the side of her head.

"You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off." Jake told them, a gleeful warning hanging around the edge of his voice. He sounded excited. Thrilled. "I'll pop her faster than even your hound can move." Dean and Bobby held their positions, both exhaling heavily. The guns shaking in their fingers, but their aim still remained true. Jake's eyes moved to them. "Everybody put your guns down." He commanded. Ellen's breathing trembled as air shuddered out of her lungs, heavily and loud. Jake's smile touched his mouth again, it was cheery. "Except you sweetheart." He said.

Dean looked down and around, watching as Bobby slowly lowered his arm. Finger fastening the safety as his hand dropped to his side, his gun clicked loudly. _No!_ Dean's mind growled. _No, no, no, no, NO!_ But for all his internal howling, he kept his face tight and tense. He didn't drop his gun. Instead, slowly, Dean's gaze shifted to his brother and to the black hound beyond Sam. His eyes tightened at the edges. Sam hadn't dropped his gun yet and Kelly still looked ready to pounce. _No! Shit! No!_ His hazel eyes swung back to Ellen. _Damn it!_ She looked terrified. Finally, with an angry growl, Dean lowered his own gun, clicking on the safety as his hands reached his waist. He couldn't take the satisfied smirk on Jake Talley's lips. _I'm gonna put a bullet between your fucking eyes, you little bitch._ He swore. _Just wait and see._

Beside Ellen, Samuel Colt languidly lowered his gun. Shrugging carelessly to Rhett. The hidden hound snorted softly in the darkness. The Peacemaker in Colt's hand moved sideways, remaining trained on a new target. He was a patient man and this kid would be useful for a little longer, to test Sam Winchester. Samuel Colt sniffed derisively, though at the moment, this Jake was annoying extra on the field.

Jake's gaze moved on to Sam and after Dean lowered his gun. He flicked his head forward, grinning cruelly and Ellen's finger snapped on the trigger. A terrified heave shuddered through the graveyard, a near scream. Sam flinched and took his hand off the gun, spreading them apart to show that he meant no harm. He heard Kelly growl softly nearby. He could feel the primal nature of her mind against his, like a hot overwhelming wave. He barely kept it behind its barrier. Sam knew that she wanted to hunt, to kill. _She'll kill Jake if I let her._ But Sam couldn't accept Ellen as a sacrifice. He lowered his hands slowly and took a step back, clicking on the safety.

"Okay." Jake's gaze swung across the group again. "Thank you."

He tossed one last glance back at Ellen and then the tensed black hound. Jake knew that he didn't have much time, even time to think. Sam lifted his gun up again, hurrying forwards, nodding to the black hound, who lunged. Jake drew his arm back in one fluid movement and hurled the rusty knife towards Sam, not pausing to see his handiwork; he whirled around facing the crypt's iron doorway. Too surprised to dodge, Sam felt the point of the knife bury itself deep into his chest, watching with amazement as trickles red blood stained the front of his shirt. Sam staggered. Jake yanked the Colt from his pocket and shoved it into the lock. At the same moment, Dean lunged towards Ellen, pulling her hand out of the way as the gunshot went off. Bobby backed up and found the point of a gun buried in his liver.

"Sorry, fellow." A gruff voice whispered in his ear. "Can't have yeh interferin'."

"I thought you were on our side." Bobby hissed.

The black dog lunged for Jake's back, her teeth inches from his shoulder as a competing force sailed into her side, knocking her away. She tumbled to the ground with a pained yelp. Looking up, startled into the cold golden eyes of her pack mate. His lips curled back in a wordless snarl as he stood over her. She lay on her side, body aching, as a whine of confusion sang through the air. Her ears flattened against her skull and she growled at the other hound.

Jake shoved the gun into the lock, watching with satisfaction as the whole thing began to turn. He heard a myriad of clicks as the door unlocked, the pentagon in the circle beginning to spin before his eyes. _I did it!_ He thought with relief. _I…_ His celebration was short lived as a bullet punctured his back, burning through him and a bang echoed across the graveyard. _What?_ Jake Talley thought. Another bang, another burning hit, he felt his body spasm as another and another hit him. His body convulsing and blood coated his mouth, over his tongue, dribbling out between his lips. His mind grew fogged. _No…_ Jake struggled for control of his body and failed. He toppled backwards, exposing Sam Winchester holding his gun in one free hand, a frightening and heartless expression on his shadowed face.

Slowly, Sam reached up his chest and seized the handle of the blade buried in his chest. Yanking it free, he tossed it away without a momentary thought. Not even pausing to think on what had happened. Before Sam, there was a series of loud clanks, even as the pentagram spun. More locks were being undone. Sam Winchester moved, his head swinging to the side as he coldly examined his handiwork. There was no trace of emotion or hatred in his gaze, no trace of anything. He lowered his gun as the clanking continued, each one undone with his steps as he walked around the whimpering Jake Talley. The gun hanging languidly in his hand and he looked nowhere else but at the fallen man. He came to a stop as he reached Jake's feet, his arm rising coolly to point the barrel at Jake's heart.

On the ground, the black man lifted his head. His dark eyes staring at the gun in Sam Winchester's hand. Terror filled him. _Jesse I'm…_ His mind was filled with broken thoughts, broken notes as he watched his life fly before his eyes. He could see his sister swinging on the black inner tube around the oak tree outside their home. He'd built that for her. He saw his mother sitting on the porch; her worn smile wide and warm, welcoming him inside. He saw her at the hospital with tubes sticking out of her arms, her skin pale and gray, still wearing that smile. He groaned. His breath coming out in stuttered gasps as he sought to hold onto his consciousness. The darkness was creeping up from the back of his mind. Taking everything and turning it to shining mist. He could feel the hunger swallowing him. Something beneath him, a black maw sucking him down. Jake shook all over. He strained, picking his arm up off the ground as he looked up at Sam Winchester and the gun in his hand.

"No…" Jake whispered. "Please…"

He needed to get home. To Jesse, to his mother. He wanted to see him again. Needed to. They needed him. _Promise…_ Black and white warred inside his head and Jake Talley saw stars. Giggles flew across his mind and he felt tiny fingers grasping him. An image hung before him, two fingers tucked around one another, a pinky swear. _Jesse…_ He had to go home. Blood splattered down the sides of his mouth. Dripping across his cheek to stain the ground beneath him. His fading sight on the gun in Sam Winchester's hand.

"Please…" He gasped.

Sam said nothing; he merely put his free hand beneath the one that gripped the gun. His eyes expressionless and dark. His eyes were like black chunks with nothing in them and he looked… _Pleased…_ As if seeing Jake beg was all he'd ever wanted. A cruel smile touched his mouth, turning his lips upward. His gaze unwavering.

"No…no, no, no!"

Sam Winchester squeezed the trigger. Once, twice, a third time. Blood spattered the side of his cheek, his eyes cold. He watched as Jake Talley went limp, his head falling back onto the ground, his eyes rolling backwards in his head to stare wordlessly up at the overhead stars. He'd shut out his begging now. He'd never beg ever again. A pleasure twitched on Sam's lips. Pleasure that did not come from within him. He felt the cold touch of another's mind behind his eyes, he felt the thrill. It was what she felt, Sam knew. It was what she felt when she killed. Strangely, it left him feeling… exhilarated.

Behind him, there was a final click and Sam's eyes rose to look up. Dean was staring at him in shock, his arm still around Ellen. Bobby seemed to be frozen, standing with Samuel Colt behind him. Kelly was on the ground with Rhett growling over her. He came to his senses as all the human faces gazed at him in wordless shock. Every face except Samuel Colt's. He heard Kelly bark a warning.

"No one move!" Samuel Colt roared across the graveyard. His hand rising to seize Bobby by the shoulder. "It's too late to stop it now."

No one was looking at Sam anymore; instead they were staring at Colt in horror. Beneath Rhett, Kelly scrambled to move, but the older hound seized her by her neck, his teeth around her jugular and threw her, snarling, back against the ground. Kelly twitched beneath his grip, her voice coming out in a hateful whine. Her paws kicking against the rocky dirt, uprooting dead grass and sending it flying.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean yelled. Whirling around he pointed his gun at Samuel Colt, his heart thundering in his chest. "I shoulda known!" He growled. "I shoulda known you planned to betray us!"

"Let him go!" Ellen snarled at the same time.

"No." Samuel Colt said with a cruel smile. "You didn't truly believe only one hand had an interest in this?" A bushy eyebrow rose with caustic questioning and he laughed, a rough gravelly laugh.

"Why are you doing this Samuel?" Sam asked. Behind him, he felt the wind pick up and begin to howl. Clouds circled overhead where there had been none before. He nearly expected rain to begin pouring down on their heads, but none came. Sam lifted his hand to wipe the blood off of his cheek and raised his gun to point at the much older man. He wasn't going to let Bobby die.

"Followin' orders." Samuel Colt said. "In service of the one all o' us follow. I'm sorry, lad." He added, actually sounding regretful. "We all have our mission." He shrugged. "This's been planned fer more'n three hundred years. Since before Rhett made me immortal, from before this gate was created." Sam could see his hand tightening around the handle of his gun, he watched as Bobby winced. "We're here to see it ain't stopped."

"What?" Sam whispered.

Behind him the gears of the door continued to whirl. Metal grating against metal, the Colt pistol remaining still and jammed into the hole. It circled and circled and circled, Ellen shut her eyes in horror as Bobby twitched against the gun. Dean's eyes narrowed as he swept over Samuel Colt, then moving to where Rhett held Kelly pinned against the ground. He could feel the world tense, ready, and then… silence exploded. The turning of the lock came to a shuddering halt.

"No." Ellen whispered. Her finger flinching on the trigger of her gun. "No. God no."

"Are you crazy?" Bobby snarled as Samuel Colt held him. "Do you know you're about to unleash?"

"Hell." Samuel Colt grinned. "Hey, boy." His head tilted to the side. "Pull out that there gun."

Dean's fingers tightened on his 1911 Colt. He glanced again from Samuel Colt to where the black hound lay on the ground. He licked his lips, his mouth going dry. On the ground the dog, a dog he knew was Kelly, whimpered. Rhett's teeth sank into her neck and he shook her. The dog snarled, growling and snapping at the air as she struggled. But Rhett's teeth held her firm, her black furred cheek was pressed into the ground, her black lips pulled back to show red gums. She looked helpless, staring up at him with wide golden eyes.

"Take it out boy." Samuel Colt said. "All it'd take is a single flick o' my mind and Rhett'll have her jugular out."

As if to prove a point, Rhett's teeth sank into Kelly's neck again and her writhing stopped. There was a series of pained whimpers as her legs kicked against the ground. Her entire body quivered beneath Rhett as she panted. She struggled again and Rhett's jaws tightened around her neck and she whined. Dean couldn't take his eyes off her golden ones. He knew she was telling him not to do it. But Dean also knew that if he didn't, Rhett would kill her. _I can't take the chance that he won't._

"Samuel!" Sam roared. "Let her go!"

"Don't do it, Dean!" Bobby yelled. "Takin' out the gun'll open up the Pit! You'll let the demons out all over the world! You'll damn us all!"

Dean stared into the hound's golden eyes and swallowed. He knew what he had to do. After all, Kelly meant more to him than the entire world. _Cruelty and inhumanness combined._ He couldn't live without her. Dean turned around, his back to Bobby. He'd spent his life living unselfishly, serving his father as best he could. Protecting Sammy, saving Sammy even when he came to late. That was all part of his need to do what was right, acknowledging that his own life was worthless. But Kelly? She'd always made him feel like somebody. Dean's fingers reached for the handle of the Colt. Behind him, everyone stood motionless. _I'd damn the world for her._ The thought was in his mind before he could stop it. _Nothing matters but her._ He'd let the Crossroad's Demon take her away. He'd let her bond his brother. He'd lost her so many times over. _But I won't now._ After all, it was only love.

"I'm sorry, Bobby." He whispered.

Dean's hand closed around the handle of the Colt and with one single motion, jerked it free. He looked up in silence as a rumble came from behind the door. His fingers tight around the handle of the gun. A scream rose up in his ears, a squealing sound like pressure. It shrieked.

"Take cover!" Bobby yelled. "You damn idiot!"

In response, Sam ducked towards where Kelly lay pinned to the ground. With a smooth shot from his gun, it penetrated Rhett's hindquarters. The black hound yelped, releasing Kelly from his hold as red blood dripped down the side of his leg. Sam shoved him aside and grabbed the smaller hound, scooping her up in his arms; he dove behind one of the low headstones. Holding Kelly's black and furry form tight against his chest.

Ellen did the same; she rolled behind another of the headstones, pressing her body against the cool mixture of cement and granite. She kept her gun trained on Samuel Colt, wincing. She waited for him to toss Bobby away. But he did no such thing; his eyes remaining focused, and filled with a great sadness, on the door of the crypt. He didn't look eager or excited or proud, simply tired. His worn features sagged, almost agonized and he pushed Bobby away. The other man's head knocked against one of the headstones and he collapsed behind it. Samuel Colt remained upright, making no move to look for cover. Instead, he stood like a statue, his eyes on the crypt, and his mouth in a weary smile. She watched his lips move, unable to hear what he was saying.

"Have I done well, mother?" He asked.

There was a bang and Ellen realized she'd pulled her trigger. She watched as the bullet slammed into his side, but he didn't move. He barely even registered the shot. No blood stained his clothing, only a hole remained. Ellen felt her heart stop. _What is he?_ She'd seen the same thing happen to Sam with the knife. Both men should be seriously wounded and yet they remained standing, unfazed. She pressed herself against the stone and shut her eyes. Not seeing the black hound limping to Samuel Colt's side to press it's wet nose lovingly against the old man's hand. She didn't see the fond smile spreading over his mouth as he leaned down to stroke the hound's ears. All she heard was the roar of screaming air as she huddled tighter against the headstone.

Dean didn't have time to move. He stood before it, frozen as the iron door rumbled and shook. His eyes widened in surprise. Then, the doors blasted open. The force of them sending him flying backwards, throwing him over a few headstones. His back cracking painful as he slumped to the ground. Lifting his head, he looked up to see a horrible black cloud flooding out between the crypt's walls. His heart stopping in his chest as he realized what it was he'd unleashed. His eyes moved, trying to find Kelly and Sam, but he couldn't see them.

Newly unleashed, a black cloud swept upwards towards the sky. The myriad of trapped souls fighting with one another for freedom. Their black bodies shivering as they touched clean air. They swirled together in one large mass, always heading upwards. They exploded through the graveyard, a mass of darkness rushing around and over the men and women standing there. They shot upwards towards the sky. A line of fire creating one large pentagram as the spell was released. It dissipated as the large clouds of damned souls circled the graveyard, before each shooting off in their own direction. A roar filled the air, followed by a shriek, as in a single moment, hell claimed the mortal world for it's own.

AN: One more chapter and an epilogue to go. Can't you just smell the excitement? I can. I can't hardly wait to be done. ^_^

Remember, review!


	69. Chapter 69: When All the Hands Combine

Chapter 69: When All The Hands Combine

The graveyard was filled with a howling roar. Black shapes swirling out of the vortex, gray bodies made their way between the headstones. Avoiding everyone and everything in their path. Overhead, the sky was a dark red. The clouds bloody with the light emanating from the open hellgate. The stench of sulfur filled the air. Lightning cracked above their heads. Shrieks swept through the headstones, whirling and twisting with the gust of wind as they spiraled off towards the distance. Fresh and eager with the taste of freedom hot on their tongues.

Miles away, the swirling black clouds cut through the train tracks sealing off the area, letting other evil in, even as the others tried to escape. None wanted to approach. None wanted to be sent back to hell. The booted feet of a man walked through the opening, almost lazily. His saunter making it clear that he had all the time in the world, even so he was moving quickly. Ready to claim what was his.

Dean stood facing the gateway, his eyes sweeping the graveyard. He thought about calling out for his brother and found he couldn't find his voice. Shock opened his face, making his eyes wide with terror. The Colt pistol was still tight in his grip. _Damn it Kelly!_ He swore. _Where are you?_ Picking out Ellen's sweeping hair, Dean noticed Bobby trying to find his legs. A long bloody slash cut down across the older man's forehead. It was bleeding. Long red trickles filled the creases of his skin, dribbling down the side of the old man's face. Bobby smiled at him and Dean tried to force his lips to cooperate. He watched as Bobby turned his attention to where Samuel Colt had held him at gunpoint. Startled, Dean looked around for the traitor. But the old man was nowhere to be seen. And neither was Sam. _Where are you Sammy?_

"SAMMY!" Dean bellowed.

"Here!" His brother coughed.

Dean whirled, his gaze finally finding his brother. Sam was pressed up against the back of a headstone. He was close to Ellen, nearly within earshot. He was holding Kelly's still body, unconscious she'd shifted back to her human form, pressed against his chest. Fighting the rushing wind, Dean hurried to his brother's side. Reaching him, he knelt down, pressing his side against the gravestone. His fingers unconsciously reaching for Kelly's still face. Dean felt his heart stop.

"Is she breathing?" He demanded. "Tell me she's breathing!"

"She's fine, Dean." Sam said. He looked up and back at the Devil's Gate, trying to hide the horror spilling out of his eyes. What had Dean unleashed? What had they done? _And how are we gonna stop it?_ "She just got knocked out."

Her forehead was bruised and there were cuts around her neck. Silently, Dean helped Sam pull back her jacket. His fingers moving against her throat, checking her pulse. It wasn't that he didn't trust his brother. It was just that he wanted to make sure. He exhaled with relief when he found her pulse steady. His fingers brushing her hair back off her pale forehead, his mouth tight with worry. Dean noticed his brother's arm sliding possessively around Kelly's waist. Again, he swallowed his jealousy. _She's my girl, Sammy._ He thought, his mind a bitter growl. Still, with the demon deal hanging over his head, Dean couldn't claim her. _I can't even tell Sam to back off._ And now his brother had just as much of a right to feel protective as he did. _Maybe more, with their fancy bond thingy._

"Pussy." Dean smiled, unable to keep fondness from his eyes. He was horrible about pretending that he didn't love her. _I'm gonna have to figure something else out._ Kelly's head tilted and rolled back against Sam's chest. Dean's hands tightened against her cheek, his mouth twisting worriedly. "She normally out for this long?"

"I don't know, Dean." Sam said. "Rhett really did a number on her." He gazed down at Kelly's sleeping face with similar worry. Sam knew that she would wake up, he just wasn't sure that it would be when they needed her. "And the force of the blast…"

He trailed off as Dean erupted with an angry growl. "Where is that damned son of a bitch?" He snarled. "That fucking traitor! I'm gonna stick an iron pike between his eyes!"

"It's okay, Dean." Sam said. He gave his brother a wane smile. "I shot him."

"You did?" Dean shouted over the howling storm. "Where?"

"In the leg." Sam replied. He cast a questioning glance at his brother. "Why?"

"I'd've preferred it if you'd shot off his balls, Sammy." Dean said, his hand never leaving Kelly's cheek.

Gently, he stroked the curve of her face with his fingertip. _Taken off his fucking manhood._ Dean would have paid good money to see if those could grow back. A cold smile spread across his lips. _But I'll pay him back yet._ Even if it took the rest of his life, Dean would find some way to make Rhett pay. _I'll figure out why they double-crossed us._ Samuel Colt had said it was orders. _But why?_ What would the fey want with an open Devil's Gate? Around Dean the air hissed and howled. Ghosts and swarms of black demon clouds swept beside them, turning up towards the sky.

"Sam! Dean! Kelly!"

Both boys turned at the sound of Ellen's voice. They didn't need to ask to know what she wanted. Ellen was pressed against the headstone, her gun still loose in her hand. Though she looked paler than normal, her eyes were narrowed and focused. She wasn't about to let anything distract her. Dark brown eyes evaluated the two boys, she was readying herself for what she had to do next. It would be painful, she knew and dangerous. _There ain't nothing more dangerous than trying to close a Devil's Gate._ And while she'd been told it was here, Ellen hadn't been prepared to face one in the flesh. _But then again what hunter is?_ The answer was obvious. _There's no proof Samuel Colt is a hunter._ And even if he was, what hunter would let loose swarms of demons? _He said he was under orders._ What orders were those? Ellen's eyes snapped back to the faces of the boys.

"Ellen!" Dean called back. "Kelly got knocked out!"

"She okay?" Ellen yelled. The question in her voice was obvious. She watched with a sigh of relief as Dean nodded, slowly. _Good, that's one less thing to worry about._ Ellen didn't think her stomach could take it if anymore of her family died. _I'm just glad Jo had the sense to not get in the middle of this._ She glanced over her shoulder as Bobby scrambled to find cover beside her. She could tell that his mission to find Samuel Colt had been a bust. The man seemed to have vanished into thin air. _Along with that black dog of his._ She looked from man to the next and sucked in a deep breath. "We need to close that Devil's Gate!" She called out over the howling wind. The air whipping auburn hair around her face. There were a series of agreeing nods as Ellen lunged out from beneath her cover, making a break for the door. Bobby Singer hot on her heels.

"Can you look after her?" Sam asked.

He was staring at Dean with worn but determined eyes. Sam hated the idea of letting go of Kelly, of leaving her here propped up against the tombstone where anything or anyone could hurt her. He didn't trust his surrounding's enough or that the bond would react in time for him to help her. Right now Kelly was just a twisting knot of pain in the back of his mind. She was giving him a headache. Slowly, he watched his brother nod. Making up his mind quickly, Sam pushed her at Dean and struggled to his feet. Seeing the figures of Bobby and Ellen, he followed them. Staggering into the hot blasting winds roaring out of the crypt. He fought forward, coming up behind Ellen to push against the doorway.

Slowly, Dean leaned Kelly's body back against the tombstone, he lifted her chin with the curve of his index finger. Unsure of what to do, he sat in a crouch, staring at her sleeping face for several long minutes. Then, a wry smile quirked his lips. Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against hers, it was an ancient kind of kiss, used by the Karma Sutra to express a different kind of intimacy. After all, the Crossroad's Demon had never said he couldn't touch her. His clammy forehead remained against her cool one, their skin sharing sweat, grime, and blood. His free hand squeezed her shoulder as he closed his eyes. _I love you._ His mind whispered, even though his mouth didn't dare speak the words. _I love you, I love you, I love you. No matter what happens I love you._ He felt guilty about doing it while she was unconscious. Rocking back on his heels, he gazed longingly down at her face, watching her black eyelids flutter over soft skin. Was she waking?

Dean straightened up, his eyes following to where Sam, Bobby, and Ellen were trying to shut the gate. Their whole bodies pressing against the heavy iron doors as demons howled around them. In the flashing light, his face was tinged blue and Dean Winchester glanced down at the Colt Walker in his hand. His finger tightening on the trigger. There was only one bullet left in it. _Only one shot._ He'd have to save it for the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _Today the Yellow-Eyed son of a bitch is going down._ Dean lifted the gun up to his face, snapped it open checking the inside of the barrel and then shutting it. His eyes flicked down to where Kelly lay against the tombstone. For a moment, he thought he heard her soft moan. It was the kind of thing that sent a thrill rushing up his spine. _Wrong time, wrong place._

On the ground by the tombstone, Kelly slowly came to. She lifted her head, her gaze blurry, to see Dean standing near her. _Where in the bloody hell is Rhett?_ She wondered. She owed him big time for the stunt he'd pulled. _And for knocking me out!_ She straightened, inhaling the scents of the land. Everything smelled like sulfur and yet, one in particular stood out. One she knew, one she'd smelled too many times before. _In dungeons, on jobs._ There was a twinge inside her bloodstream and she could feel the taint. It was sickening, making her stomach throb and roll as she fought for awareness. Her eyes snapped up. _Azazel!_

"If the demon gave this to Jake." Dean said aloud. "Then maybe…" Dean trailed off. He looked up at the hellgate again, his mouth tightening.

She could feel his eyes on her, the pleased smirk lighting his lips. So confident, so self-assured, he made her mind writhe with overwhelming fear. She bolted upright, her fingers gripping the dead brown grass as she tried to shift. Terror flooded her and it was swarmed by hate, so much that she was paralyzed, not knowing which feeling was stronger.

"Dean look out!" Kelly screamed.

In response to her cry, Dean whirled. The pit of his stomach turning to ice as his gaze caught up with his movements. The Yellow-Eyed Demon was standing before him, shoulders taut, looking ready for a face off. A smirk playing across his knowing mouth, his yellow eyes caressing Dean's face with careless amusement. Hatred made Dean's features tighten as determination filled him. In one smooth motion he cocked the Colt and swung it up, pointing the long contoured barrel directly at the demon's heart. Just as easily, the demon lifted his own hand, flat palmed, a mere tilt of his head ripping the gun from Dean's hands and sending it flying into the Yellow-Eyed Demon's own.

"Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns." He said, another smirk dancing on his lips.

His worn leathery face the image of victory as he stared at Dean. It was a frighteningly frigid stare. Dean's face was a mask of shock and barely controlled terror, his mouth hanging slack as he gazed at his lifelong enemy, not knowing what to do now. The gun had been his only hope of killing the Yellow-Eyed Demon, but now it was out of his hands and he was at the demon's mercy.

"Dean!" Kelly cried, fighting to get to her feet. She still felt woozy, her head buzzing as if a brick had hit her. Her brown-gold gaze never leaving the demon's face as she tried to force herself to shift. Again, she couldn't. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried once more. This time, she felt a trickle of response from her true self. She sank into it, accepting it and embracing it, even as the taint ate away at her, trying to hold her still. She would not give in. _I won't let him control me anymore!_ She wasn't going to let him hurt Dean. _I'll stop him! I will!_ Then, those human thoughts vanished as she became a beast of four paws and black fur.

The Yellow-Eyed Demon flicked his head, sending Dean Winchester flying through the air in a swift telekinetic blast. Dean hurled in an arc over the tombstones, his body moving of it's own accord, the speed making his eyes water and his heart shudder in his breast. Just as quickly as he was thrown high into the air, Dean found himself falling out of it. The downwards tumble was worse than what he'd experienced with the Devil's Gate had opened. He was unable to slow himself down and his head cracked across the top of one of the nearby headstones. Pain thundered through his head, his thoughts ringing in his mind, tossed about incoherently as he hit the hard rocky ground. The dead grass providing little to cushion his fall. His back hit the dirt first and Dean tried to get his thoughts in order.

By the Devil's Gate, Sam, Bobby, and Ellen were straining as hard as they could. Their muscles aching as they shoved the heavy iron doors inward, believing that if they could shut the gate, they'd lock it in place, sealing the rest of the demons back in the Pit. Their faces were the image of pain as they pushed and shoved, they're feet grinding backwards. Huffing, puffing, and grunting, the three gave it all they had. Rolling around to use the entirety of his back, Sam looked up. His shocked gaze seeing Dean lying on the ground, struggling to sit up. Kelly was outside of his vision. Sam's eyes snapped to the left, sensing his lifelong enemy. He watched as the demon's eyes landed on him, a pleased smile spreading across his leathery face. Immediately, Sam knew something terrible was about to happen.

"Dean!" He yelled.

Breaking away from the hellgate at a dead run, Sam left Ellen behind to take up his slack. She groaned even more loudly as the door swung outwards, wider than it had been before. More demons slipping past her as she tried to force it back inward. Next to her, she heard Bobby Singer grunt, listening to him strain with all his might. _I just hope it'll be enough._ She thought, trying to shake the doubts from her mind. No, it would have to be enough. _With Sam gone, there's nobody but us._ Ellen knew she would just have to hold on. _And pray for a bloody miracle!_

Sam raced around behind the Yellow-Eyed demon, his footsteps becoming quick and steady as he raced forwards. He didn't know exactly what it was he was going to do. _But I have to do something!_ He knew he had to keep Kelly from the demon, the place she inhabited in his mind was a tight burning ball of rage. He barely had time to see the demon bring up his hand as he was flung backwards. Sam let out a strangled roar as he flew, hitting the gnarled trunk of the opposing tree hard. His face a mask of agony, he slumped to the ground. Pinned firmly by psychic hands he couldn't see, he could only watch helplessly as the Yellow-Eyed Demon cast a pleased glance back at him.

"I'll get to you in a minute, champ." The demon called out over the howling winds. "But I'm proud of you! Knew you had it in ya!"

Dean struggled to get to his feet, his vision blurred and shaking. His mouth twisted in agony as he tried to stop the throbbing of his skull. _If I can just…stand…_ He could barely feel his legs, his arms were like jelly beneath him as he tried to push himself up. _I have to…stand…_ He had to fight.

A cold pupil less yellow gaze fell across Dean Winchester as the demon gave him its full attention. A hand lifted up and in that single moment, Dean was hurled back against the stone pillar. His back pressed against it, his heart pounding against his ribs. He couldn't move an inch, barely able to twitch his fingers, he sat there completely helpless.

"Sit a spell." The demon said.

The black hound rounded the opposing corner, her lips curled back, her tail partially tucked beneath her legs. She was afraid, oh so very afraid, and filled with hate. Hatred that made her want to rip and tear. It made her want to kill. Her bright golden gaze shifted from her former master to the man she loved. The one she was utterly loyal too, a man she would obey as well as she would her Binder. But even her love for him was not enough to overcome her terror. The dog slowed to a halt, nearly a dead stop as she stalked forwards, stiff-legged and growling. Her ears flattened against her skull. The tip of her tail switching back and forth madly as it tucked itself between her legs, not yet touching her belly. She fought the urge to hunker low to the ground. She approached with her black lips pulled back, revealing sharp white teeth. A snarl masking her muzzle, her eyes on her former master.

The demon's eyes moved from Dean, his lips curling into a wide smile as he gazed at the black furred hound. He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her, triumph plain on his face. "I'd wondered where you'd gotten off to." He said. His voice sounding complacent as he spoke, his fingers running across the smooth handle of the Colt. "Good thing you performed your task so admirably." The black dog's head lowered closer to the ground and she snapped at him with bared teeth. "Now, now, there's no need for that, a job well done deserves its praise." The demon crooked his finger at her. "Come here."

The dog lowered herself even closer to the ground, a snarling whine coming out gravelly between her teeth. Her ears pressed even harder against her skull, her tail tucking tighter. She remembered her rewards. Pain and scars were all she earned from a job well done. Still, the dog knew that a job done poorly earned worse pain. She did not pause to question what he meant, her primal mind was simply aware of what was to come. The hound knew she had no choice but to approach this demon, his commands sang to her through her blood, demanding, pounding against her mind.

The demon gestured again. "Come!" The tone behind his words held the promise of pain if she disobeyed. The demon walked forwards and knelt down before Dean.

This time there was no refusing the command. She crept forwards on her belly, her entire body trembling with the strain. She could not run. She could not protect the man against the rock pillar. The man she loved. The hound could not fight this call, it was too strong, there was too much of the demon inside her, thrumming through her. She came slowly, each step an agonizing torture, until at last she settled beside the demon's feet. Her sad and terrified eyes on the man she loved. The dog knew that in her bond with her new master, she had escaped the demon's claim. Yet, she knew she could not escape his hold. The same blood ran through Sam, compelling both of them to act, stopping them from striking against him. It tied them together as surely as their oath. The dog flinched away from the demon's hand as it settled behind her ear, her tail tucked tight beneath her. She made no sound.

"I gotta thank you." The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. His gaze staring straight into Dean's furious and rebellious eyes. The demon did not glance down, but his fingers continued to stroke the black hound behind the ears. "Her too." A wide smirk spread across his lips. "None of the pieces would have fit together so well without her." His fingers moved up and down behind the hound's ears as she whined, frightened, her lips curling slightly as her body trembled. "But especially you," he grinned. "You see demons can't resurrect people." He leaned forwards, continuing to scratch the top of the black hound's head. "And, except under extremely special circumstances that we won't be discussing," he smirked. "Neither can the fey. Not unless a deal's made, I know red tape, it'll make you nuts." He chuckled. "Especially those bows wrapped round the pair of you, you see, with that deal your great-great-great-great-great-grand Pappy made? That one does require some specific hoops." He leaned inwards, even closer. "But!" He announced, triumph clear in his voice. "Thanks to you!" He patted the dog. "And you my dear," the dog snorted beneath his hand, her entire body tensing. "Sammy's back in rotation!" He chuckled. "And thanks to this little miracle worker," he patted the dog again. "He'll never age, never get sick, and never die. He's better than living." He lifted a finger. "She's given him the greatest gift a man could get and, like I always knew, they do make a lovely couple. Tied together by that touching bond and," his leathery fingers stroked along the hound's back, languidly scratching several spots along her vertebrae. "Influenced by that tainted blood coursing in their veins. Binding," the demon's hand moved back to stroke the black dog's ears. "Her too me and through her, little 'ole Sammy boy." He chuckled. "And since you're about to die, I don't feel bad about revealing a trade secret." He moved in close to Dean's ear, his breath tickling the struggling man's skin. "I didn't need to plug her full of demon blood or even take her away from you. This whole thing could have gone without her." A cold, cruel smile played on his lips. "She wasn't necessary."

"Then…why, you…son of a bitch?" Dean hissed through gritted teeth.

"Because I wanted her." His mouth was centimeters from Dean's ear as he spoke. "You're aware she's a special little critter, perhaps you don't know how unique," his mouth twisted wryly at that. "Dedicated to hunting all ghosts, goblins, and evil creatures. And, it's true, I have been waiting for a hound like her, studying her brothers, her sisters, and their bonds to mortals. I did want one for my very own."

"Why?" Dean repeated.

"To create the perfect weapon." The Yellow-Eyed demon said. He didn't add that the perfect weapon was meant to guard the perfect leader, or that he had always intended Sam Winchester to bear that crown. He had come across one of the ancient Hunter bloodlines by chance and had known enough to take advantage. "The perfect guardian, one feared by nearly every damned soul from one end of the Pit of Doom to the other." He smirked. "I always meant for her to bond my favorite of the children and while I wasn't counting on Sammy coming back, I'm glad it's him. I wouldn't have liked trying to force her to bond with Jake." Beneath his hand, the dog stiffened. "Besides, I never liked him anyhow." The demon leaned back on his heels. "Tell me?" He asked, "Have you ever heard the expression: if a deal's too good it probably is?"

"You call that deal good?"

"Well, it's a better shake then your dad ever got." The demon stared at him for a long moment. "And you never wondered why?" He moved in a little closer. "Why it was Kelly who died for you, why she was the one who fell, how it was that she had to pay half the price for your daddy's deal. I knew the minute he came to me what would happen and I waited, knowing she would come to you." The demon chuckled again, his voice low. "I'm surprised at you, Dean. I mean, you saw what your brother just did to Jake, that was pretty cold eh? That was pretty cold wasn't it? How do you know that wasn't my influence, or pretty little Kelly's? How certain are you that what you brought back is one hundred percent pure Sam?"

As Dean began struggling on the stone pike, his eyes moving to his brother, writhing on the pole. Sam's eyes remained focused on Dean as he writhed, trying to break free. Azazel's cold, cruel laughter filled the air.

"You of all people should know that what's dead should stay dead." He said. "Take one long last look at them, Dean." He added, his voice coming out smoothly as he brushed off his knees. "Because the next minute you close your eyes, they'll be mine forever." Dean writhed, groaning, his mouth twisting bitterly. "Anyway," the demon said, standing. "Thanks a bunch, I knew I kept you alive for some reason, until now anyway." He straightened. "I couldn't of done it without your pathetic self-loathing and self-destructive desire to sacrifice yourself for your family."

As the demon spread his hands, the dog finally found her strength. Loyalty and love overcame the strength of the demon's compulsion. She lurched off the ground on unsteady paws, her jaws gnashing and snapping on thin air as she stepped between the demon and the man she loved. A low harsh growl bubbled out of her throat.

The demon spread his hands. "What are you gonna do, Kelly?" He asked, his lips twisting. "Kill me?" The dog didn't move, still growling she pushed up on her hind legs, snarling and snapping at the demon. She would not let him harm the man she loved. "Oh, very well." The demon said, bringing up the gun to train itself on the black hound standing between him and Dean. "I have what I want, now. And with the hellgate open, you'll be easy enough to replace." His mouth curled into a sneer. "Au revoir kiddo, I always did wish you'd had more brains than heart."

Dean's eyes widened slightly, she couldn't really mean to stand between him and the gun. He couldn't let her take the bullet for him. That one could even kill her with one shot and Dean hadn't yanked the Colt pistol out of the lock to lose her now. "Kelly!" He groaned. "Go!" But the dog didn't move, her tail only wagging at him. Dean heard the click as the safety unlocked, the demon was getting ready to fire the gun. "Go you stupid little scamp!" His breath came out rushed as he tried to move forward, wanting to push her out of the way, but he still couldn't move. "Kelly!"

Behind the demon, the shape of a ghost appeared, floating towards its shoulders. Suddenly, the ghost of John Winchester became solid, seizing the yellow-eyed demon around the waist and hauling him backwards. He did, the demon was yanked free of its body. The empty corpse fell sideways as the black dog lunged forwards. Her bright shining teeth seizing hold of the bottom of the black cloud, tugging and ripping between rippling growls and angry snarls. The body fell in front of Dean Winchester, the gun falling loose from its hand. Dean cast a quick glance at the struggle, watching as his father wrenched the demon further away from its body. The black hound letting go, just as he did. The demon shook back and forth as John Winchester tried to keep hold of it. Finally, it stood up straight, throwing the ghost away from it. The black cloud swirled overhead, circling down as it forced its way back into the dead corpse. Slowly, the demon began to sit up. As he did, he felt teeth sinking into his arm, large jaws wrapped around his bicep, snarling, holding him down. He forced himself into a standing position, dragging the large hound with him, the dead weight on his arm making him stagger. He shook hard, in aggravation.

Finally, he snarled. "Get off!"

His quick motion, a combination of physical strength and telekinesis, sent the hound flying. Her body arced through the air, back hitting a tombstone with a loud crack. Whimpering the black dog tumbled to the side and after smashing into the hard rocky ground, lay still.

The demon straightened up, glaring at the body of the black dog, pupil-less eyes filled with hot fury. His mind was counting up a thousand different punishments for her and he was about to continue the lesson, when he heard the click of a cocking pistol. The Yellow-Eyed demon whirled around, his face a mask of anger as he took a step backwards. Dean Winchester sat in front of him, his eyes and the barrel of the Colt pistol trained on the demon's heart. He didn't waste any seconds as he pulled the trigger. The flaming bullet exploded out of the gun. The runes cut across its eye, glowing vibrantly in the dark. It pierced the stunned demon in a manner of seconds, cutting into its very heart. Struck by surprise, the Yellow-Eyed Demon looked down at Dean in horror. Dean's face was a mask of determined hate, his mouth puckering as he stared up at the man. Waiting. He didn't need to long.

A spasm burst through the Yellow-Eyed Demon's face as his entire body convulsed. Orange light burst behind his eyes and in his cheeks and mouth. A flash and then gone. The Yellow-Eyed Demon gasped forward, feeling death creeping through him. His body shook again, spasming under the weight of the magic. For a moment, those yellow-eyes dimmed and the deep blues of the corpse shone. Then another tremor shook his body. The demon's head snapping back, his body plunging forwards. Two more bursts, his insides cooking, exposing his ribs, a bright light. One more with a bang that shook the air as the fires bursting from his chest crackled in sparks of orange. His body spasmed a final time, the hole in his chest smoking as the body of the Yellow-Eyed Demon fell backwards. Hitting the ground, sightless gaze staring up at the whirling clouds high above in the night sky.

Sam slid down from the tree with a gasp. A final groan came from the crypt as Bobby and Ellen slammed the doors shut. The locks clicking back into place. The blessing beginning to re-link itself together. Bobby and Ellen gasped for breath as they stared at their handiwork. The pentagram circle spun three times and then came to a stop. The door well and truly shut.

Sam's lungs heaved for breath as he turned to the fallen body of the black hound. He could still feel something at the back of his mind, it was weak, but the connection was there. Sam's heart shuddered with thankfulness as he started climbing to his feet.

Beyond him, he saw his father panting near the Yellow-Eyed Demon's corpse. Ellen and Bobby turned around in time to see John Winchester pushing himself into a standing position. Rubbing his back his pocket thoughtfully, the older man looked around the graveyard.

Dean forced himself to climb to his feet, holding his side, knowing he'd bruised a few ribs, and probably broken one. But unlike the rest, his eyes were not on his father. He let out a deep saddened groan as he stared at the black furred body lying still a few feet away. Scrambling up, his mouth working soundlessly with the name "Kelly," repeated over and over, he rushed to her side. Body aching as he fell to his knees next to her, Dean's hands began searching her neck and her back, probing and pushing her, looking for any signs of life. "Come on!" He whispered, his voice fierce. "Come on, don't leave me!" He shook the dog's still body again. "Don't leave me, Kelly. I need you! Come on, Scamp! Don't die on me!"

Tears had begun leaking down his cheeks, he didn't quite know when they'd begun, but they refused to stop falling. A moment passed and then two, Dean was sobbing over the dog's body. Then, to his great surprise, he felt her shift beneath his hands, a soft whine emanating from her body as she craned her head around. Her long pink tongue licking his fingers.

"She's alive!" He exclaimed. Looking back over his shoulder at his brother, he repeated. "She's alive, Sam!"

His brother nodded knowingly and then motioned to where their father was standing. Together, both brothers stood. They're bodies moving slowly, faces full of shock and disbelief. One step at a time, they approached their father. Gazing at him with loving eyes as John Winchester swallowed. Happiness coated Dean's expression as his eyes grew wide, his eyebrows rising, forgetting his aches and pains, forgetting the trickle of blood that was slipping down out of a deep cut in his forehead. None of that mattered as John Winchester walked forward. His hand reaching out to settle on his eldest son's shoulder, gazing into his eyes with love and pride. Behind them, Sam watched in near silence, his eyes wide with the same awe. John Winchester looked into the eyes of his eldest and smiled warmly. Dean's lips tugged into the same kind of gratified smile. Then, John turned to glance towards Sam, who was hovering at the edge of the circle, unsure of what to do. Silently, Sam nodded breathlessly and John Winchester returned the gesture with a forgiving smile. Tears slipped out of the corners of John Winchester's eyes as he gazed at his eldest son. He gave him another smile and took a few steps backwards. This time he was saying goodbye, the goodbye he'd never gotten to say. Another rash of glances and tears passed between father and sons. Then, a bright light shone from within John Winchester. Filling him with glorious white, the warmth of it reaching out to Dean and Sam's saddened faces, then, winking out in three short bursts, he was gone.

Nearby, the black dog, whimpering and shaking as she moved crawled towards them. Her steps shaky as she moved to Sam's side, pressing her nose comfortingly against the palm of his hand. Her body shook with the effort to remain upright, her legs and skin trembling from the effort she'd exerted.

Broken from his reverie Sam glanced down at her and smiled. Reaching down with his hand, he stroked her gently behind the ears, and as he found a happy place she pressed herself against his side. Her tail wagging back and forth. She was too tired to change her shape, to shift back into a human form. It took all her energy just to remain upright. Her eyes fell closed as she pressed her furry cheek against Sam's lower waist.

Sam looked up at his brother and saw him looking at Kelly. Quickly, Dean turned away. Ignoring them, but Sam knew he'd seen jealousy in the older man's hazel eyes. Feeling a twinge of regret, Sam motioned for her to leave him. With a snort, the dog shook her head, trotting forwards on shaky legs, coming to a stop at the head of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's corpse. With an air of importance, she sat looking up at the boys and waiting for them to join her. Silently, Sam and Dean joined her on either side of the corpse, staring down at the smoking body.

Slowly, Dean raised his eyes to smile at Sam, his voice shaking with disbelief. "Well, check that off the to do list." He said.

"You did it!" Sam exclaimed, love and adoration making his eyes wide as he gazed at his brother.

Dean looked back down at the corpse, then he glanced at the golden eyed dog and up at his brother. "I didn't do it alone." He said.

Next to them, the dog barked as if to say "Damn straight!" Dean couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah," he smiled. "You did good too, scamperoo."

"Did Dad…" Sam trailed off, looking away. "Do you really think? Do you really think h-he climbed out of hell?"

"The door was open." Dean nodded, looking back over his shoulder at where Bobby and Ellen were standing. They were graciously giving the brother's their moment. Dean cast another glance at the large black hound, knowing that she would never be quite so deferential. She gazed at him, her air suggesting, "I'll hear it all from one of you later anyway." Dean barely suppressed a chuckle. Slowly, Dean walked around the back of the Yellow-Eyed Demon's corpse, his eyes on its still form, pride suffusing his breast. "If anyone's stubborn enough to do it," Dean said. There was a brief pause and silence hung in the air between the two brothers. "It would be him."

Sam glanced at his brother, a smile quirking his lips and he nodded. "Where do you think he is now?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke. Sam was having difficulty holding back his emotions, his own combined with those flowing back from Kelly were overwhelming. Silently, he blinked back his tears. Sam swung his questioning gaze up at his brother.

"I don't know." Dean admitted.

"I kind of can't believe it, Dean." Sam said. "I mean, our whole lives, everything, it has been prepping for this, this and now," Sam let out a sigh of relief. "I kind of don't know what to say." He glanced at his brother, his eyes filled with surprise.

"I do." Dean nodded, his voice thick with emotion. Kneeling down, he stared into the demon's sightless eyes. His mouth twisting as held back feeling rushed forth across his mind, tugging at his heartstrings. "That was for our mom," Dean said. "You son of a bitch."

Behind them, the black hound pointed her slender muzzle up towards the starry sky. A long howl rose up into the silence following Dean's words, it was a sad song, filled with loss and longing. A dead man's dirge. Her tail lying flat on the dead brush, her eyes closed, the hound continued to sing. It was a variation of the song she'd sung in Cold Oak. Her voice rising eerily on the wind, her song filled with loneliness, another note ghosted up the scale, touched with something new, hope. The hound continued to sing as the others stood around her misty eyed. She sang until her song was done. Singing in the end of the old and the beginning of the new.

AN; This is the second to last chapter of my fanfic Down the Rabbit Hole. But never fear, I have already started work on the second installment of the trilogy, Grim Fate. It'll probably be up soon after I finish the final chapter. All that's left is an epilogue. I hope you've enjoyed the ride and the story as much as I have enjoyed telling it.

If you haven't taken the time to review yet, please do so. Reviews let me know that people are reading and enjoying what I am writing. So take a moment, write a few lines, and feed my muse. Please?

Next, Chapter 70: The Epilogue


	70. Epilogue: Saying Goodbye

Chapter 70: Saying Goodbye

An Epilogue

Sam, Dean and Kelly stepped out of the fog without incident. A few steps behind, Bobby and Ellen followed. Hopping over the rails of the barrier, the small group of three walked towards the Impala. Sam and Dean moving along side by side with Kelly lagging a little behind. With his sleeve, Dean reached up and wiped across his brow, trying to clean away the dried blood of his cut as he nursed his headache. Kelly watched him with a worried eye as she followed them. She felt something hanging in the air, but was unsure of what. There was a tension between her and Dean, the same as there was between him and Sam. Something had to be decided now. _We can't put it off for much longer._ Behind her, she felt the sun beginning to peak over the flat South Dakotan horizon. It's warm rays to far away to strike her chilled body. She listened with sad acceptance as the boys feet ground to a stop on the dirt. Looking up, she realized that they were already at the Impala. _Dean can't avoid telling the truth now._ She thought. Chewing on her lower lip, she stuck her hands deep into her pockets. Time slowed down as Dean reached the driver's side door, yanking it open. It was then that Sam chose to open his mouth.

"You know when Jake saw me." He said. His gaze staring out at the sunrise, avoiding both of them. Dean shifted uncomfortably next to his little brother, knowing where this was going. Kelly came to a stop a few feet away from Sam, leaning against the trunk, her arms crossed over her chest. "It was like he saw a ghost." Dean let the car door swing shut as he turned to face Sam. The younger Winchester stared down at his hands. "I mean, hell, you guys heard him." He raised his eyes again, once again fixing them on the pink rays preceding the sunrise. "He said he killed me."

"Well, he was wrong." Dean said gruffly, sticking his hands deep in his pockets as he joined Sam in staring out at the misty horizon. He refused to glance at Kelly, if he did, Dean knew he'd give something away. _Sammy never has to know._ The words rang through his skull, unrelenting, even as he felt the promise beginning to slip and shatter against the truth.

Unconvinced, Sam's eyes moved to Kelly. "You said you'd healed me from a terrible wound." His words were coming out of his mouth slowly, like molasses. "But, from what you've told me, it takes two sacrifices to appeal to Mallt-y-Nos."

Kelly wet her lips and nodded. "Yes." She whispered.

"Who was the second sacrifice?" Sam asked. He looked down at her, at the tired bags sagging beneath her eyes, to the new bruises purpling her neck. He could feel her mind twist in the bond, felt her consider lying to him. He wasn't normally able to detect her lies, usually she covered her emotions too well, that or she masked the lie with others. "Was it Dean?"

"What kind of question is that?" Dean exploded. He glanced from one face to the next, his hands buried deep in his pockets. Trying to hide his shifting from foot to foot, he glared at Kelly from behind Sam's back.

There was a momentary pause and Sam watched Kelly consider her options. Her gaze swung restlessly from one man to the other. Biting her lip and running her fingers along her bruised side. She winced beneath Dean's hot gaze. Her mouth tightening into something resembling a smile.

"Kelly, I need to know the truth." Sam said.

Kelly looked up at Sam. She couldn't lie to him, she realized. _He deserves to know the truth._ Besides, he'd already figured it out for himself, he was just waiting for conformation. Staring into his soulful brown eyes, she sighed. "Yes." A pained expression crossed Dean's face, his lower lip trembled and he gazed at his brother solemnly.

Sam's eyes swung back to his brother. "What happened after I was stabbed?"

"We already told you." Dean said.

"Not everything." Sam shook his head. "Neither one of you has told me everything."

Dean stared at Sam for a few moments, listening to the soft sounds of birds chirping, hidden in the lush trees on the edge of the highway. His gaze moved to Kelly and he watched her shake her head. She wanted him to spill the beans, but Dean wasn't ready yet. _I don't want him to know._ The words pounded through his mind. _I don't want him to know._ Instead, he spread his hands.

"Sam," he said. "We just killed a demon." Thick moisture was gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Can't we celebrate for a minute?"

"Dean," Sam said patiently. "I just fished a knife out of my chest. It was buried in there." His fingers moved to where his blood had stained his shirt. "I could pass it off for the whole I'm immortal bit, but the thing didn't even hurt when it went it. Something's wrong and I don't know what. The pair of you are the only ones with the answers and I have to know, Dean. Did I die? Did you sell your soul for me like Dad did for you?"

A long moment of silence passed between the brothers and Sam found himself wishing that Dean would shake his head and say no. He wanted to believe that what had happened was the result of his bond with Kelly. He wanted to believe that was all it was. But a small part of his mind questioned it. Questioned everything. The knife blade in his chest should have hurt. It hadn't. The aches and pains he was feeling was normal, but it felt ghost like as if the nerve ends weren't connecting to his brain. He couldn't shove it to the back of his mind. Couldn't hide from it. The answer was staring him in the face. His heart sank into his stomach as he watched his brother nod.

"How long did you get?" Sam asked, his voice soft.

Dean smiled a sickly grin. "One year."

He heard Kelly's sharp intake of breath, glanced at her and saw tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She was staring at him in horror. He hadn't told her either, had barely mentioned the deal. He remembered she'd promised to sit him down and discuss it, something he'd been anxiously hoping to avoid. He couldn't see her eyes because she'd looked away, staring intently at the ground as if she could sieve through each fleck of dirt. He saw her knuckles growing white as they wrapped around her arms. He'd hurt her. _Good._ Dean had allowed himself a moment of weakness before, but he couldn't now. _I have to end it. I have to make her hate me as much as possible._ The very idea made his stomach twist into knots. _But this was the road I decided to walk and damn it I'm gonna walk it!_

Sam was nodding, his eyes glazed with tears, shining in the early morning light.

"I got one year." Dean repeated.

Kelly stared at the floor, her fingers tightening on her sleeves. _No! I don't accept this!_ Her eyes narrowed and hardened as she glanced at the boys again. _I already swore that I'd try to get him out of it. I swore!_ And she would. Even if she had to sell what was left of her, she'd find a way.

"You shouldn't a done that." Sam said, his voice cracking with emotion. Anguish rolled through him like waves, moving in and out, but never giving him a moment's rest. He glanced over at Kelly and saw her nod. She was in agreement. _We'll figure out a way to save him._ "How could you do that?"

Kelly blinked, trying to keep her tears hidden behind her eyelashes. "How?" Her voice came out strangled. "How could you accept such a horrible deal?"

"It was the best one they offered." Dean said. He was trying to make light of the situation, trying and failing miserably.

"Dean?" Her voice was shaking, he could hear it. The way she said his name still gave him thrills. "Dean, why?" The horrible pain slipping into her voice made Sam turn and slide a comforting arm around Kelly's shoulders. She lifted her head, her brown gold eyes clear. She was trying to be strong. "How could you?"

He shut his eyes, shaking his head. "Don't get mad at me." He said. "Either of you!" The words were hard and jagged as they escaped from his mouth. "Don't you do that." He swallowed. "I was working with what I knew and I had to. I had to Sammy. Even Kelly understood." He heard her snort but it was more of a broken kind of sniffle. "I had to look out for you." His voice grew thick with pent up emotion. "That's my job!"

"And what do you think my job is?" Sam asked, facing off against his brother.

"Or mine?" Kelly asked.

"What?" Dean asked. He stared at both of them like they'd gone completely bonkers.

"You save my life." Sam said. "Over and over, I mean you sacrifice everything for me, don't you think I'd do the same for you?"

"It's the same for me, Dean." Kelly added, her voice soft and level as she gazed up at them. "You, both of you were there for me when I had nobody else." Her voice shook a little and her eyes grew sad, as if she was remembering better days. "You took me in, you practically raised me to be a hunter, not even knowing what I was. You never treated me like a freak." Her gaze softened. "You took care of me, protected me, even when you had no reason to. You always came for me, accepted me, loved me." Her hands went deep into her pockets and her brown-gold eyes remained focused on Dean. "You think I wouldn't give everything up for you?"

"I thought you already did." Dean said, his mouth curving into a pained smile. _For somebody else._ He was trying not to be bitter about the bond she shared with Sam, but it was difficult. _Like my nose is always being rubbed in it._ He knew that wasn't their fault, but it still hurt.

"Then, I'd give whatever I had left." Kelly said. Her eyes glaring at him, her hands crossing over her chest again. Sam's arm still around her shoulder.

"Dean," Sam said. "You're my big brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"You're someone I love." Kelly added. "So, I stand by Sam." The depths of her golden brown eyes measured him, gently sifting through his emotions. She wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want to have to face the pain of his rejetion when he turned away. "There's nothing I wouldn't do."

"I don't care what it takes." Sam continued. "I'm gonna get you out of this."

"We're going to get you out of this." Kelly corrected. She glared at Dean fiercely.

Dean chuckled as Sam added. "I guess I'm gonna have to save your ass for a change."

"Yeah, and we'll do it whether you want us to or not!" Kelly added. Regaining some of her old spirit as she tossed her head, her dark eyes glittering in the darkness. Even after all her statements, she knew without a doubt what was coming next.

"All right." Dean sighed. "I doubt I could stop you without having to hogtying one of you to a bed post."

"And hang their underwear as a waving banner out of the Impala." Kelly said.

Dean whistled. "Well, that's something I'd really like to see. Cause we all know it'll be your underwear we're usin', Kelly." He chuckled. "After all, you're the only one here who buys them at Victoria's Secret."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed. "That's seven kinds of indecent!"

"Actually, Sammy that's one kind of indecent." Dean smirked. "And our precious little scameroo was the one who suggested it. Maybe you should take up your argument with her dirty mind." His eyebrows rose suggestively over his sharp hazel eye, a genuine smile playing across his mouth. "Maybe it's her pink polka dot thongs making you nervous. You telling me you can't see those tethered from the Impala's antenna?"

Kelly frowned at Dean with pursed lips but her anger was all a façade, as she tried to cover her amusement. Covering her mouth with a smile she turned away from them. The casual banter making her throat tight. She swallowed, her mouth dry. Tongue flickering over her lips, wetting them, she resisted the urge to nibble on her fingers. _I have to be straight with him._ Kelly couldn't live her life in limbo. _He's either dating me or he isn't._ She swallowed again, knowing that after all the hurt she'd suffered this would be worse.

"If we're all done discussing my underwear." Kelly said in a slow voice. "Dean and I have a matter that we need to clear up." She glanced up at Sam. "Could we have some privacy?"

"Sure." Sam nodded, sliding into the Impala.

Dean swallowed. He'd known this was coming, but he wanted to put it off a while longer. _To at least pretend that everything's normal, if only for a little while._ But one glance at Kelly's determined face told Dean that he'd already run out of time. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. _I'll let her down easy._ He'd done it to hundreds of girls before. _But never one I really loved._ He swallowed again, trying to loosen up his throat. He needed to sound cold, aloof, detached. Like he was avoiding her.

"What do you want?" He asked as she faced him. Inwardly, he cringed, that had been a little harsher than he'd intended. Still, he couldn't detect a flinch.

"There's a small hill just off the highway." Kelly said. She lifted her left hand to point up at a small rise, not too far away. _I don't know why it has to be this way?_ She still wasn't sure what she'd done. _Other than worked for the enemy._ That was reason enough to hate her, she supposed.

Dean nodded. "Lead the way." He said.

They crossed the highway and hopped the barrier. Slowly climbing up the smooth low mound. Thick grass tickled their ankles as they strode up the hill. Kelly with her hands deep in her pockets, her hair touched by a crown of sunlight. Dean followed her silently, his own thoughts whirring in his mind. He didn't know what to expect, would she cry? Collapse into sobs? Beat him to death? What would she do when he was forced to say that they couldn't be together? He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to find out. But as they neared the summit of the small hill, and Kelly stepped onto the flat curve of the tiny mesa. Dean's thoughts were a whirr inside his mind, his heart thudding against his ribcage. He felt small and beaten, the way he had when Sam had questioned him about the demon deal. _Why is everything taken from me?_ His mother, his father, and now Kelly. The demon had wanted the deal to torture him, well, he was going to let himself be tortured. _I can't do much else._

Kelly slowed and came to a stop. She turned around to face him, her hands still deep in her pockets. The beams of the rising sun nearly in her eyes. She swallowed, summoning all her courage. "Do you still love me?" Kelly asked. Her hands tightening into fists in her pockets as she stared at him.

"No." Dean lied. He tried to keep his face smooth. "I did once, but not anymore."

Kelly bit her lip, she wouldn't ask why. She wouldn't. Slowly, she nodded. "So, that means you no longer wish to…."

"Continue our relationship?" Dean finished for her. "No, I'd like to start seeing other people." He was surprised by how easy the lies came. _Maybe if I lie to myself enough, it'll be true._ He thought. A pained smile tickled the edges of his mouth, but he kept his lips in a firm line. "I mean it was fun while it lasted…"

"I get it." Kelly said. Her voice was hard, on the verge of trembling. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she forced them back. Stepping towards her emotionless center. "So we're done?" She asked. "This is it?"

"Yeah." He replied. He stared at her face as she looked up at him. He could see the tears in her eyes, glimmering on the edges of her lashes. He wanted to wipe them away, to tell her that it had all been a big joke, that he didn't mean it. But he couldn't. _Not without sacrificing Sam._

She looked down. "I love you, you know." She said. "I always have." She swallowed, and sucked in a deep breath. Then she faced him, her eyes brave, but Dean could see her lower lip trembling as her gaze met his.

"I know." He replied.

"And I always will." Her voice was firm as she stepped forward and put her hand on his chest, but as she leaned in to kiss him he took a step back. He couldn't. Hurt flooded her expression and she looked away from him. Moving back, she turned and cast a glance off of the small hill, out towards where Sam was sitting on the hood of the Impala. Dean watched as a small, sad, smile twisted on her lips. He knew that she blamed this on herself. He knew she thought that in choosing to help him save Sam, she had sacrificed their relationship. She believed that was the reason why he no longer wanted her, because she'd chosen Sam over him. But it wasn't true. He wished he could tell her that.

"I know." He repeated. "But it's time for both of us to move on."

Kelly swallowed and nodded curtly. She couldn't say goodbye. They weren't leaving him. _We'll still be together._ And that just made everything worse. Silently, she turned and walked down the hill towards Sam. She had made her bed and it was time she slept in it. _There are always consequences._ Sticking her hands deep in her pockets, she slid down the hill. Her boots slipping on the muddy embankment and she wiped away the tear that trickled down her cheek. She wouldn't stop loving him, she decided, even if he no longer wanted to be with her. _I'm going to save him._ She lifted her eyes to see Sam. When he saw her approach, he straightened up off of the Impala. She could feel the energy flow between them, and it was comforting. Kelly smiled and walked to his side. "Come on." She said. Grabbing the lapel of his jacket, she dragged him towards the passenger side door. "We've got work to do."

On the hill, Dean stood, watching them. He couldn't get rid of the lump in his throat or the jealousy twisting his stomach into knots. He watched as she grabbed Sam, knowing that was where he should be. He watched as she threw her arm conspiratorially around his brother's shoulders and swallowed. He'd made his decision and this had to be part of his punishment. _Demon's have a sick sense of humor_. Well, it was just something that he'd have to live with. Kelly Jones wasn't the only woman in the world. _But she's still the only one you want._ A traitorous voice hissed in the back of his mind. Dean raised his gaze and shook his head. He'd made his choice and now, he had to live with it. Dean shook his head. _Starting now._ He followed her footsteps down the hill. Behind him, the sun finally broke over the horizon and rose into the gray morning. It was a new day.

The End

AN: Wow, that was a lot of work, and now this chapter of the story is closed. I think I feel a little sad deep inside. Thank you, for sticking with me the whole way through. I hope it made sense at the end and I hope that you enjoyed this race to the finish line. I would feel worse I think, if I was saying goodbye to Kelly completely. She's a character who grew on me as I was writing her and she's been a good friend. Again, thank you for reading my story and congratulations on making it to the end. As this is the last chapter I hope that you'll review.

But the adventures of Kelly Jones and the Winchesters aren't over. Remember to check out the continuation of this story in Grim Fate, the sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole.

Kelly Jones has problems: a Winchester is headed for hell, the other made immortal, and war is brewing. Now, with her replacement sent and Baba Yaga counting bullets, things are about to get worse this side of the Rabbit Hole.


End file.
